Sunday, September 28, 2008

Interim furniture

Yesterday CD's wife asked me why I didn't keep at least one arm chair to sit on until my new furniture arrives.

Good question really. I have no furniture in the room that I can be comfortable on. But I decided that when you have the assistance on hand to move heavy stuff, you do it. This means that you look back in amusement later.

CD's wife did suggest I use a blow up mattress for the time being. I was going to follow on with this idea, but decided that the idea of the cat padding down with her claws was a little too much for me to deal with. I might have had to deal with a deflating couch and an uncomfortable cat, and me for that matter.

I now will describe the 'new' couch I have constructed.

Take one sleeping bag and fold it into 3, place on floor. On top of that place a folded queen size doona. Throw over two throw rugs (actually I tucked them in so they keep the doona and sleeping bag in place) then pile up with the floor cushions. (I made covers for two this morning.) Finally elegantly arrange your pillows so you have a semblance of a couch.

I also realised that I have outside chairs sitting in garage at the moment not doing much. They're now my arm chairs. With a pillow behind me it will be awesome.......until the real deal arrives.

Going back to the covers that I made today....I am very proud of myself. These are 50x50x10cm cushions that I purchased and I have made blue covers for them with little bit of edging at the top. I might just add that I have NEVER made a cushion cover in my life. I looked at the idea of it and played with the measurements.......I have had a lot of fun doing it but working out measurements of material at the shop in front of the sales assistant without a calculator is a brain strain when you are on holidays.

I had decided that it would be easy to construct. Cut out two top/bottom and four sides then just sew together. Put a zip in and there you have it.

Let me tell you about reality.

Take a piece of paper and cut out a template to follow. This will ensure that you don't have wonky sides (bad enough with wonky drawers). Ahem. They had wonky sides

I had allowed 2.5 cms seam allowance. Idiot! 1.5 is more than ample. In fact 1 would've been sufficient.

First cushion.

Sew all sides together so they are one continuous band. Insert zip along edge. So far so good - just a lot of seam allowance to deal with!

Instead of completing the bottom start on the top with the piping. It has .5 seam allowance so confuses the hell out of you. Seams are incredibly wonky. Sew top to sides and start to freak out as the corners are not so right angled as you imagine them to be.

Sew bottom to the sides whilst trying deal with the right angle issue, and then realise you have left the zip closed so turning in will be interesting.

Finally turn in the right way and discover artistic folds that have been sewn in. Have a quiet swear then think "it's a new look!"

Attempt to put the 50 cm square cushion through a 40cm zip.

Wipe sweat from the brow. Look back in wonder and start the 2nd cushion which was constructed ever so slightly differently. Still face right angle issues.

Don't trim the corners so end up with chunky buggers which really are comfortable.

Clean up so no-one knows you were sewing.

1 comment:

Laura Jane said...

Thanks for those images. No, really- I want images!!!

I did have a chuckle though at the step-by-step rationalizing that went on.

Armchairs from the garage sound great!