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nicole___

My two upholstery projects are complete! What are YOU working on?

nicole___
2 years ago

I purchased a hide from Tandy's Leather to upholster the seats of my Bernhardt loveseat. The piping was also replaced.



The right front is still a little wet from the Scotchguard leather protector. ☺

Then I put leather seats on the breakfast bar stools.


I'm done! I still have outdoor projects I'm working on....when it cools down.....♥

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What projects have YOU been working on?

Comments (40)

  • nekotish
    2 years ago

    Wow - you are a woman of many talents! Looks great!


    nicole___ thanked nekotish
  • OutsidePlaying
    2 years ago

    You did a wonderful job on both pieces!

    nicole___ thanked OutsidePlaying
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  • amylou321
    2 years ago

    Wow those look great!

    I am working on my halloween display. It goes up on the 25th of this month and I am planning, crafting,measuring and wringing my hands in excitement.

    nicole___ thanked amylou321
  • Olychick
    2 years ago

    That leather is a great match! Amazing!

    nicole___ thanked Olychick
  • summersrhythm_z6a
    2 years ago

    Wow, what a great job!

    nicole___ thanked summersrhythm_z6a
  • kathyg_in_mi
    2 years ago

    Wonderful work!


    nicole___ thanked kathyg_in_mi
  • likestonehomes
    2 years ago

    OMG, such talent, wanna share some (:

    nicole___ thanked likestonehomes
  • murraysmom Zone 6a OH
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    That loveseat is fantastic!! I thought you were doing the seats in an animal print? Whatever you did, it looks great and so do the other chairs.

    Are those epis on either side???

    nicole___ thanked murraysmom Zone 6a OH
  • murraysmom Zone 6a OH
    2 years ago

    I am working on my garden beds right now. I removed all the mulch (and weeds) from the front beds. I should be able to get some done on the side maybe starting Sunday.







    nicole___ thanked murraysmom Zone 6a OH
  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    2 years ago

    Awesome! As I predicted on your thread about the fabric. So I'm not surprised.


    I finished building the wall, drywalled it, added baseboard, sanded, and painted it... today I'll add the bars to hang the clothes. The previous owners finished out the upstairs suite of my 103 year old house without a closet? Why when you had any entire floor? My child was building the bookcases and console that will complete the wall when they went to school. Guess they'll do the rest over winter and summer break. Getting there!


    Or did you mean my plaid jacket? Altered the pattern, cut the fabrics, fused the lining, and I'm about halfway through construction ;)

    nicole___ thanked rob333 (zone 7b)
  • Annie Deighnaugh
    2 years ago

    Beautiful!

    nicole___ thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • lgmd_gaz
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Nicol, beautiful work, you are so gifted. And, I am so envious of anyone who does crafty things and/or projects that enhance or improves their life or the life of others.

    nicole___ thanked lgmd_gaz
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Thanks everyone! ☺

    murraysmom....I found a yard of leopard velveteen + shipping = about $55. The whole cowhide was only $80 and I have half a cow left to make an ottoman! ♥ I was hesitant at first, never sewed 5 layers of leather with my Bernina. The ladies @ the Bernina store told me I couldn't, only 3, then ordered a leather foot(it will be another 8-10 weeks to get it & $75. A zipper foot works to sew piping.)..but...of course....after adjusting several settings...it sewed perfectly. ☺ DH was trying to convince me to buy a commercial leather sewing machine, he says I should have done that years ago. I really didn't want to spend $1500 minimum on that. I was so up-in-the-air, all-over-the-place.....I was stuck. Hence my thread I started.

    Yes. I did bring the epi's with me "and" Thanksgiving cactus. ☺

    Your flower beds look "perfect"! So lush and happy! Good job!

    Rob....Buying that house was the right thing to do! When it's yours you can remodel away! Big closets or just having a closet is going to change everything! Your kiddo has building skills? Cool! Bookcases, built-in...nice! I know you miss your child......but .....look at all the home projects you'll get done! ha ha ♥

    amylou....Your halloween display....we want photos! ♥

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    They work on projects with me, but they're so messy in their everyday life, so I'm really not missing the messes 😉


    They build that are straight, but pretty rudimentary. Does the job, that's all I need! If they ever get good, I'm going to get them to make me night stands for my bedroom, demilune.

    nicole___ thanked rob333 (zone 7b)
  • chisue
    2 years ago

    nicole -- I was thinking of your amazing upholstery skills yesterday while looking online for a replacement chaise for our MBR. I've never resolved this issue; you and I discussed it *years* ago. After a bid of $2100 *labor only* to reupholster...I quit. But now it's a ripped and sagging eyesore and has to GO! I see stuff online for as little as $300, although a Century Furniture spring down chaise (most like mine) runs about $3K. At 80, I'm looking for 'OK for a few years' and 'under $1K'. DH is the only regular user, half an hour, twice a day. Online/Cheap doesn't offer much choice of fabric/color.

    nicole___ thanked chisue
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    chisue....yep, I remember....you and I like the "good" stuff. There really IS a difference. That little Bernhardt loveseat was$3300 new. (I'm not the original owner). If I can fix it for$80 AND get a matching ottoman out of the deal....that's almost free...to me! I say be comfortable. ♥

  • Lars
    2 years ago

    I have a Viking sewing machine that sews leather beautifully, but I do use a leather needle. I've also used it to sew zebra hides to make costumes and also to make a zebra belt for my brother.

    Next (when I get back to Cathedral City next week), I will be working on new swimming trunks for my brother and me. We use the pool there pretty much all year, and so our swimming trunks wear out rather quickly. I'm also going to make another cabana jacket with a thick terry cloth lining, for winter use. I've already made a couple with waffle weave terry cloth for summer.

    I also have some more zebra tapestry fabric that I used for these pillows (which I finished recently)


    This shows the front and back of the same pillow, but I did make a pair of these. They are a bit large at 22-1/2" square (I think), and I might the next ones slightly smaller, perhaps 22" square.

    I still have some real zebra hide left but will not be using that again any time soon, I think.

    nicole___ thanked Lars
  • Jasdip
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Haha, all week I keep telling myself what I'm going to do on the weekend. Make bagels, etc. Then the weekend comes and I don't do it.

    I went on an hour-long hike thru the trails this morning, and I just finished making some tomato soup. Not much but at least it was something productive. Unlike you, who is truly gifted and ambitious!



    nicole___ thanked Jasdip
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @Rose......very nice work! ♥

    @Lars...those pillows are BEAUTIFUL! Making swimwear you'll use is cool! ♥

    @Jasdip.....That looks low cal and yummy! ☺ and thanks for the compliment. The kittens kept trying to play with the piping & chew on the leather scraps. I have a hard time getting anything done too.

  • althea_gw
    2 years ago

    Nicole, I didn't know people could do that sort of thing at home. That is really impressive work.


    This morning I got out some fabric I wove, then my patterns to find the one I want to use, thought about getting the iron out to iron the fabric, then warped my tapestry loom instead.

    nicole___ thanked althea_gw
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    @althea.....☺ I understand warping a loom. I used to do loomed Indian beadwork. I made my own looms. I've never tried weaving fabric. That's AMAZING! ♥

  • tozmo1
    2 years ago

    Wonderful work! That French Stitch is gorgeous.

    Me? Power washed my 30 year old deck. Replaced some boards, dug out rotten parts of other boards and repaired with Durham Rock Hard Wood Putty and then stained with a solid color stain. Whew! Took me two weeks working in between rain showers. Wish this Rock Hard cutie had been here to help me. Want to limp the deck along for a couple more years until the budget allows a replacement.


    Now I'm sanding and repainting the metal deck furniture since it looks so bad against the pristine deck. I was fortunate to have been given six Russell Woodward Sculptura chairs and tables circa 1956, by a neighbor who was the original owner. Gotta keep them in good shape for another 65 years!

    nicole___ thanked tozmo1
  • Zalco/bring back Sophie!
    2 years ago

    Wow, nicole, you are talented. Working with leather must be quite difficult.

    No projects for me rightt now. Christmas is fewer than 100 days away, so I am starting to plan gifts, decorations, food and small, immediate family only events.

    nicole___ thanked Zalco/bring back Sophie!
  • althea_gw
    2 years ago

    Oh wow Nicloe, you do beading too?!?!? That always seemed impoosibly complicated to me and something I wouldn't even try to attempt. Have you see this book - "A Bag Worth a Pony"? I have a copy. We went hear the author talk about it when it was first published. I'd love to make a bag like this but I would need to weave with yarn instead of beads.


    https://shop.mnhs.org/products/bag-worth-pony


    I will post a picture of my projects just as soon as I figure out how to resize the photo. It might be awhile. Grrr.





    nicole___ thanked althea_gw
  • Toronto Veterinarian
    2 years ago

    Nicole, those look terrific! Me? I'm working on getting pictures hung on my walls, and making a coffee cake. Boring.

    nicole___ thanked Toronto Veterinarian
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @althea_gw.....Nice book. I've not seen it before. I'd love to see photos of YOUR work! YES!

    I made a velvet purse & applied loomed work onto it. Then lazy-squaw stitched a pattern. ♥



    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    My current project is finding an ottoman we'd be happy with and recovering it with the left over leather.

  • althea_gw
    2 years ago

    Nicole, those are wonderful!


    Here is a picture of my projects underway. It's not a good shot of the fabric, plus it and my band need to be ironed. The band is Baltic pick-up. These bands are loads of fun and ridiculoulsy easy to weave.



    My jacket should (hopefully) look like this knitted Estonian jacket from which I derived the inspiration.




    nicole___ thanked althea_gw
  • chisue
    2 years ago

    Does anyone here believe that Nicole *sleeps*? haha


    Such TALENT here at the Table!

    nicole___ thanked chisue
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @althea_gw....Great job of weaving....and that jacket should be a close copy! ♥

    @chisue.... ♥ ♥

  • quasifish
    2 years ago

    Sheesh, you all are so talented. My run-o-the-mill pillowcases are pretty darn boring by comparison :)


    That leather sofa is amazing and the weaving is just beautiful.


    Years ago I use to do a little upholstery- until I realized that I really didn't enjoy it. Never worked with leather, so my respect for you is ten-fold- wow!

    nicole___ thanked quasifish
  • Lars
    2 years ago

    Nicole, what I love about your upholstery project is that it does not even look like anything was replaced! That takes a lot of skill. Your piping looks great.

    I had a small loom at one time in San Francisco that I had found on the street (in a free box), but my roommate's begged me to give it to him, and so I did, although I regretted it. I just wanted to shut him up - he was very annoying. I've always wanted to weave fabric, but I've had to settle with painting fabric instead, which gives a much quicker result.

    nicole___ thanked Lars
  • althea_gw
    2 years ago

    Ha, ha Lars. Buying fabric already woven is way, way quicker and a real bargain!

    nicole___ thanked althea_gw
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @tozmo1....I'd never heard of THAT putty. I'm going to purchase a can. Thanks!

    @althea_gw.....Lars loves design work. Lars are U going to try it? althea can inspire you....

    @Lars....sewing 5 layers of leather scared me. The piping added that many layers. I also used a leather needle. Those ladies @ the Bernina store told me I couldn't do it! My husband went online and found several commercial machines...and I just rolled my eyes. I don't want to collect sewing machines. ☺ Right! I did make a leather backpack in high school on my moms Viking machine. (It took 1st place. I traded it to a Navajo Indian who made jewelry, the neighbor was bragging about me to him. His family was here for a festival. I have an awesome BIG ASS ring I traded for it. ♥ ) Your Viking machine has got to be just as GREAT! Lucky you! I just dove into it...and found out how AMAZING my Bernina really is. I can be a spokesperson for them .....now. ha ha

    My husbands boss took his leather couch w/ a dog chewed arm to an upholster, paid BIG bucks and the new arm didn't match. He was furious! Demanded his money back, only got a discount. He was shopping for a new $6k couch last I heard. Making it match was critical. I did not want to be him.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For X-mas when I was in 6th grade, my sister gave me a beading loom and she purchased a weaving loom for herself. ☺ I made a big 6"x6" piece & gave it to her. She glued it to an expensive Stone Mountain leather purse, instead of sewing it on. That did not end well. ☺

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



    What I traded my backpack for....☺ ....lol The '70's!

  • althea_gw
    2 years ago

    "I have an awesome BIG ASS ring I traded for it. ♥ )"


    Congratulations for your award. What an impressive ring. That is my favorite phrase! This summer we were taking a bike ride and I slammmed on my brakes on reading a hand lettered sign reading "BIG ASS YARD SALE"! I would not have stopped if the sign said something else. I got 3 Williams Sonoma cookbooks for a buck a piece. :)

    nicole___ thanked althea_gw
  • nicole___
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    @althea_gw....My favorite fan company is named "Big Ass Fans". They're pretty nice! I must have been thinking of them. ha ha

  • Fori
    2 years ago

    Nicole, my next project is convincing you to come do some reupholstery work at my place. :)

    nicole___ thanked Fori
  • Lukki Irish
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    When I saw your original post about your project I thought to myself, if anyone can do that and do it well, it would be Nicole, and sure enough, you did an AMAZING JOB!!!


    I don’t have any projects per say, but I have decided to start painting again only this time I’m going to give watercolors a try. Painting has a way of allowing you to get lost in the moment and I could use some of that right now.

    nicole___ thanked Lukki Irish
  • Alisande
    2 years ago

    Nicole and Lars could go into business together and become a creative sensation. But don't do that, please, because then you'll be too busy for the KT.

    Lukki, I have a couple of video watercolor courses in reserve for this winter. They're from Domestika. I took one from them last winter, and loved it. My cousin, an artist, doesn't like Domestika because there's no accountability . . . you can watch the videos whenever you like, and as many times as you like, and no one is standing over you. But I liked that about them. Plus the courses (hundreds of them) are very inexpensive. The two I signed up for this year are quite different from each other.

    I'm not involved in anything creative right now, but I am involved. I'm trying to do as much gravestone photography for FindAGrave as I can before the cold weather arrives. With Raynaud's affecting my hands in winter, this is definitely a seasonal volunteer effort for me.

    nicole___ thanked Alisande
  • Sarah
    2 years ago

    Well, after I was helping a friend see a pillow cover and put the zipper on backwards TWICE, I put that hot mess down and haven’t gone back to it. Ugh. Today I made an egg sandwich and have been sitting on my big ass all day! I enjoy reading every one else’s creative projects!

    nicole___ thanked Sarah
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