Working with New Material :: Leather

 I have wanted to do this for awhile now and have finally had the chance to work with leather.  I love the idea of adding leather to bags and best of all, I've been saving outdated leather coats and using them on my bags.

I am still in the experimenting stages and the first time I started working with it, I am not going to lie, I was a little intimidated and nervous.  Leather is not something you can work with and if you make a mistake like incorrect stitches - rip them out and sew again.  Once that needle punctures the leather that hole is there for good.  Top stitching definitely needs to be done right the first time.

 Stitch length and your pressure foot are another important aspect of sewing with leather.  You want to make sure the stitch is long because if it is too short the thread will rip through the leather.  A teflon foot is a must for leather too, otherwise the leather will stick to your regular foot and pull the leather as you are sewing.  The teflon foot allows the leather to glide through as you are sewing.  If you don't have a teflon foot I think a walking foot would probably work as well.

I have only been able to work on a couple of bags and still tweeking the design.

The size of this bag is great.  There is enough room inside to hold a lot of your important stuff and closes with a zipper. The inside perimeter is lined with pockets so you can organize all your items and the outside has a large zipper across the front.

I am really pleased with how this bag turned out. The fabric combination with the black leather base and handles makes this a stunning combination.

I gave it to my Mom for Mother's Day and she was really excited about it when she got it.

What do you think?  Is this the type of bag you would carry?

Master Bedroom :: Redecorate... sneakpeak

re-dec-o-rate :

transitive verb

: to freshen or change in appearance : refurbish

intransitive verb

: to freshen or change a decorative scheme


So yesterday, if you were here you read about my Master Bedroom and how it looked when we first moved in and then what we did shortly after.

Currently, and this is a slow process for me.  Ever heard of the "The shoemaker's children go barefoot" or the hairdresser that never has her hair done?  Well, that's me, it takes F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to get any renovation done and the house is never completely decorated or "finished".  There is usually a list a mile long to get done for everyone else and finding time to do my own house goes on the back burner or squeezed into small amounts of time here and there.  Secondly, I never feel a room is ever completely finished as it is always evolving.   I think if you ask any decorator or designer they will say the same thing. 

If you have lived with a room for a few years and you love the basic feel it has, updating or redecorating it doesn't have to be a huge undertaking. It can be as simple as changing out decorative pillows to current patterns.

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Tweeking the accent colour to a more "on trend colour".

You could even do something as simple as  taking everything off a table or shelf and re-accessorizing with just a few new or  favourite items...

or if your artwork is dated changing it out to more up to date work.

Since I still love the look of the bedroom, I just wanted to give it a few updates.  The wall colour, drapery and furniture was not changing, but the accessories needed to be changed out.

photo by SilverLining Designs

 Even though the headboard was ornate and was the focal point in the room the space above it always felt like it commanded something.  I found this starburst mirror a few months ago and knew it was the perfect accessory for the wall above.  It is exactly what that space needed.

Photo by SilverLining Designs

 At first, I was going to change the side lamps and buy new ones, but later decided that the ones I had would work.  All they needed was to be painted (they were painted gold previously) and replace the shade. (and yes, if you are wondering, those are the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.  The colour of the books worked well in the room and played off the lamp well... not justifying just say'n)  I'm not lov'n the colour of the lamps especially once the new bed sheets where in the room, so I think I am either going to try rub'n buff or an entirely new colour.

Bedding was the next thing I changed.  I wanted to have more contrast in the room with a fresher, brighter feel.  I had seen the duvet cover I liked a while back here and found it at Homesense for about half the price.  The sheets are also from Homesense.  They are egyptian cotton with a 600+ threadcount.  Let me tell you, I have always had high threadcounts for my sheets but never egyptian cotton.  They are heaven!  They truly are a luxury worth investing in. 


I took the bedskirt off the bed which updates the look and gives a lighter feel to the room. The contrast between the sheets, duvet and wood panel are wonderful. The new decorative pillow ties everything together with the yellow and grey.


There are just a few more things that need to be added and hopefully it won't be long before this room is done.

Making a House a Home :: Master Bedroom - Decorate

Let's face it.  When we moved into our home, it was UGLY!  The master bedroom was no different.  The walls, trim and baseboards were this awful dirty dusty pink with navy floral border.  Half of the border was ripped down... or maybe I ripped it down I hated it so much, I can't remember.  But we moved in circa 1990's and back in the '80's when the original homeowner decorated, that was the style... I guess. Not mine that's for sure.  There were no curtains and if there were I ripped them down and threw them out - they were full of dust and stunk like smoke and again ugly.  

Photo by SilverLining Designs (prior to digital)

Sorry for the bad picture.  Digital cameras were not discovered back then.  As you can sorta see we didn't have a lot of furniture back then and what we did have was a mix and match of hand me downs and stuff we brought into the marriage.  This room lacked style completely.

Photo by SilverLining Designs (prior to digital)

Shortly thereafter, we transformed the room by painting the walls an antique white.  To this day, I love this colour and never get tired of it.  The windows face west so in the afternoon it is very bright in this room and you hardly see the colour making it very soft.  In the evening and early morning it deepens and is quite beautiful.  Sometimes I find myself just looking around the room to see how the light catches the walls.  We also splurged and bought the bedroom furniture I have always wanted... a four poster bed.  I was surprised because it is little more ornate than what my tastes are usually, but there was something romantic about the detail and hardware. We put some pictures on the walls, purchased new bedding and put a new to us big comfy chair in the corner of the room, which was my aunts and has since now passed, so it is special because now whenever I look at it or sit in it, I think of her.  Again not my style in fabric, but it was in excellent condition and it worked and it is super comfy so I left it as is.  One day I will recover it.  The lamps were hand me downs which I did a little DIY.  They were originally peach ceramic.  Back then and still now I am so over peach.  It use to be my favourite... everything was peach.  I spray painted them gold.  The drapery, way back then, was given to me also.  I loved the fabric but the length was way too short. I needed something to cover the windows, so I threw them up on the windows until I was ready to have something made. 


So that, at the time was a room decorated.  I was able to walk in the room and be in the room and enjoy it to some extent.  There was still more things to be done, but for now it was livable.

It's Outdoor Patio Time :: Villa Cabana

When we think of summer, we think of warm lazy days, spending time with friends and family, entertaining in our backyards with lots of swimming and bar-b-queuing.  But what if, when you went out to your yard, you were looking at old, faded outdoor furniture that you really didn't like anymore?

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When it comes time to look for new patio furniture, think of it as an extension of your interior space.  You want to get a look that is just as beautiful, and seamlessly emulates the inside of your home. You also want it to be comfortable and to withstand the outdoor weather conditions.

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SilverLining Designs is now offering cool contemporary outdoor furniture by Villa Cabana ~ Outdoor Patio Furniture . This line of outdoor furniture is not only good looking, it has style, comfort and quality workmanship that will optimize your outdoor living lifestyle.  With cutting edge design, Villa Cabana offers dining sets, sofa sets, loungers, accessories and separates depending on how you plan on using your patio.

Only high grade materials and performance fabric from Sunbrella in black and camel solids are used.  However, if you prefer a more custom look to your cushions, SilverLining Designs can provide you with a number of fabric options and have them created at an additional cost.
 



 Villa Cabana's price points are excellent!  SilverLining Designs also loves the fact that there is a  5-year limited warranty on Sunbrella furniture fabric against loss of color or strength from normal use including exposure to sunlight, mildew and atmospheric chemicals.  There is a 5 year warranty on the furniture structure and 5 year warranty on the UV protection (color fading) on wicker. Wait there's more! All of this furniture comes with their own covers to reduce the exposure from nature's elements. They are made out of 100% polyester with UV protection and a water resistant coating.

 
Depending on the chosen style, there are 9 colour options in wicker. High density foam is used in all the cushions and 5mm tempered glass is used on table tops to resist extreme changes in temperature.

Now that you have a great source for patio furniture, give us a call to place your order and in no time you will be enjoying that summer patio!