cotton canvas couch covers

Cotton canvas couch covers. I can't say that four times fast. They weren't too hard to make, though, which is nice because I meant to get these done fast, in time for a baby shower I was hosting.

I started with the back cushions. There used to be three long cushions on this sofa, and none were practical for pillow forts or useful as floor cushions. I pulled the fluff out and used some cotton muslin to make four large pillow forms. These are just simple squares, 19 x 19 inches.

When the forms were all stitched up, I used the canvas (painter's tarp) to sew a couple of 20 x 20 squares together on three sides to make pillow covers. I hemmed the fourth side, but left it open. With the open end at the bottom and a snug fit, the open bottoms aren't too noticeable.

The seat cushions needed to be measured and traced. I cut them in two pieces then stitched around the perimeter on three sides with box stitching on the fronts. The fourth side of each was left open for easy washing, and I just tuck them into the edges in place.

It's not perfect, but it's a nice change for spring. The brown was just looking kind of dirty all the time; this helps. The new covers are really easy to remove and wash, and the canvas takes dye well if I decide the color needs to change. Overall, I'd call this one a success!

all - stars

I found a little pair of Chuck Taylor's at the thrift store which were just the right size, but not the right color. We don't really wear much pink around our house, so I made them into these sweet little day-and-night Chucks for my kiddo as a Christmas present:






These were in practically new condition, as lots of second-hand kids' things are. You can see how the inner soles look pristine.




Even the laces were still pretty new-looking.




Enter Tulip Soft Fabric Paint.


(photo credit)


They come in teensy little one-ounce bottles, which is plenty for little projects like this one, with enough leftover for a bunch more projects. I bought four colors (Yellow, Glacier White, Marine Blue, and Platinum Metallic) for a little over a dollar each; I had the turquoise color left from those baby onesies I painted awhile back. You could also use regular craft acrylic paints; they're colorfast, too, but can be a little stiff. These come out nice and flexible, which is great for stuff kids are going to wear.

First, I painted one shoe solidly Turquoise for the "Day" shoe. I let it dry for about an hour, then added some puffy white clouds with the Glacier White and a tiny little bird with the Marine Blue.




Next, I used the Yellow to turn the "All-Stars" logo into a little sun.




For "Night", I painted the other shoe in Marine Blue, with accents of the Turquoise for depth and the appearance of galaxies.




Using the Glacier White, Yellow, and Platinum paints (alone and in combination) I dotted in stars of varying sizes, and painted in some starbursts, dashed lines (resembling those on a star map), and a little moon near the logo.




My little dude looks pretty darn cute running around in them.







This is a really fun project that can turn out to be pretty time consuming, depending on the complexity of your design. On the other hand, if you were to start with a pair of shoes that was already some shade of blue, it would go faster.

You can also adapt this project for a ton of other designs, as this company does. How well they turn out will totally be dependent on your artistic ability, but a simple Day-and-Night design should be pretty easy to accomplish with decent results.

Total project cost here was under ten bucks, including the sneakers ($4) and paint ($4.50, with lots left over).


(p.s. you can make these photos bigger by clicking on them . . . but you probably knew that!)


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Neverland

A few shots of one of the major projects I worked on for our recent production of Peter Pan as well as one of me, in my Nana disguise (I made the velvet helmet with ears {a recycled faux fur collar from a Goodwill} and ribbon ties; Rosalie G. beautifully executed a tiny mob cap for the top using leftover recycled-bedskirt-fabric from her handmade Liza apron. GORGEOUS).

This Neverland Map was created over the course of several weeks. Shawn and I built six 5' x 2' canvases out of scrap wood from an old pallet, and one large painters' dropcloth from the hardware store. The canvas was stapled in place, and then I painted this original map of Neverland using acrylic paints and brushes of various sizes. I researched place names mentioned in Barrie's original book, as well as the sequel, but because Neverland is always moving things around (perhaps some inspiration for the Hogwarts staircases?), I was pretty free to interpret the shape of the island and the lay of the land.

To finish, some mesh (recycled from an old mattress) was stapled over the back of each frame, and hinges attached the panels into two 3-panel screens. These were used in the parks as a backdrop and as an exit point for cast members.

On windy days, we tried many methods of keeping the screens upright, especially at our grassy venues. In the end, the father of two of our cast members ended up holding them upright from behind. Someday, I hope to invent a fool-proof method of keeping such things upright in outdoor theatre.

Clickable photos reveal larger versions.