One more project off the list!

So, with the bathroom ceiling project finished (again, huzzah!), I've moved on to some smaller, but, in their own way, no less important things that I've had on my list for a while now. I'm visiting my parents this week-- wanna talk amazing DIY-ers?? Meet my parents!-- and my mom is an amazing seamstress, so I've shanghaied her into helping me.

Note about my mom's skillzz: When I was a little girl, I thought that store-bought clothes were some sort of punishment and would cry if my mom tried to buy me them! Yes, I had a princess's wardrobe of lovely, full-skirted dresses in a rainbow of colours all made by my mom. Spoiled me, yes, I know (now that I'm "all grown up" and basically wear nothing but black, my mom wants to know what happened ;) )

So, on the project list for about a year now has been making a cover for my dining room chandelier cord. I really detest naked cords, not sure why, but I do. I found some incredibly soft black velvet at one of the fabric places in the warehouse district and got enough to make it for only $5.00! One of the ladies who worked there told me that that particular fabric went for $70/yard originally! Knowing that I wasn't going to want to go through taking down the chandelier to put the cover on, I decided to use velcro. I couldn't find the thin stuff, so I ended up buying regular size and then cutting each piece in half. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I brought the velvet up with me yesterday and we sewed it today. The remnant wasn't long enough for the cover (knowing that it has to be twice the length of the cord), so we just made two separate covers and I'll put one up top and one below. We had to trim the fabric, hem it, and then sew up the sides. They really are nice looking and I can't wait to put them on when I get home.

I'd also brought up this fabric that I found on the same day of the velvet, and with which I'm completely in love: butterflies in various shades of sea-greens, on a cream background *swoon* I already measured off enough to reupholster my dressing table's bench in it, and the rest will be pillows for the bed. Well, being in a hurry to get on the road (SOMEONE didn't do her packing the night before!), I walked out with our existing pillows, duh. I'd planned to bring them and then just make the butterfly fabric into covers-- I mean, really, have you SEEN how much they charged for pillow forms?? And I don't want to just stuff these with batting. So, we'll have to leave this project for another time.

Currently, my mom is in there making me a tea cozy out of a Laura Ashley quilted pillow sham she's had for ages (still in the package). I had no idea how to even begin, but my mom just waded in with the shears and started cutting seemingly random pieces of fabric and stitched away. This project was brought on by my incessant whining about how I'm tried of wrapping my teapots up in tea towels to keep them warm, and how tea cozies are just too bloomin' expensive. Anyhoo, I just went in there to see it and its great: blue and white gingham, and she somehow managed to get the blue cording all the way around it. Mom, thank you. I stand in awe of your awesomeness :)

I'm still waiting for a third posting for my Pay It Forward giveaway *hint, hint* If you're interested, see the preceding post and leave me a comment.

Have a great week!