If I Can Do It, ANYONE can do it!

[DawnCt1]

About two months ago I was trying to mend some pants on my sewing machine and the bobbin thread was bunching up. I asked some Dis'rs for suggestions and the problem was solved. That is HOW MUCH I don't know about sewing. Last month I ordered some living room furniture and it was time to redecorate. I couldn't do the LR without doing the dining room. I couldn't find a rug for under the dining room table and then I saw one I liked on Overstock.com. It came in, I loved it but then I needed new window treatments. After searching the usual department stores and not finding anything I liked, I found the fabric that I wanted for the valances and coordinating fabric in for the living room. Being clueless I did a brief search but still had tons of questions. I got great help from fellow Dis'er right here and now less than a week later I have two 200 inch valances and one 60 inch valance, and 11 toss pillows complete with welting in the exact colors and fabric I wanted. I found the fabric of the high back chair and ottoman that I ordered and make three of those pillows in that fabric and with the rest of the fabric, reupholstered 6 dining room chairs. The fabric would have come to $430 including the heavy duty stapler and supplies but I managed to scrounge up enough coupons (Joann's Fabric) to actually pay $206. (interesting story, ) Now all I have to do is wait for the furniture, which is another interesting story. I picked out the furniture locally, the fabric, etc and then decided to shop. By finding a furniture store in N. Carolina, I managed to save $800 off of the sale price locally. This is ending up to be a budget redecorating deal without it intending to be. Hurray!! My sewing experience? I took home ec in high school, you know, back in the day when boys took shop and girls took home ec.

 

[Vivianne]

Good for you!

I sewed my curtains too from some patterns. My experience was practically non-existent except for making a bib in high school. Only problem was my FIL gave me a new sewing machine and SIL worked in a fabric store and offered a discount. So it was a done deal I was going to have make a stab at it. I remember her staring at them when they were done. I wonder what she really thought.

 

[ilovepcot]

This is great! I can tell by your post that you're having a good time with all this. We (mom and I) always order our furniture from NC! Hope you'll post pics when it's complete.

 

[DawnCt1]

Good for you!

I sewed my curtains too from some patterns. My experience was practically non-existent except for making a bib in high school. Only problem was my FIL gave me a new sewing machine and SIL worked in a fabric store and offered a discount. So it was a done deal I was going to have make a stab at it. I remember her staring at them when they were done. I wonder what she really thought.

I tried to buy a pattern but the one I wanted was sold out. Must have been popular. I bought pattern ease or fabric ease, whatever, and made a pattern out of that.

 

[rie'smom]

Congrats!!! You'll have to post pictures of the room when you're finished. I can't wait ti see it!

 

[crazyme5kids]

Could a caveman do it? Sorry I couldn't resist. I give you a lot of credit. I have zero patience and even less talent for doing any type of sewing, so I am in awe of anyone who is able to sew. Post a few pictures when it's all finished.

 

[RNMOM]

Dawn, good for you! See, you are turning into a home decorating seamstress.

Can I ask where you ordered your furniture from? I have been wanting to do this but don't know where to begin. I would appreciate an PM about it if possible.. Thanks.

 

[DawnCt1]

Dawn, good for you! See, you are turning into a home decorating seamstress.

Can I ask where you ordered your furniture from? I have been wanting to do this but don't know where to begin. I would appreciate an PM about it if possible.. Thanks.

How I began. I went shopping for furniture and found what I liked and in the fabric I wanted. I got the best price I could and then I went to another furniture store, negotiated with them because I really had intended to buy it locally in the beginning. I saved about $300 over the first price but then when I added delivery and tax it was not that big of a savings. About 15 years ago I had ordered Bernhardt furniture from North Carolina and was pleased so I looked on the internet. One of the first calls I made was actually to Ohio. The price wasn't as good as good as N.C. and the sales woman acted like she was doing me a favor. She would not verify the description of the fabric after I gave her the numbers. I then called High Pointe Furniture sales, listed under North Carolina furniture companies. The person I dealt with was very nice and friendly. She took the information, style and fabric, called me back and verified the description. I gave them 20% down on my Amex and received an invoice within a week. I called last week and they told me that the furniture would be here by mid May. That is perhaps even shorter than the time frame I was given locally. Since this furniture is for my living room where furniture never wears out, it just goes out of style I did not feel I needed a top of the line, "it will last forever" brand. I selected very mid range pieces and yet the savings was still at least $700. My biggest fear was getting the wrong fabric. I wrote down the fabric numbers in two different stores locally to be sure there wasn't some "internal thing" going on. The stores like to hide the name of the pieces. I did write down a number off of the tag but it is interspersed with other numbers to disguise it. When I went to the second smaller store, I asked if she had a Rowe catalog to see if there were other pieces I wanted. That is where I clearly identified the pieces, the numbers etc. Good luck. When it arrives, they will set it up in my living room and I will make sure it is okay and then give the driver a cashiers check for the balance. I hope that isn't "too much information".

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I hope to join you soon Dawn. I need window treatments, cannot afford to pay someone, and hate everything "pre-made".

 

[DawnCt1]

Could a caveman do it? Sorry I couldn't resist. I give you a lot of credit. I have zero patience and even less talent for doing any type of sewing, so I am in awe of anyone who is able to sew. Post a few pictures when it's all finished.

I have zero patience as well, which is why it is all completed in four days and I don't have to look at that machine again. I am more frugal however than I am inpatient and it got to be fun getting the budget down even more. Now posting the pictures might be hard for me. I know I spent 2 hours trying to get the picture on my signature posted. I will give it a try once the furniture, etc get here. In the meantime, I have tons of laundry to catch up on.

 

[DawnCt1]

I hope to join you soon Dawn. I need window treatments, cannot afford to pay someone, and hate everything "pre-made".

As one who rarely sews, I really didn't know much about fabric prices. The night before the fabric purchase, I went to a smaller Joanne's Fabric store and they didn't have any of the fabric I had seen in the larger "superstore" . I asked the sales clerk which book had the best directions for someone like me. She then asked if I had any coupons. I didn't know Joannes had coupons. She gave me the flyer of coupons, I paid for the book and when I got home, I saw what a treasure trove it was. They had a coupon for 50% off on every item I could want, from the heavy duty stapler to a coupon for "one cut of fabric". Well I headed off to the superstore the next morning and asked the service desk for more coupons. NO WAY! "We have no in store coupons". I went to the back and asked the person who cuts the fabric if she could scan my coupon three times, "no, I can't, sorry". Well at that point I wasn't going to pay double the price for the two other cuts of fabric I needed so I told her that I would look for more coupons and come back and complete my purchase. I walked to the back of the store where I saw all of these sweet little old ladies sewing up a storm in a sewing class. I knocked on the door and politely asked if they had any extra fabric coupons that they didn't need. They were delighted to help. Bottom line? The fabric and stuff that would have cost me $430 ended up being $206. There was even two coupons for a total of $15 off of my entire purchase. That really made this entire thing fun.

 

[RNMOM]

Thanks for your advice. You are one shrewd little decorator.

 

[Nancy]

I'm amazed they let you use all those coupons at one time...around here there are so many restrictions on the things it gets to be a big pain to use them! I loved when my DD was a seasonal employee there though, great a really good employee discount.

 

[laurajetter]

That's great! I myself am in a similar boat, I only had sewing experience from middle school but lately have been giving it a try. As long as it just keeps stitching and there are no thread knots in the bobbin I am fine!

I've been making really basic stuff and my family is so impressed... I tell them all I was really doing on those projects was sewing a straight line, probably anyone could do it! I am currently working from a pattern for a little girl's outfit; I think I may have gotten myself in over my head though. It's a little tricky!

By the way, where do you find all the great Jo-Ann coupons you've mentioned? Someone else on the DIS had a link to a great coupon a while back too. Are these coupons you get by being subscribed to a club or something or are they in regular circulars?

Anyway, happy sewing!

 

[DawnCt1]

That's great! I myself am in a similar boat, I only had sewing experience from middle school but lately have been giving it a try. As long as it just keeps stitching and there are no thread knots in the bobbin I am fine!

I've been making really basic stuff and my family is so impressed... I tell them all I was really doing on those projects was sewing a straight line, probably anyone could do it! I am currently working from a pattern for a little girl's outfit; I think I may have gotten myself in over my head though. It's a little tricky!

By the way, where do you find all the great Jo-Ann coupons you've mentioned? Someone else on the DIS had a link to a great coupon a while back too. Are these coupons you get by being subscribed to a club or something or are they in regular circulars?

Anyway, happy sewing!

They are supposed to be in a circular but I am not in their advertising area. I didn't even know about their coupons until the nice sales lady at the smaller store gave me a flyer. It was a treasure. I got the other coupons from the little old ladies in the sewing class in the back of the larger store.