Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Back to work

Hi all. Is everyone back to work? Well here we are my boys and myself. Took a brief walk after our T Day eating.

Some of you should be getting an auto response about the Slipcover Press. I am not doing a Fall issue as I have been trying to figure out a program to have this up online.

Automation is the only way to keep up with the Slipcover Press. If you would like your quarterly publication mail USPS mail.... I need to know.

Thanks
Karen

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

taking a break from sewing, asking for feedback...

from my waay too late and not getting out the door anyway by thanksgiving slipcover project du jour..... to say don't forget to enjoy your holidays. 35 years of slipcovers later, I can tell you people forgive late sewing. Celebrate while you can !

On another note, I am using the first couple weeks of january to get together picture series for discs for the summit.

If there's something you want to see I can slip it in there now.

might as well ask here.............

Monday, November 21, 2005

looking for some feedback

what's the most you could hope to upcharge for lining a slipcover ?

express as a percent, and whether you'd add materials atop that.

what would make you offer or try to do this ? what circumstances ?

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Tessy's Recent Project


Just had to share this great slipcover job that Tessy sent me....

cozy_cottage@netzero.com

This is sooo creative. How many of these chairs did you have to make?

Great job
Karen

Friday, November 18, 2005

Brown and the latest mad science report

are we calling it Brown, Karen ? Hybrid ? Rainbow ?

for the effort of having a muslin pattern made ahead of time ( which serves at estimate time for a closer number and allows the half deposit to be demanded at that time anyway.....)

you can have a glue basted ( think many fewer pins and no time hunting for a way to insert them while avoiding the chair ) RS out fully fitted cover, lined and even stuffed ala the Maureen Whitmore craze ( but we can skip that too ).

Measurements can be substituted for the muslin in some cases, but a good premade muslin pattern serves so many good uses, and many people make them already.

General idea : the outside body pieces are steamed, cut to size, corded and lined. They look pillow cased when done, they are separate, not joined to anything. They are overlocked at the skirt line, and are longer than needed.

The inside body pieces are steamed, lined, assembled to other inside body pieces. They are cut to size but left long to underlap the outside body pieces.

The outside body pieces are prepared with Rowley's fuseable web, 2" on the lining side, and pressed with release silicone paper. Outside body pieces are ready to fuse when positioned.

Inside body pieces are positioned ( already joined, lined, overlocked ) pinned into the chair so as to make as tight as desired and overlapped into what would be the areas covered by outside body pieces....O back, arm front panels, O arm, De fronts, DE side panels, O wings if any, O side panels if any.

The outside body pieces are applied positioned, tightened, pinned, and fused. Skirt line cord is fused at this time as well, ready to receive the skirt once stitched.

Stittching is done from the front.

Lining used can be cheap and removed ( with the fuseable ) as soon as no longer needed, or kept as part of finished product.

Weird, no ? Fun for me, I like fun. Wicked fun, I have been waiting to glue a slipcover all my life.....

Monday, November 14, 2005

not avoiding anybody

just eyebrow deep in window treatments, don't ask me why.

Gonna start banding slipcover skirts, I certainly have it down now. Banded $11,000 worth of drapes this year, more coming in the door. Jeezzzzz

Fantasizing about glue basting slipcovers. Anyone who wants to receive and help critique photos depicting BROWN the week of jan 9th as they are put on a disc with paragraphs explaining Brown, let me know.

slipcoverlady at juno dot com.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

There's a "Floors and Interiors" store in town; they added a line of window treatments a few years ago. The van of a local decorator is often parked outside, so I think she is part of the business.

I'm going to approach them *eek!* - if we work something out, is there a payment standard?

1. They refer customers to me, I pay them a commission (__%). (What IS the going rate, anyway?)

2. I bill the store, they charge customers whatever they want. They may or may not want to deal with fabric, not sure how that would work either way.

Any experience with this? Anyone?

Thursday, October 27, 2005

The Slipcover Network Forum

Hello Friends who Slipcover and Make Window Treatments
FYI...October Issue of Architectural Digest...we did the swags in the 6000 sq. ft. library addition...designer was John Phiffer Marrs
Page 146 has a photo of the window treatments we fabricated.

Slipcover Etc.
Dallas, Texas 75243
972-680-2730
CRDI.Karen@SBCGlobal.net




Take a look.



Regards,






Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Scallop skirt- overlay- multi???

I am slipcovering a parsons chair and the woman( so called designer) wants a scallop skirt overlay( I think that's what it is called). The scallop will be around 5" deep and will have a dragonfly centered in each scallop. This is on top of a floor length ruffled skirt. Now I have never done a scallop anything. I think I know what to do but I don't know what to line the scallop with. There is not enough fabric to self line. The main fabric and scallops are done in a maroon and the ruffled skirt will be a blue check.

Question 2. How do the scallops meet in the corners? I am planning to have a scallop panel for each of the four sides.

Question 3. I have installed casters on the chair. How long do I make the skirt? Just to the top of the casters?

Thursday, October 13, 2005

The Slipcover Network Forum: Serging Poll

The Slipcover Network Forum: Serging Poll

1---b
2--I use my serger as the only seam on tuck-ins (5 thread). On corded seams, I serge each layer separately.

Jeannie

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Serging Poll

1. Do you serge your seams?

a) No.
b) Always - it is built into my price.
c) As an option (with upcharge) only.

2. If you DO serge, do you:

a) Serge completed seams (requires industrial serger).
b) Serge pieces before stitching.
c) Serge as slipcover is sewn (Karen's Method)

Monday, October 03, 2005

The Slipcover Network Forum

Dear Slipcover Pros,

Over the past decade, we as a group have rallied to help some of our members with some extraordinary life events. I am asking for your help once again--this time for
Jo Ann Brezette, one of the Window Coverings Industry's most valued members. I know many of you do both window treatments and and slipcovers.

She has recently been declared legally blind and is facing increased medical expenses associated with attempts to save the little sight Jo Ann does have. Read more about Jo Ann's medical condition and how you can easily contribute. http://www.jbmedicalfund.com/

Steve Beard, of Wesco Fabrics, Inc. sent me this information, and I am happy to pass this request along. You are welcome to forward this to any of your friends and business associates. (In fact please do !!)

I know in the past you have all opened up your hearts and have contributed so generously. I do hope you can help today.

Thank you so very much!

Dian :-)

Dian Garbarini
DraperyPro
27281 Las Nieves
Mission Viejo, CA 92691

714-454-0705 Cell
949-916-9372
949-916-9374FAX www.DraperyPro.com DianGar@aol.com

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Dumb question regarding pricing survey:

Does the base price for a given piece of furniture INCLUDE loose and semi-attached cushions? Or are they priced separately and ADDED to the base price?

Thanks - sorry, I should know this.

Dede

The Slipcover Network Forum

HI everyone...

Donna and I are on our way to New Jersey to do a 2 day slipcover class.

Just finished up in Virginia.

Hope everyone is doing well...

Does anyone have ink cartridges to recycle?

always
Karen

Thursday, September 29, 2005

just bringing this back to the top

valley forge next week, anyone else going ?

Friday, September 23, 2005

The Slipcover Network Forum

Hi All...

Just wanted you to know I just sent in another shipment of recycle in cartridges and cell phones. Thanks to all who are making it possible to grow our Scholarship fund for the Summit 2006.

It's easy save your empty cartridges, and when you get 3 send them my way. I send them to the company, and they send a check to Claudia who is our treasurer.

Hope all are well
Karen

Here is a job Linda from Kansas did for one of her clients. Looks like Homespun Fabric. Don't you just love the skirt?

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Karen - I was going to send you the 8 old cellphones I had but after talking to my friend who had recycled them before she said that it would not be worth it to mail them out to you. She said we would get $1 each at the most. I am going to donate them to my church instead. Sorry! I had no idea how old they were. I got them from my MIL and SIL at their garage sale.
Duh... I just discovered the "Comment" feature. I wonder what else I've been missing...

Dede (in a daze)

Terratex Interface Fabrics

"Terratex® is a registered trademark of Interface Fabrics Group and designates fabrics that are made from 100% recycled or compostable material using increasingly sustainable manufacturing practices to produce a high quality product that is recyclable at the end of its useful life."

Sustainable, minimal-impact, environmentally conscious, eco-responsibe interior fabric.

In other words... recycled (and recyclable).

Is this one of the companies Jeannie highlighted? Or did I just volunteer to write an article? :D