Reupholstering a Bergere Chair and Ottoman

I finished my daughter's kitchen chairs yesterday, so it's back to my Bergere chairs.  I hope to have them done this week.  I reupholstered several chairs a few years ago but I am doing something different with my new chairs that I'll share soon.  

I bought this chair several years ago but it didn't look like this when I got it.

It was originally covered in zebra?  is this zebra?  and the piping was very worn.  I always laugh that the men at the used furniture store that I haunt must think I have a really ugly house!  Most of my chairs are pink underneath so if they're keeping track, they think my decor is pink and zebra!  lol

I had never reupholstered anything before but I loved the beautiful wood on this chair and ottoman and felt I had nothing to lose.  I wasn't going to leave it at the store and I wasn't going to leave it like this.

I wasn't blogging yet when I did the chair so I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of how I did it but I can show you how I did the ottoman and it's the same steps.

I wanted to make the ottoman cushion fuller so I added some batting under a piece of foam that I cut to fit the shape of the cushion.

  This is the same poly-fil batting that I use when I make pillows.

I had already made a cover for the whole thing.  You can find how to make a cushion cover here.   How to Make A Slipcover - Part Two 

 I got this blue linen at Hobby Lobby.

On 'How to Make a Slipcover' I show how I make cushion covers fit perfectly and how to add the piping.

I then attached my cushion cover to the ottoman with a staple gun.  After pulling it tight everywhere, I stapled right next to the wood and trimmed away the excess fabric.

I wanted the double piping  that you see on professionally covered furniture.

I measured out a length of piping long enough to go completely around the ottoman and covered it with my fabric.

 I then added a second piece of piping right next to the first, rolled the fabric over it, and covered it, sewing between the two pieces.

 I trimmed the fabric off.  This unfinished cut will now be under the piping and will not show when you attach it to your chair or ottoman.

I attached my double piping with fabric glue.  *Be sure you're not wearing nail polish when doing this step as the glue will dissolve it onto your fabric.  I ordered this glue from Amazon.

 I held the piping on with straight pins over night until it was good and dry.

 And there's my new ottoman!

I used all these same steps to attach the fabric to my chair.  We've lived on it now for a couple of years and it's held up well!

The small lumbar pillow came with the chair and I covered it to match and then made my toile pillow to coordinate the chair with the rest of the room.  

Have a wonderful day!  We woke up to snow on the ground here in Michigan so Spring is not springing 'in my neck of the woods' yet.  We'll keep hoping!

love and blessings~

 "After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him."  Mark 15:20 

I'm joining up with these parties:

Between Naps on the Porch - Metamorphosis Monday

A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday

StoneGable - The Scoop

DIY by Design Swing Into Spring

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays

Dixie Delights Share Your Style

From My Front Porch to Yours Treasure Hunt Thursday

I'm No 'Miss Mustard Seed'!

I am in the middle of several projects right now.  No surprise!  My husband will suggest, every once in a while, that I finish something before I start something else, but I try not to pay attention to him - lol.

If you knock on our door today, you will be greeted with this!

I have been in the middle of painting furniture and making slipcovers for our living room (again!) when my daughter, Laura, needed her kitchen table and chairs painted.  I went over to her house one day and lightly sanded them by hand and put a couple of coats of Zinsser 1-2-3 primer on them.  It's supposed to stick to everything.

She called me a couple of days later and said that the primer was easy to scrape off with her fingernail.  rat

So my husband went over and picked up all six chairs for me to work on here at home.

We usually do all our sanding and furniture building in our garage but it was about 18 degrees out and I'm tired of being cold so I thought (stupidly), "It won't make THAT much of a mess if I do it in our entry hall."

I took our electric sander and zoomed over them, taking the finish all the way off in places.  My husband saw what I was up to and smartly closed the door to the rest of the house, saving me from more mess.

When I was finished I looked proudly at the chairs and then....looked around the room.  Oh. my. goodness.  What a mess!  There was dust on every surface!

All the furniture, the floors, the walls, the coats and shoes...everything!

I have now cleaned that room several times.  Seems it floats around in the air for a few days before landing again.  ha!

I have three more chairs to put another coat of paint on and then am planning on running them back over to Laura's house.  Her in-laws are coming to visit for a few days and she wants her chairs back.

I'm sure we'll have to give them another light hand-sanding and put another coat of paint on them again before we're satisfied but we're taking a break while her family is here.  I think they're going to be really cute - don't you?!

Until then, I can continue to work on my living room!

Have a Happy Monday!

love and blessings~

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

He Sends His Word and He Heals Us

Happy Monday!

I am so aware of my blessings this morning and so grateful to my kind and loving Heavenly Father today! We never know what's in the heart of someone else and I want to share what's in mine this morning.

I am the most blessed person on the planet. I have every blessing that anyone can have in life - a wonderful relationship with my Saviour, a loving husband and family, wonderful friends, good health and a beautiful home...everything!


But I have been believing a lie from the enemy for several years and it has hurt me and hindered me deeply. I knew in my head that it was a lie. God had shown me this and I'd even 'seen' the demon, but knowing in my head and getting set free in my heart were two different things.

And I had waged war against this lie and I know how to do this. I had worshiped. I had gotten into the Presence of My Father to receive His healing, I had taken the 'sword of the Word' and attacked this thought regularly but it was like a shadow over all my thinking.  Every encounter that I had with people was shaded by this lie.

I don't mean to be cryptic in not telling you what the lie was - I just don't want you to feel sorry for me!  I really mean that. I think anyone who knows me would be surprised by the lie that I was living under.

On Friday, a lovely lady named Marsha Splenderosa, (www.splenderosa.blogspot.com) did the nicest thing.  She commented on my blog, Gates of Crystal, but also featured our family room on her own blog.  That's nice enough but something about the words she said to me went straight to my heart.

Now, I don't know what all it takes to get a person set free.  I don't know what finally tips the scale so that we can 'hear and receive' the voice of God, but this kind lady's words to me tipped the scale.

Many of you have said kind words to me and I think your words were also part of the healing.  Many of you have blessed me and helped me to do what God was telling me to do,  but when I read Marsha's words, I suddenly began to hear God speaking to me!  I'm not going to tell you what He said.  God is SO gracious and SO kind and He loves us and is proud of us, like a Father.  His LOVE covers a multitude of our sins and He continues to see the good in us and inspire us to be all He has called us to be.

And with a few sentences, He healed me.  I have tears in my eyes as I write that sentence. God has always been so good to me and He is SO faithful but it was freshly amazing to me to hear how He sees me. And I was amazed to realize that 'the lie' was gone.

I am filled with 'fresh expectation.'  I have fresh HOPE for the future and this lie had been destroying my hope.

A few months ago, I learned that a young woman that I knew several years ago had taken her life. On the surface, she had everything; a loving, successful husband, a beautiful little girl, a life full of promise.  What lie was she living under that caused her to lose hope?

If you are losing hope, if you are living under a lie that is contrary to the truth of God's Word, please know that God sees your heart and He is fighting to get His Word to you and save you. Spend time in His presence. Spend time in His Word. Cry out to Him and ask Him to help you.

I did all these things but when I ran out of everything I knew to do, I finally just began to yell, "Help me!" over and over again, every day, every night.

Please let me know if I can pray for you.  lyndabrandly@gmail.com

love and blessings~

"He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from all their destruction."  Psalm 107:20

How to Make a Spring Topiary in Ten Minutes

I made this happy Spring topiary in about 10 minutes!  Topiaries can take months to grow but here's an easy way to get one instantly.

I took an Angel Ivy that I bought at Walmart.  Try to get one that is a good size and that has long branches.  You'll need to them to wrap around your circle.

Transplant your ivy into a round pot.  Then take a wire coat hanger and bend it from this:

to this:

I used needle nosed pliers to bend out the points but your leaves will cover up where it's not perfect.  Put the straight wire down into the middle of your plant and begin to wrap the long tendrils around the circle.

And there you have it!  I even think it looks a little like an Easter basket and would make a fun centerpiece.

love and blessings~

"The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." Matthew 28:5,6

I'm joining these parties:

Common Ground -Share Your Style

My Herb Garden

I started my herb garden last fall. I originally planted it in small terracotta pots. I think they were TOO small because it failed.  lol

Terracotta pots dry out quickly. I usually don't have any trouble with house plants and I typically water them once a week but that didn't work with my herb garden.

So I bought new plants and this time planted them in larger pots. And they're doing well.

I first gave each pot an uneven white-washed finish. I didn't want my pots to look brand new. I then planted the herbs in an organic potting soil. After soaking them well, I labeled each pot.

I got these chalk board stickers and chalk pen from Amazon.  Normal chalk will rub off or smear every time you touch it but the pen stays on until you wash it off.  

I had my garden in my window in the family room most of the winter until we got down to 20 below.  The tile in this window is perfect for plants and wipes up easily when it gets dirty, but this window extends out from the house and the tile gets cold.  So they temporarily got moved into the guest room. The window in that room stays sunny and warm, even in the winter.

But they're back in the family room now, close to the kitchen, where I can easily cut what I need.

I love the Rosemary on roasted potatoes or roasted asparagus.  I've become a baked potato addict - just because I love sour cream and Chives on top.  The Mint is delicious in lemonade or a fruit salad and smells amazing every time it's cut.  And the Basil fills the air with its rich aroma whenever it's touched.

I planted my parsley in the largest pot but I don't use as much of it as some of the others.  I wish I'd planted my Rosemary or Chives in this pot - although my lasagna recipe calls for fresh parsley.

I'll be adding a few more now that I've got these going well.  I'm also hoping to grow Ginger.  Adding organic honey, Apple Cider Vinegar and ginger to a glass of water daily has wonderful health benefits.  

Most grocery stores have herb plants in their produce department and because I cook with them as often as I can, it's much cheaper to grow your own than buy already cut herbs each time.  It's also much fresher.

And there are so many cute containers available to make your garden match your style!

love and blessings~

"The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. " Genesis 2:8 

Kitchen Reveal

I'm very thankful for our kitchen.  It's open to the whole main floor and is wonderful for family dinners and entertaining.  It has tons of cabinet storage and counter top space. It lacks nothing when it comes to the footprint but I have wanted to redo it since the day we bought our house - 11 years ago.  

Because it was ugly.

But we didn't feel good about spending tens of thousands of dollars when functionally it was fine. And being the do-it-yourselfers that we are, we didn't want to go through a major remodel and have someone come in and tear everything out.

And then last year I discovered an online company that would make cabinet doors to order and I was home free!  (I will give you the details later in this post.)

Here is the kitchen we lived with for a decade -

And here is our kitchen today...

There are still several things we'd like to do.  We are planning on buying a new stainless gas range. We put in a bead board back splash which has been a nice solution but will probably put in a tile or tin back splash at some time.  And we'd like to get new counter tops and a farmhouse sink.

But this has been a huge change and I'm loving it!  

While we waited for our new cabinet doors to arrive, I started painting all the cabinets.  I used Sherwin Williams Alabaster in their best quality paint that they specifically make for cabinets. We also got new hardware in an oiled bronze.

We ordered two cabinet doors the appropriate size to make this vent cover.  The fleur de lis is a gift from a friend.

This is the view into the family room.

And the view from my kitchen sink into our family room.

Below is the view from our dining room.  A built-in china cabinet separates our dining room from our family room.  We'd like to replace the wet bar sink with something in oiled bronze.  There is also a space in the lower cabinet where an ice maker used to be.  It didn't work and we are either going to fill the space in with a wine fridge or shelving.  It is to the right of the picture and since it isn't finished yet, I didn't include it.

This is the view looking from the family room to our entry hall.

Our floor is ceramic tile with oak inlay. It's probably time to replace it, too.  The door on the left is the door to the basement and you can see the door to the garage straight ahead in the entry hall.

This is the view from the family room couch.

When sitting at the counter you can see into the hallway where our guest room, my husband's office and a full bath are.

I have always loved white kitchens and this change has been wonderful!

Thanks for visiting!  I've been working on refinishing some Bergere chairs for our living room and hope to show them to you soon.  I'm also refinishing a kitchen table and chairs for my daughter and my husband is making a new top for the table.

So, I'll be back in a couple of days!

love and blessings~

 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."  Matthew 5:6 

Cabinet doors -Lakeside Moulding, square cabinet wood panel doors in Ash
Cabinet color - SW Alabaster, semi-gloss, cabinet quality
Hardware - atg stores on line
Sign above sink - Etsy, Distressed  DeSigns
White scrolled wall hanging with boxwood wreath - HobbyLobby (I painted it)
Bonjour dishware - Joss&Main
Cow juice glasses - Joss&Main

I'm linking up with:

Between Naps on the Porch - Metamorphosis Monday
It's Overflowing - Share Your Creativity
2BeesinaPod - Something to Talk About
A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday
Stone Gable -The Scoop
Savvy Southern Style -wow-us-wednesdays
Home Remedies rx -Talented Tuesdays
DIY by Design - Swing Into Spring
No Minimalist Here -Share Your Style
Imparting Grace -Grace at Home