Peacock Stitching Chair complete!

OK, I made time to restitch the scissors keep.  I shouldn’t have, but I did, and I think I’m glad I did.  I expect the third time would have been the charm, but I’m so not going there.  It is beyond me, plain and simple.

I think you’ll have to embiggen the left picture to see the bumpies peeking out through the top.  The backside is a little easier to tell–it’s not supposed to have the dip.  My friend thinks I’m too much of a perfectionist.  Guilty as charged.  🙂  For instance, if Time weren’t a premium just now, I’d’ve cropped the pictures so you don’t have to look at plain and/or boring background.  Oh, well.  I have a plane to catch.  ETA: Arriving at destination, I cropped them in webshots while waiting for the husband to come home.  I’m compulsive like that.  *rolls eyes at self*

OK, let’s spin this baby around counter-clockwise.  All are clickable for bigger.

Full view w/no scissor keep pillow, left side, back, right side.

Full view with open drawer, drawer close-up (’08, heh), signature.  I love that I signed my name in my “handwriting.”

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Full view, pillow and all.

So, OK: I am bummed that the seat isn’t cushier.  I didn’t use polyester quilt batting, and for that I get a flat seat.  I used 3 layers of cotton batting and a bit of polyester fiberfill, but it didn’t give a fluffy result.

It took me a LONG time to figure out how to get the arm roll dimple “just so.”  No, seriously.  It’s embarrassing how long it took me to “get” the instructions.  This is why only one arm roll makes me happy.  The other is adequate.  The first arm roll also took me two days to finish.  When Janie Hubble says the arm rolls are fiddly, she ain’t just a-kidding!

The button/drawer pull matches the floss much better IRL.  I am very glad I used the button with beads instead of a tassel.  I think it’s adorable! The drawer’s fit is very tight.  I’m pretty sure that has something to do with the way I glued it together.  I am hopeless with glue, and got some pink floss-bleed residue on one side of the chair.  Still, I think the glue is a plus, as it strengthens the cardboard.  It took me three tries to get the front of the drawer just right.  It was worth it.  I was very anxious about having a wonky drawer.

In spite of the glue, I stitched everything together.  There will be no coins going missing in this chair’s cushions, I guarantee!  The instructions  mention tiny overstitches where the seat meets the sides, front and back.  I went a few extra miles.  I’m glad I did.

I split three wooden beads by hammering the included canoe clips too hard.  They’re easily replaced.  I think the newer designs come with really long brads instead.  Heh.

I LOVE the colors I chose.  I’m very happy when I look at my chair.  When I first saw the design, I thought the original colors were beautiful.  I didn’t stitch it until after the second chair was published, and I new I wanted to be able to coordinate the chairs.  I don’t think it would work in the original combos.  I don’t really know when/if that’s going to happen.  The boy is trying to steal my chair!  He thinks it would be nothing for him to design a chair he likes and have me make him one!  So far he’s vacillating between wolf motifs and anime emoticons.  *sigh*  He’s a character.  You take your time deciding, dear, there’s no rush. 😀

Vitals:
Peacock Stitching Chair by Cat’s Whiskers
Stitched on 32-ct. antique white linen using Caron Waterlilies Flame and Blue Lavender silk.  Stitched in 06.08, constructed 06.09

Happy Stitching!

That’s when I started drinking…

I mentioned previously about goofing up when I cut the linen for Peacock Stitching Chair’s scissor keep. The only way to really salvage it was to either re-stitch it or add ‘wings’ in the lining fabric. I should have re-stitched it. It would have saved me time and aggravation. I wish I’d realized it sooner. So, OK, I added the ‘wings’ where the shape of the pattern bent. Had a corner. You know what I mean. I made a triangle out of the linen that should show and added the ‘wings’ where the back of the scissor keep would be:

I scanned this piece instead of photographing it.  The fabric isn’t purple.  It’s a blue and red dupioni silk.  Being the geek I am, I zoomed in and out of the image, watching it change from blue/red to purple over and over again.

Theoretically, it should have been fine. If I’d made the piece big enough, it would have been. I stitched the lining onto the new keep top. When I turned it right-side-out, I thought it might be a little small:

I tried to convince myself it would be OK if the scissor keep was a bit narrow, that it would be OK if the back of the scissor keep was white and blue. I started to figure out how to stitch it together. I used a ruler to hold down the stitching to give a clear idea what the piece would look like if I did stitch it together as is:

I tried to convince myself that it would be cute with a ‘scalloped’ backside. A scissor keep with a big old butt? What to do, what to do? Fold and stitch the scallops down? Re-stitch it? I don’t have time to re-stitch it if I’m going to be properly prepared for our summer trip on Tuesday.

That’s when I started to drink.

I’m not sure if I’m going to put the scissor keep on my summer stitching line-up. I don’t think it’s a big deal or failure if I don’t stitch the scissor keep at all. The point of the project is the beautiful chair. Except, I want the scissor keep.*whines, frets* We’ll see.

It’s always something.

Progress, peacocks and pillow mints

I was almost done with Strawberry Garden when I decided that *now* was the time to attempt construction of  my Peacock Chair.  I’m not done with that, either.  Nervous Nellie here.  My next update of Strawberry Garden will be a finish photo, guaranteed.  In the meantime, some leaves finished, some not yet:

As for the peacocks and pillow mints…

I’ve been jumping around the chair’s instructions a bit, tackling this bit that I feel brave enough to do, then that bit.  One easy bit was the teeny scissor fob.  When it was completed it reminded me of those favor candies, butter cream pillow mints.  I stuffed it right full.  And peacocks, well, they explain themselves.

In spite of my attempt to accurately cut the linen for the scissor keep, I failed.  I need to fashion a fix of sorts.  More anxiety.  *sigh*  I can do this, I think.  I have an idea.  I hope it works.  I think it will, it just depends upon me.  I’ll keep you posted. 🙂