GOAL ACCOMPLISHED: The Pottery Barn Table and Chairs

On Christmas Eve, we got an awesome table and chairs from a family I work with. It was from Pottery Barn Kids, and needed some help. (Click here to see the original post and read the full story.) This is what it looked like:

It needed help. 

In March I started sanding the chairs and put some primer and paint coats on them and set a goal to finish the set. I was inspired by Shine You Light blog's Before and After Party. (See that post here.)

The table was next. It took some time. I don't know what was on that table, but it had to come off. (See that post here).

After 3 coats of Martha Stewart metallic paint, I finally finished it in April. It's been done for a while, and you may have spotted it in my chair cushion tutorial (click here), but I had yet to do a true "Before and After" post. So, 5 months and 4 blog posts later, the Pottery Barn Table and Chairs is finished!!

For some reason Ivy is planking on it in her underwear. This photo was taken just moments before nap time...

One more "before":

And here it is in Ivy's room "after"! 

Here's some other fun shots from our outdoor impromptu tea party we had with it.

And finally, I can say, I'm linking up to the Before and After Party at Shine Your Light!! Check out the party. I love Before and After photos, and they've got plenty over there! 

Aloha, Rebecca

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New Project for a New Baby Boy

Haven't had much time to blog. I work for a Performing Arts organization and the dance department's year-end recital is at the beginning of May. Less than a month away, so I have been spending a lot of time prepping for that. But, Monday is my day off and today I decided to really take the day off, and do a project. 

A friend had a baby recently and I wanted to make my signature bunting. Also, I have been dying to try this tutorial for a Fabric Bucket from here. So I got out my adorable Squirrel Fabric, and every piece of coordinating fabric I own, and made this:

I used these fabrics, but nixed the white at the last second. Too many solids.

Started with the triangular bunting...

Best tip ever: snip the corners!

End product:

These squirrels and birdies are just adorable. 

Those are the same aqua birdies from the pillow in this post.

 Can't go wrong with grey and white polka dots.

I don't love the black bias-tape on top, but I can't find aqua or grey bias tape anywhere! Orange would have looked good, but I doubt it would have been burnt sienna enough to match the acorns... so I had to settle for black. 

 And now for my new creation, the fabric bucket. 

The top can be folded down...

Or left up...

There's a great tutorial at http://inspiredbyfamilymag.com/2012/01/15/diy-fabric-bucket/ so I won't repeat the work they've already done...

I used felt instead of interfacing... I'm too cheap to get interfacing, plus I always forget to look for it at the store. 

Btw-- the bucket is sitting on one of the Kids Pottery Barn chairs I've been working on for forever. I've completed painting 2 out of 4 of them. See full post here.

I sewed a little X on the bottom to give it an extra element.

A look inside...

Stuff diapers, wipes, etc. in it. 

I can't get over the natural lighting that was coming in when I took these photos.

I haven't given it to the recipient yet, but I hope they like it! It was fun to do a new sewing project. It was pretty easy to follow the tutorial. I got some great new fabric today that matches Ivy's room: dark blue, light greens and pink and grey and white... and... and... just kidding. Anyway, I want to make one of these fabric buckets for her room. 

Check out my other bunting posts here and here and here.

Aloha, Becca

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GOAL: the Pottery Barn table and chairs

My very first post (aside from our "Welcome" post) was about a Pottery Barn table someone had given to Ivy. It's a great set of furniture, and I want it to turn out awesome. Usually when I want things to turn out awesome, I fear starting on them until the stars align. Well, I really just want to do something with it, so I'm making a goal to finish this set by the end of March. I'm even entering this Before and After Party, so that I can't back out:




Here's my original post:

In December, one of my students' moms came up to me and said she had an old Pottery Barn kids table and chair set. She said, "It was a gorgeous set, but it's been used a lot and is more of a project, than a gift. We don't really want to give it to just anyone... Would you like to have it?" (Her daughter loves Ivy, and even named her American Doll "Ivy"... :) )


Little did she know that our car tent outside had been used by my brother and his wife to upcycle furniture for the past 4 months. Needless to say I gladly took the table and chairs off her hands. We started sanding it (see the green chair?), but haven't done much more than that. I'm dying to get my hands on it, but I think it is just a bit of a big project for me, so I'm reluctant to get started. I know what I want it to look like, but I'm procrastinating to get started. Here's some before pics. When I finally get it done, you'll see the afters.

Until then...


-Becca


Back to today...




Well, i've made a little progress... I sanded and painted two chairs. Here's the poor yellow one before:

Getting primed:

Godiva, our dog, lurking in the background: 

I have this oops paint. It's a metallic aqua. I also used it for the stripes on my mirror. See post here.

The first coat looked HORRIBLE (pic below). Really see-thru.

But the second went on nice. The one on the left has 3 coats. The one on the right has just 1. 

Kit jumped in too and is sanding the 3rd chair. I have no idea what to do with the table, cause i just want it to be AWESOME!! Anyways. Now I have a goal to get it done!

--Becca

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