ok, so phase 3 is kinda like defcon five. [actually, i don't really know what defcon five means... but i thought the jargon sounded fun... also, i'm mixing it up from the i+(#) to the phases so that it seems like i'm not taking a month to do a weekend project, and also, to keep you on your toes. i'm a crafty jerk like that.]
truly, phase 3 is getting the back cushions covered. going into it, i'm a bit skittish, because they're essentially two pieces of fabric sewn together with a welting trim and then overstuffed... there's no "sides" like there was with the seat cushions. it means less cutting, which is good, but i'm a little nervous about what they're going to look like.
i should also mention that i'm not all that brilliant. i don't think i have enough fabric. [remember how i didn't have enough fabric so i went and bought more? well, i didn't buy enough. did i mention that i have a degree in math???? some one call the math police.] so i decided i would just try cuting one cushion at a time and see if i can try and make do with what i've got, before i go back to JoAnn's *yet again* to get more fabric...
here's the tricky part... there are three cushions, (interesting... in phase 1, it was one piece... in phase 2, two pieces... and now, in phase 3, three! i swear, i'm not smart enough to have planned that!!), and the two on the ends are trapezoidal. [see figure below.]
the problem with these particular trapezoids is that the larger end (top... both in the picture, and in the cushions) is going to be sewn in, while the end i'm leaving open is the smaller one (bottom). in simple words, i wondered if i'd be able to get the pillow in once i'd sewn three sides... would that fourth side that's open be big enough to get the pillow through???i cut into the fabric, and true to myself, i didn't do a great job (i'm beginning to feel like i could write a sequel to kristi's book "if i can do a slipcover and make all these mistakes... so can you." i pinned it up, even though it was tight in some spots.
once i had it pinned, i started to wonder how difficult it would be to get the pillow out of the pinned up cover (pretty much the same issue as getting the pillow in once i sewed it, really, except this time with about 45 pins to rip me up). i decided to welt it, so that i could keep the snug fit and loose the pins.
once i had all the pins out, i was able to get the pillow out pretty easily... i was pleasantly surprised :)
i sewed it up, which was much easier than the seat covers, since there's only two panels to wrangle around the machine, since we don't have the sides to worry about. i hemmed the open side of the trapezoid and put ribbons on for closures, and then stuffed the pillow into its cover. it wasn't easy at first, but once i got the long side in, i was home free!
here's where it's at now!
i love how with each piece that i finish, i feel like i'm another quantum leap towards the goal! :)
i also decided that i could now position my camera so that it looks like i'm done :)
[i know, the left arm is a little funky... believe it or not, that's about as straightened as it gets... i think that was one of my first seams, and when sewing it, the fabric got bunched... i probably should tear it out and fix it... someday....]
**also** i've been following the "31 days to a better photo" on life with my 3 boybarians, and today's on ISO... check out what an amazingly better photo i was able to take after playing around...
a bit grainy? yes. however... i feel like for the FIRST TIME, you're able to see my lovely green as MUCH CLOSER to what it actually looks like! and LOOK!!! the white actually LOOKS white!!! amazing!!
just one last gratuitous couch photo... now i'm done :)[did you guys notice that kristi from pink and polka dot commented a few posts ago??? i've referred to her as "pink"--aka, slipcover guru--but i think she probably prefers kristi :) i'm so star-struck!]
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