sewing 101: making a duvet cover I don’t know about you, but I never cease to be shocked at the price of bedding. And nothing sets off my “I could make that myself so much cheaper and better” instincts like duvet covers. It’s just a big flat case of fabric, yet even the simplest options easily soar into the three digits—but all it takes to make your own is a bunch of fabric, a few straight seams, and a spare afternoon. Not only will going DIY with your duvet cover save you some cash, it’ll also allow you to custom-make exactly what you are looking for. *if you missed any of brett’s sewing 101 columns this month, check out her archives: curtains, zippered throw pillows, ottoman slip cover CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! What You’ll Need Approximately 10 yards fabric (see below to calculate exact amount; I suggest buying extra just in case) Yard stick, long quilter’s ruler or tape measure Sharp scissors Straight pins Sewing machine Iron and ironing board Selecting and Preparing Fabric Fabric Tips Planning and Cutting
Tips for Buying & Using Your First Sewing Machine | Apartment Therapy DC If you've never owned one, sewing machines can seem daunting. Here are a few suggestions for finding one suitable to a beginner skill level and for getting comfortable with how it works.Don't let uncertainty keep you from getting started on all those sewing projects you've thought about. These days, you can easily find a user-friendly machine in a reasonable price range. Using it is a matter of pacing yourself, reading directions, and knowing when to get help. Consult a reputable source — be it your sewing-savvy mom or a community-driven site such as BurdaStyle — to learn terminology, have support, and get reviews. Amazon can give you good prices and a lot of user feedback on new machines — Brother brand is popular, and sew/vac shops can give you expertise and a deal on a refurbished machine. Keep it simple. Use your machine as soon as you get it. Go slowly. A few online resources:Burda StyleThreads magazineSew, Mama, Sew! Image: Kristin Lubbe for Apartment Therapy
Fashion Meets Decor: Outfits to Rooms | Apartment Therapy DC Previous image Next image It's all about fashion today, which makes it the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite columns, from one of my most beloved reads, of the past. Yes, the magazine I'm speaking of would be Domino and the regular column was, “Turn This Outfit into a Room”. This outfit from Anthropologie inspired Momtastic blogger, Liz Stanley to create the room below. A bedroom combining stripes, metallics, florals and neutrals that's neither overly feminine or trendy. This gorgeous and bold outfit from fashion blog, Atlantic-Pacific, was the inspiration for the living room below. Elements of Style blogger, Erin Gates, is continually inspired by the fashion from Atlantic-Pacific. If, like me, you miss your monthly fix of this column, Caroline at Looks Good To Me, has a similar feature called Object/Outfit. Images: 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, Looks Good To Me; 2, 3, The City Sage; 4, 5, Design*Sponge; 10, Sketch 42; 11, 12, Momtastic; 13, 14, Elements of Style
The City Sage: Outfit to Room 'Round about this time of year I start to long for an escape, and my daydreams inevitably lead me to the beach. I don't care where in the world I land, so long as there is surf, sun and sand. Give me a gauzy sundress, a skimpy bikini, and some SPF 500, and I am golden (well, pasty white, but you get the idea). Bonus points if there's an airy beach house for midday naps. Seaside stripes get a girly tweak with a ruffled tank. Blue and white are not the only maritime colors this girl can get behind. Another unexpected twist! Turquoise and coral versus periwinkle and peach. One of my favorite summers was spent in Nice before my final year of high school. Image Credits: 1, 9.
Set Pieces: Kate Beckett's new loft look in 'Castle' Season 4 Fans of "Castle" will have something new to explore on Monday: New York police Det. Kate Beckett's reimagined loft. When the ABC drama kicked off Season 4 on Monday, Beckett was near death from a gunshot wound and it was to this loft that she retreated after her apartment had been blown up at the end of Season 2. The gung-ho cop returns this season a changed woman -- and the vibe of her newly redecorated 1,200-square-foot home reflects that. "There’s a lot about the space that I think indicates a shift in the character," said actress Stana Katic, who plays Beckett. "Castle" production designer Alfred Sole said Beckett’s new loft had been constructed to reflect that she was in a bad place emotionally. Sole has painted the brick walls and exposed beams with putty-colored Benjamin Moore paint, a color called Indian River, and added faux metal door and window trims in Steel Gray paint from Modern Masters. "I really enjoy the industrial feel," Katic said. "I love the painting," Katic said.
Typographic Maps: Sleek, Stylish & Sentimental | Apartment Therapy San Francisco Previous image Next image I think I might be developing a map obsession. Maps are such an elegant way to display affection for your hometown, the city where you fell in love, or an unforgettable trip. These unique word weavings seem to convey so much through an exquisite display of the power of type. Top Row:1. Bottom Row:6. Images: As linked above. Signature Style of Great Cities: New YorkAmerican Style | Apartment Therapy New York Every block in New York displays a wild jumble of styles, a melding of past and present Alistair Cooke once described New York City as "the biggest collection of villages in the world." There are so many New Yorks contained within this one metropolis — millions of points of view and places of origin. But most New Yorkers are united by the same common elements that bind most Apartment Therapy readers: small spaces, street-smarts, and a passion for being ahead of the curve. Mulberry Street, c. 1900 Manhattan's building styles have changed with the eras, and though the city is constantly being reinvented, you can still see evidence of all these bygone styles, sitting side-by-side on nearly every block. The grand Beaux-Arts facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art was completed in 1902, a far cry from the bustling tenements of Mulberry Street in the same era Within all this diversity, New York style does have some identifiable characteristics, beyond merely "eclectic." Previous image
Design Bookshelf: 16 Books on American Style | Apartment Therapy Boston American style, like our citizens and cuisine, is hardly homogenous. Books on the subject are equally vast and varied — so much so that I bet no two Apartment Therapy writers would have the same list, which would be different than yours. With that in mind, here are 16 books that create a shelf on American style that is both informational and inspirational. Though hardly an exhaustive list, here are a shelf-full of texts on American style to get your library started: American Style by Region • Southern Rooms II: The Timeless Beauty of the American South Southern style is an effortless mix of formal and casual, and this book showcases a variety of rooms below the Mason-Dixon with tips on how to recreate the look in your home. • Southwest Style: A Home-Lover's Guide to Architecture and Design For a New England girl, southwest style is delightfully foreign. Please add your recommendations and favorite books on American style to the comments below... Images: from Amazon, as linked above.
Tips for Sewing Your Own Duvet Cover | Apartment Therapy DC These days a good-looking duvet cover easily can run you over $100. However, with a sewing machine, fabric, and a little gumption, you can have one that is custom fit to your taste and budget.On Design*Sponge, Brett Bara offers a thorough, well illustrated how-to for sewing a custom duvet cover with fabric yardage. Never to be outdone, Martha Stewart has very straight-forward instructions for making one with sheets. A third option combines the two ideas: I created a duvet cover with a top made of pieced-together striped fabric and an underside that's a plain, flat sheet from Target. While sewing can seem daunting, even a beginner can complete this project in an afternoon. Check out the full posts mentioned above: Design*Sponge | Sewing 101: Making a Duvet Cover Martha Stewart | Coordinating Comforter Image: Brett Bara for Design*Sponge
How To: Turn Your Summer Photos Into A Color Palette | Apartment Therapy Chicago Have you ever walked into a room that reminded you of somewhere you had already been? Maybe the colors are the same as the hotel you stayed at on your honeymoon, or the room is so bright and airy that it brings back thoughts of your trip to Belize a few summers ago. Click through the jump to see how to design your home around your favorite photographs to make any room in your home memorable. Sit down with a collection of photographs from your trips, or the best summer parties or adventures. If you aren't lucky enough to have a home copy of Photoshop on your computer, you can click over to Adobe's Photoshop Express and use their (Free) services online. Using the color selector tool pick up colors that catch your eye first. Once you have all of your colors chosen you can either print out your colors or send your image to the local drugstore's photolab to have a "photo" of your color palette printed off. Photos above via Flickr by: spencer k. s., chadly7, G E L, and ZachT
How To: Make a Pocket Sized Floor Plan | Apartment Therapy Chicago If we had to name the best thing in our design arsenal it wouldn't be having our Pantone Book memorized, or knowing the name and year of every piece of furniture. So what's the one trick that helps us more than anything else? Click through the jump to find out! One of the best tricks we have found when designing our living space is proportion. Most of our truly great furniture finds have come from random places while we were out and about... not from when we have "left the house determined to buy a sofa." Say you are out at a flea market and you come across an amazing French Provincial couch that you think would be the best thing since sliced bread in your living room. Because we've found the best inspiration for our homes is usually found in unsuspecting places, one of the things that has helped us most is to have our house in our back pocket (figuratively of course).
Escape Style: Using Maps as Decor House Tour Roundup Previous image Next image My boyfriend and I have spent a number of evenings charting vacations (both real and dream) across the face of our living room map. I've learned more about geography since purchasing the map than I care to admit. TOP ROW:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. BOTTOM ROW:6. 7. 8. (Images: as credited above.)
Dollhouse Alternative: Tiny Travel Trailer Vintage travel trailers have been back in vogue for some time now, serving as everything from a complete residence to kitschy office spaces. Why not let your kids in on the action with this adorable wooden miniature travel trailer? Greenleaf Dollhouses were "inspired by a simple, less hectic time and a desire to preserve vintage Americana" in designing the trailer. They've even included supplies to turn one of the windows into a serving counter, so you can construct your very own food truck. The trailer comes unassembled, and once you put it together you can paint it and furnish it any way you like. More Info: Greenleaf Dollhouses MORE DOLLHOUSES ON APARTMENT THERAPY: • A Modern Dollhouse That Made Us Flip • Modern Doll House and Furniture • DIY Modern Dollhouse (Image: Greenleaf Dollhouses )
Good things for your home - Ben Pentreath Ltd.