JoAnn Fabrics and Couch Repair

It's been about six years since we got a couch from Crate and Barrel. My husband hates the material and I think he secretly put a slice in the fabric as an excuse to get another one - just kidding! But the other day we discovered a very worn area that could quickly rip even more if it wasn't attended to. Unfortunately, the cushions cannot be turned over because fabric is on one side only, and simply hiding it with a pillow wouldn't work. So I researched the Internet to see what the latest in fabric repair was in lieu of taking it to an upholsterer. Luckily I have two swatches of the fabric, so I thought I could at least slip a piece of one underneath the sore spot and go from there. So we headed out to Joann Fabrics and looked for fraying glue and the latex glue for fabric repair. I used to sew when I was younger so I feel somewhat confident with a needle and thread. We also thought an iron on patch might work, but then it might look too obvious. Since I couldn't easily remove the fabric from the cushion (it's a pull out king size bed and has odd cushions that support this feature) I slipped the swatch - after gluing the edges so it wouldn't fray - under the sore spot and started sewing the two pieces together. Unfortunately, I managed to sew in the batting too. Once done, the fabric glue was spread over the eyesore. After it dried, I thought it looked terrible. So I cut away the part of the batting that was sewn to the repaired site, and then dabbed on some of the fray glue to darken up the lightness of the latex glue. It actually turned out "okay," but I know it's there and don't like it. We have been thinking about another couch, and this may expedite that search. But I'm just not convinced yet. 

Can Spicer's Reupholstery Help?

We had a really nice "great room"in our Milwaukee home. We worked with a wonderful designer, Glenn, and he really knew our taste and pulled it all together. The room was actually converted from a two car tandem garage, and we built a side by side two garage in front of it. This place had a vaulted ceiling with beams, a fireplace, two walls with windows that looked out on the backyard, and skylights. At the end of the room was a door that lead to the dog's outside fenced in yard. It was cozy, and warm, and the room we lived in. We gave up a lot when we moved here to the city. Our tiny condo here is about the same size of this one room alone. We are thinking about updating the couch with material that has more body and looks crisper. We went back to Spicer's in Alexandria to look at fabric. Unfortunately I don't have a Glenn here and the task is daunting. We picked a few swatches, but I'm not happy with any of them. Perhaps a different paint color on the wall would help? We know what we like when we see it, but to find it in the thousands of selections is overwhelming. Maybe we will end up doing nothing, which may not be the worst idea, but not the one I had in mind. 

Room and Board

After lunch today we decided it might be a good idea to check out the newest innovations in sofa beds. We are trying to find a replacement for a huge king size chaise behemoth that takes up the entire space in our tiny condo unit. It is really impractical to take it apart for guests, and the living room arrangement is quite limited. Since we can't decide if we want to stay or leave DC, we thought it might be at least time to update and freshen up the space to make it more cozy and warm as well as versatile and homey. Whatever we do we can enjoy it while we are here and take it with us if that time ever comes. So we headed out to Room and Board. We've been there a few times before, and could never get any traction. We need someone who can help us arrange furniture and recommend wall colors and fabrics. In Milwaukee we worked with a wonderful designer from Ethan Allen who helped us room by room, and even organized several renovations and projects. He knew everyone - builders, fixtures, furniture, arrangement, and he knew our taste. We just can't find someone quite like that here. But perhaps we did today. We got some ideas and assistance, and are hoping we can get more suggestions. After all, anyone from Wisconsin is good to know. And in this town, that's a good thing.