Stella asked for something different this week.
She has noted lately that the house is going through a bit of a makeover. New paint colors, a few new accessories and some rearranging of the furniture.
Through all of the changes, one thing remains constant. She loves this ottoman. It is just the right height for her to stand at and play, and she totally holds court here for hours almost every day. At a very large 3' x 5', it provides lots of great surface area to play, and soft edges for those "oops" moments.
This is how it has looked for over ten years. Patterned chenille has served us very well during the early childhood stage, but it is beginning to show wear and tear and the color no longer works with the new, freshened-up and lightened-up decor.
Stella asked me to make a "skirt" for it, after seeing a ruffly one in a magazine, and it seemed like a perfect design decision to us!
So this is what we made. Seven yards of the most beautiful, heavyweight upholstery linen and a serious stint at the sewing machine, and Stella's beloved ottoman has a skirt.
I won't pretend this was easy. The sheer weight of the fabric alone was daunting. I doubled the layer on the top to provide stability for the ruffles, and even my usual workhorse of a Viking machine was not happy sewing so many layers of such a heavy fabric.
I felt it's pain, but I perservered and the payoff was totally worth it.
It has totally transformed the room. We are all a little smitten with it, and we anticipate many a tea party and elaborate dolly soiree will take place on top and around it's soft, ruffled tiers.
Try not to look at the gold frames on the wall. The photos are getting a makeover, too... :)
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**Stella will be back this Friday with a very special "Sea Maiden" birthday dress!!**
