The way you dress really says a lot about you. Kenutu, for a reason I can only call the late 1970s, is outfitted in mauve and cranberry and sage green with a pop of mustard yellow. She sort of feels like the inside of a dusty Chinese restaurant that I used to go to after church when I was 11. This is the current state of our salon (aka living room/dining area). It's not uninhabitable, but it's not all that inspiring. Or pretty. Or free from odors. I have some experience with sewing cushions thanks to our last girlfriend, Gypsy. I learned that my sewing machine hates vinyl, which makes me hate vinyl. I also learned that regular upholstery fabric, while great for couches and chairs, is no match for boats, which use every flat surface as a landing pad for tools and bare feet. And I learned that piping is a bitch, but it makes things look fancy. I did a little more research about marine fabrics and while they're sturdy, I generally don't like them. They're too scratchy and stiff for inside seating. Then I stumbled upon this gal Deborah who shares my concerns about fabric and is a scientist. She did the investigation, wrote the report, and informed my decision to order some swatches of Crypton fabric, which is what hospitals and airports use so that all those millions of people can abuse seating and it won't look like a refugee camp after a month. Crypton fabric is a million dollars a yard. Okay, so it's anywhere from $30 to $150 per yard, but when you need a dozen or so yards and your boat is already in the shop getting a $5,000 paint job, it might as well be a million dollars a yard. During my last sewing adventure, I discovered that Jo-Ann sends great coupons (like 40-50% off!) in its weekly emails and I managed to get like $1200 of fabric and foam for $400 by being a strategic shopper. So yes, I did a little dance when I saw that Jo-Ann sells Crypton fabric!! Here are the swatches I bought to try on Kenutu. I'm not a great seamstress, and even though I liked the sea blue fabrics, I didn't want geometry to make this project more difficult. I also decided that a neutral would be easier to change up if I got an urge, and I decided to do a print for the dinette because food and accidents. I'm a decider. Alas, here's the end result of all that deciding. Crypton isn't exactly as soft and luxurious as I would have if I could live on boatopia, but I think it'll do nicely. Next up is the sewing, which is a lot of math and crossed fingers, especially since I decided to make square cushions instead of the weird rounded ones that will be the basis for my pattern. I have no doubt that no matter how it goes, Kenutu is going to look and feel so much better.
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AuthorTwo people dumb enough to think anything is possible and smart enough to bumble their way into discoveries. Archives
September 2018
CategoriesMates |