Nearly 200 ladies started the year of America’s 250th with a sumptuous luncheon at a private club on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, each place setting gracefully adorned with a miniature commemorative Apricot’s Home Blossom Candle, a token party favour just the right size for a lady’s afternoon purse . The VIP gift bags were filled…
Tag: handmade
Fashionable learning: the French art of scent
The first time I visited Ladurée in Paris was the summer of 2006. I was studying fashion at Parsons School of Design in Paris and most of my time was dedicated to drawing and browsing fabric stores. Down the street from Ladurée, I wandered into a perfume shop, L’Artisan Parfumeur, my first exposure to the…
Sewing 101: how to make luxury pillow covers
In interior decorating, if you want overstuffed luxury throw pillows, your best choice is to make them yourself. In the picture, I replaced a set of Armani silk and golden silk wool pillow covers with a custom Mood Fabrics screenprint and silver glow in viscose-linen blends. The cost of fabric for designer pillow covers is…
Sewing 101: how to bind a blanket
Sooner or later, you will likely have a blanket that needs to be rebound. My puppy loves Pendleton blankets, but the binding the blanket in the picture came with was not a puppy-friendly material. I rebound the blanket with a more durable binding and mitered corners. You don’t need amazing sewing skills to bind a…
Furniture mods: how to upholster a seat
If you entertain a lot, dining and bar chairs need to be upholstered occasionally. I restored the bar chair in the picture with handsewn black velvet after a merry night with sparklers. Replacing the fabric on a seat is straightforward, requiring nothing more than a little time, some tracing paper, and a needle and thread….
Furniture mods: upholstering like an expert
Upholstering your furniture with professional results does not require extensive interior design expertise. The papasan chair in the picture was transformed from a modern vibe to a rustic lodge aesthetic with a natural wool pillow cover. I used a wool wash with lanolin to soften the cover for an extra-cozy touch. Pillow covers versus upholstering…
Holiday decor: how to make gorgeous stockings
You don’t need to be a Martha Stewart to decorate your home with gorgeous, handmade stockings. Bucilla stockings are a beautiful do-it-yourself option that anyone can assemble. And, if you don’t want to DIY, there are a lot of mom-and-pop shops that will make custom stockings for you. When I was little, my mom hand…