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After a flurry of spring cleaning, my sofa, with its worn, age soiled upholstery stood out like an eyesore in my now sparkling living room. We either needed to replace the ugly-but-comfy sofa or cover it with something better than layered sheets. About that time, I read a post, written by SHINE At Home Editor, Valerie Rains, D.I.Y. Upholstery Video: Because Some Of Us Are VIsual Learners, with an embedded video that made covering a pillow look soooo easy- with piping even!

I watched that video by Threadbanger a couple of times; and it gave me the guts to try to give that old sofa a make-over. After all, what is a sofa but a collection of pillows? If I could do one pillow, surely I could do a bunch. Since it showed one pillow being made in less than five minutes, perhapsI could finish this project while hubby was off to Canton for three days. A cinch! and wouldn't he be surprised?

aha ha ha*gasp* aha ha ha . In three days, I had ONE pillow completed. ONE!!!! My sewing skill level was thread a needle and go in and out.

Really not all that confident I could do it, I had decided NOT to buy fabric but to use what was on hand - a bolt of about 13 yards that cost five dollars at an estate sale. I knew it wasn't enough so I would have to make the bottoms and backsides out of some muslin I already had, the end pillows out of blue plaid, the piping out of an old sheet and forget about matching the pattern. I used heavy cloth clothesline bought from the Dollar Store for the piping. My idea was if I did ok, well, later I could do it again with good stuff.

Regrets: Knowing now that it is a major labor/time intensive project and that I'm not anxious to do it again, I sure wish I had invested in enough fabric in a design I love (I don't particularly love this) to have enough without supplementing with muslin and to match the patterns. The sheet made ok piping covers but I don't know how long it will hold up; however, the dollar a bolt for the clothesline for piping was a winner. The contrasting end pillows? Those I love...

It took about three weeks, not three days -silly me. I found myself chanting, "One potato, two potato, three potato, four..." as I stacked up the pillows. Finally I was able to say "NO MORE". I managed to finish it right before my 83 yr old mom came to visit. She loved it! (and at least it's fresh and clean) Total cost? Less than ten dollars.

Click Here to see the video Valerie embedded on SHINE.

Thanks Valerie! Thanks Threadbanger!

Next Project: I've got my eye on that old stained drop-leaf coffee table in front of the sofa. I KNOW I could have it painted blue by the time my hubby returns from Canton next month. What do you think? Would I like the design on the fabric better if the coffee table is a matching blue? Indecision: Would it be better in a cream that matches the sofa with blue accessories? I think the blue with accessories in the natural wood and cream and that berry would look better with the floor. Maybe blue that chips away to rich cream underneath and some wood peeking through? ARGHH! I never know what I will like best. Help me.

To Read More Decorating Articles From Devonia: Click Here

About the author: Devonia is an artist, designer whose art, furniture and paintings are available under the eBay id - many*shades*of*shabby