Lexie Barnes - Sew Up a Home Makeover: 50 Simple Sewing Projects to Transform Your Space

For my boys: Henry, Sebastian, Monty, and Calvin, and for my fella, Cory. My home is wherever you are.

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Deborah Balmuth and Nancy D. Wood

Art direction and book design by Jessica Armstrong

Cover photography by John Gruen, except for back cover, top left by Mars Vilaubi, and author photo by Claire Folger

Interior photography by John Gruen, except for pages left by Mars Vilaubi

Photo styling by Raina Kattelson

Illustrations by Christine Erikson

Decorative patterns by by Lexie Barnes

Indexed by Nancy D. Wood

2011 by Lexie Barnes

Ebook production by Kristy L. MacWilliams

Ebook version 2.0

September 11, 2017

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barnes, Lexie.

Sew up a home makeover / by Lexie Barnes.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-60342-797-5 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. House furnishings. 2. Machine sewing.

3. Textile fabrics in interior decoration. I. Title.

TT387.B383 2011

646.21dc22

2010051178

I am hugely indebted to the following fabulous people:

Deborah Balmuth, whose direction and leadership is inspiring; Amy Greeman, who makes me laugh and keeps me sane; Nancy D. Wood, without whom Id never be able to say all that I want to say; Alethea Morrison, Jessica Armstrong, John Gruen, and Raina Kattelson, who make me and my work look so damn good; Pam Art, Dan Reynolds, and the Storey family for their continued support, patience, and partnership with me on this project.

The wonderful team at Peter Fasano, especially Janie Goldenberg and Peter for their time, help, and use of the gorgeous Peter Fasano fabrics. (And for letting Calvin explore your supercool studio while we talked shop!)

The kind (and quick!) folks at Spoonflower for making magic happen in the eleventh hour; the sweet and generous Caroline of jcarolinehome! and jcaroline-creative!; the stellar staff at Purl Soho (both coasts); the fab gals at Bolt in Fabric Boutique in Portland, Oregon, and Charlie and Lindsey of Hawthorne Thread. At home in Massachusetts: Bill Muller and Ali Osborn of Guild Art Center and Liz Karney of Sticks and Bricks for contributing her time and talent to make our ginormous headboard.

Everyone who works for and with the lexie barnes studio: Amy Hill, Maggie Couture, Kristen Valle, Peter Irvine, Amy Wright, Joanna Roche, Will Brideau, Chris Gondek, Ali Puffer, Megan Zinn, and all of the gifted vendors who participate in Twist, our funky little craft show in Northampton.

Our fabulous sewing crew: Beth Boggia, Caitlin Bosco, Alexis Cormier, Jeri Duncan, Margot Glass, Shahan Rose Hart, Roxanne Morris, Jen Moulton, Anne Persand, and Sarah Platanitis. Thank you, ladies! You are amazing and I am so grateful to have had the pleasure of working with such a talented bunch.

Everyone who volunteered to help out and waited so patiently: Andrea Combes, Rita Goldberg, Adina Klein, Sarah Michna, Megan Risley, Ryan Rogers, Robbin Skinner, and Tanya Thomann.

My dear friends Gina Giangrosso, Naira Francis, and Jeanette Malone just for being there, always being there; Claire Folger and Claudia Moriel for their years of encouragement and generosity; Laura Kroll for pitching in; Shoshana Phillips of Red Horse Press and Deborah Goldstein of Miss Wit Designs for their diversions and inspiration; Betsy Strickland of Farmhouse Wares and Kim Lambert for their wisdom and friendship.

My family: Patti Barnes, Cheryl Carson, Irene Hill, Ben Klaff and Emily Hermant, Ramsay and Gary Klaff, Adam Scheffler, and Linda and Philip Scheffler.

More than anything, I wish to thank with all my heart my husband, Cory, and our sons, Henry, Sebastian, Monty, and Calvin, for letting me take over every conceivable surface in the house for way too long; for letting me work when I should have been playing; and for being there at the end of the day, no matter what, with open arms. I love you forever.

MAKEOVER CHALLENGE #1
From Drab to Fab

MAKEOVER CHALLENGE #2:
Dressing the Table to Fit the Occasion

MAKEOVER CHALLENGE #3:
A Room that Grows Up (Along with the Kids)

MAKEOVER CHALLENGE #4:
One Space, Three Functions

THIS ISNT A BOOK ABOUT DECORATING, and it isnt really a book about sewing, either. This is a book about little changes that make a big difference. Creating a home of any size, at any stage of life, is exciting. Finding the time and resources to make it just the way you want may seem, at best, overwhelming, and at worst, impossible. After youve been in your home for a period of time, it might start to feel too familiar, or dated, or (gulp) boring. This book is full of projects you can make and ideas you can use to add refreshing elements to your living spaces without breaking the bank or making your family, friends, or yourself crazy in the process! Everything in here is easy to make, without complicated patterns or templates to follow. You can easily customize the projects to suit your style, taste, needs, and budget.

In my house, theres always some kind of makeover happening. We move the furniture around, we paint, we refinish, we build, and we sew. All of the makeovers are satisfying, but using fabric for your home makeover projects is particularly rewarding because you can really see the bigger transformations happening as each little project comes to life.

Dont worry about giving the entire house or apartment a makeover all at once. And dont think you have to move to a new place every time a room feels a little stale. You already have what it takes to make the changes youd like to see at home: imagination, ingenuity, common sense, and enthusiasm. You dont have to start at the beginning of the book and make every project in order. You just have to get started. Skip around and see what inspires you. Then hop to it! Its time for your makeover!

~ Lexie

THE SIX BASIC PRINCIPLES OUTLINED IN THIS CHAPTER can help you assess, map out, and achieve your decorating goals and have a lot of fun while youre doing it! These principles are the same, no matter who you are or where you live. First, youll figure out the style youre going for. Next, think about how each room or piece needs to function, as well as how to keep it comfortable for you, your cohabitants, and your guests. Take stock of what you already own, what you should get rid of, and what you need to find, make, or buy. Then, look realistically at your budget and your time. Once youve considered these six points, youll be ready to take on everything, going room by room, one makeover project at a time, until your home is exactly the way you want it to be.