how to tea stain fabric

i finally got around to tea-staining my holli zollinger fabric.
i had holli customize her "diamond circles" fabric to orange for grady's room. when the fabric arrived, it was a tiny bit "brighter" than i wanted, so i decided to tea stain it.
fast forward a few months...i finally got around to doing it!

it was actually a very easy process:

1. bring water to a boil.
i just filled up my largest pot.

2. put in your tea.
i used a generic iced tea bags, and put in one bag for every 2 cups of water. that might have been a little much, but i wanted fast results!


3. wait a few minutes for the tea to steep, then remove the bags, and put your fabric in.


4. let it sit in the tea water for **desired amount of time, then remove.
 i wanted to do several test strips before i soaked the entire piece of fabric, so while my water was boiling, i cut about 10 strips of fabric. i put all of the strips in at once, and then every 2 minutes, i took one out, and set it out to dry on some foil.
here are the results:
**here is a picture of the different strips and the time that each one was in the tea water:
(original fabric, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 6 minutes)

i thought that the fabric that was in for 2 or 4 minutes was a little light, but honestly could tell very little difference between the fabric that was soaked for 6 minutes and the fabric that was soaked for 30 minutes!  i think most of the staining action happens very quickly.
below is the original fabric, along with one that was soaked for 4 minutes and another that was soaked for 15...

5.wash the fabric.
i washed my fabric on the light soil cycle on my washing machine, and took it out to air-dry.

i was pleased with the results. i got exactly what i wanted--a slightly less vivid
i sent the tea stained fabric off to my seamstress, and will have the pillow back in the next few days.

making progress: an e-design family room

a couple "before" pictures of a family room that i worked on:

the issues with the room:

*there was no storage in the room for tv components.

* the furniture layout felt too "wide" and blocked a doorway to a small office

*the leather sofas needed to be replaced

*the homeowner wanted to bring in some more pattern and color

*the ceiling fan wasn't needed, and the client wanted it removed.

a couple of i-phone progress pictures:

*we had a built-in designed for the side of the fireplace to house the tv components and provide additional storage. the walls were painted a soft blue, to balance out all of the neutral tones.

a new pottery barn sectional was added, as well as a large leather ottoman and a side chair....

the new rug provides some pattern and color, and side tables and pillows are slowly being added...

there is still some additional work to do on the room, but that is one of the beautiful things about the

e-design progress...once you have the design plan, you can buy things as quickly or as slowly as you need! 

this client ordered most everything in the first few weeks after receiving her design plan, but while some items were received quickly, and other items have taken months to arrive. one item in particular has been on back order for over two months!

i will be sure and share some additional progress pictures as this room comes together...

house hunting update

we are still house hunting.
we have been renting for nearly 4 years, and i have to say that it kinda stinks.
i am really, really ready to get my OWN house again.
we have had a few things almost come through for us...but almost doesn't really count
when it comes to real estate.
i have been really quiet about our search lately. we have just had so many
disappointments, and it is hard to get your hopes up and then have them dashed to pieces.
it was just easier to suffer in silence.
we have turned up the volume on our search over the last few weeks.
and we MAY have finally found something that will work...?

maybe.
just maybe, the stars have finally aligned?
i certainly hope so. no one will be more excited than me if it happens.
i promise to bring you along for the ride.
cuz if this goes through, it is going
to be a very FUN ride.

summer wish list

a few things that could make my summer ju----st a little bit happier:

1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,   7,  8,   9

premier issue of PIMLICO magazine is live!!

i am thrilled to announce that the premier issue of pimlico is now live!
pimlico is a new online magazine dedicated to the art of celebrations and inspired gift giving...
and the first issue is wonderful!

i am so amazed at how gorgeous everything is! this is such a unique and wonderful magazine....i know y'all are going to enjoy it.

click here to check it out.

**the party table that i designed is on pages 40-44!**

the power of an hour: modern nursery for a baby boy

i wanted to share another success story from a client who opted for my one hour phone call + pinterest board design service. i had worked with this client once before, on a full room design, so i had a pretty good idea of her particular taste. she loves color and likes a slightly off-beat, modern touch in her spaces. i was really excited when she asked for my help to design the nursery of her soon-to-be born baby boy #4!

before:

as you can see, the room was very beige...

what we were working with: 

my client already had a very comfy rocker that she wanted to keep, and needed to keep her existing crib. she also wanted to re-use the large fabric wall hanging, didn't want to replace the ceiling fan, and had recently scored a great looking mid-century dresser that she was hoping to incorporate into the nursery.

what we discussed:

* my client was in love with a polka dot fabric that had some really great colors, so we used as as inspiration and talked about pulling out colors that were unexpected and still masculine. we opted for green and orange.

*changing the wall color to something a little more crisp and fresh, and coordinated with the polka dot fabric, but didn't necessarily match. we opted for a soft, fresh blue.

* bringing some curtain panels up to the ceiling to not only soften the wall, but also to block out the sun while the little one napped.

*painting the dresser that my client found on craigslist a nice white to give it a more modern feel.

*adding a patterned fabric and contrast trim to some ready-made curtain panels to maximize budget and add an impact.

*adding a fun spoonflower fabric for a punch of color and pattern on a pillow.

*recovering a lamp shade in a map for a touch of whimsy.

*adding a new metal table.

 after:

 my client did a fantastic job transforming this lamp and lampshade!

one of the really great ideas we discussed during our phone call was how to effectively use the dresser as a changing table. we decided to create a box made from wood, and cover it in our inspiration fabric...and then place the changing pad on top of the box. it worked like a charm! the changing pad is at the perfect height, and in a year or two, the box can be removed and the dresser can be used just like a normal dresser.

 i really love how the orange animal fabric pairs so nicely with the polka dot and green chevron fabrics.

i get so excited to get pictures like this in my inbox! my client did a great job of taking these pictures...and even though my portfolio as a designer may not be filled with amazing, polished, professionally staged pictures, i take a lot of pride in knowing that my clients have the confidence to tackle their rooms on their own after just an hour of professional guidance.

do you have a room that needs some simple updates? have questions about a space and
are not sure what to do? need advice on color? fabrics? floor plan layout?
contact me and schedule a time for us to chat!
 i am currently accepting clients for full room designs
for august and september, but i can fit a phone consultation or a 
pinterest board + phone consultation ANY time!
feel free to email me at: autumnclemons@yahoo.com

get out.

ahhh...it's officially summer.

yes, i know i mentioned that on friday, but with three kids, it's kinda a big deal.

no homework. no driving kids to and from school. no waking up at the crack of dawn. no emergency drives to the school for lunch money/forgotten gym clothes/missing homework/lost permission slips.

i really like summer!

one thing i am am looking forward to, besides spending more time with my kids, is eating outside. during the summer months, we eat outside as often as possible. (a much less humid and bug-fillled feat in the west than in the south!)
here are some outdoor spaces that make me want to spend the entire day outside...

casual, chic, traditional and streamlined.

LOVE.

*are you kidding me?

i could hang out here all day. ALL day.

i really love the large pot here. and that retaining wall is really beautiful.

*gorgeous. 

i might be a little too practical for a gravel patio, but i love the way this looks anyway.

(i want to walk outside barefoot and curl up with a magazine and a glass of lemonade...gravel 

patios would wart my toesies!)

how great would  it be to eat here??

this one is perfection.

 i love the huge impact of this rather small space. it feels so private and cozy,

and ulta-elegant.

love this one too.  the wicker furniture is gorgeous paired with the stone floors and vine covered pergola.

love the details in this *simple pool cabana.

ahh. brick pavers and potted boxwood. right up my ally!

rustic elegance.

gorgeous herringbone pattern on the brick patio.

yeah, i know. this is definitely leaning towards the "elegance"....

totally in love this this as well. the outsdoor fireplace acts as a sculptural element, and the

entire scene is so inviting.

to see sources for the above images are on my pinterest board "outdoor living"

winner, winner.

congratulations to sarah, who won the $50 gift certificate to shabby apple!

**a new for the feather hen pillow covers was selected, as the original winner never contacted me**

ladies, please email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com so i can arrange to get yo' STUFF to you!

congratulations!

two great giveaways

***this giveaway in now closed***

what a fun welcome to summer, huh?
my kids last day of school was today---in fact, i just walked through the door from picking them up, and it really feels like summer!
to celebrate, i have two giveaways to kick off the "official" start to summer.

giveway #1:

the first giveaway is for a $50 gift certificate to shabby apple.
shabby apple has a fantastic assortment of accessories, shoes and clothing,
but they are most well known for their amazing dresses.

to enter:
1. click "like" on shabby apples Facebook page.
2. make a comment on my blog which you would most like to add to your wardrobe! click here to visit the shabby apple store.


giveaway #2:

i was contacted by courtney of feather hen of when i pinned one of their pillows for a clients pinterest board. they have generously offered to give away TWO pillow covers of your choice.





 to enter:
1. click "like" on feather hens facebook page.
2. visit the feather hen store on etsy, and leave a comment on my blog about which pillow cover you would like to add to you home!
feather hen is also having an additional giveaway, if you would like to enter...you can read more about it on their facebook page.

**be sure and leave separate comments---one comment for the shabby apple giveaway and one comment for the feather hen giveaway!

the winner of the both giveaways will be selected monday afternoon!
good luck, and have a happy weekend!