Cochran's Cribskirt and Bumpers

The Cochrans were expecting Baby Boy #1 and mama was smart to pick a colorful and gender neutral motif for future babies. A contemporary gemoetric is shown on the outside and a whimsical owl print for the inside of the bumpers - still available at Textiles in Melrose.

The owl print is shown above and so cute. A stripe was found with all the right colors that appears in the skirt but, we also used it to make the piping that goes all the way around the bumpers.

The ties were made out of the geometric print shown about 3/4 of an inch thick. They really show up well against the white rungs in the crib.

Also shown here is a little pillow shown in the glider. Remnants were left over and not to be wasted a good friend monogrammed the baby's name on the ruffled edged pillow.

Here is a close up of the box pleated skirt made custom for the crib. I love a thick vertical stripe bordered in a solid material. The seam is covered in a chocolate brown grosgrain ric-rac also from Textile Fabrics. So tailored and pulled together for a real custom look.

Identical Foyer Windows

When a home has crown molding as this does, hang your treatments 4-6 inches below to show definition between the window treatment, the wall color and the crown molding. Otherwise it can look a little cramped and doesn't maximize the potential crown molding adds to a space.

These windows flank the front door of this home. They are each in a small alcove of the foyer. Privacy wasn't required and light filtration was fine as well. These store bought unlined panels were fine as they let the light through opened or closed. To sharpen their appearance we created a vlance hung with a tension rod inside the alcove. This material was around as an old custom bed skirt. After washing and ironing we added 2 box pleats and a rod-pocket for the tension rod. A discontinued tassel trim in just the right color combination was a freugal embellishment.

I have convinced this homeowner to update the 2 foyer windows in her home. They were covered in old linen gathered sheers with a bar on the top and bottom portion of the window.

Reversible Outdoor Cushions

Just in time for their first Spring "get-together" this young couple will have their teak outdoor set all dressed up for company. The client emailed me 2-3 swatches she had found online that appealed to her and allowed me to do the rest because of their busy schedules.
She knew she wanted a black and white pattern so I choose 2. Each of the six custom cut cushions has the geometric print on one side and the damask on the other. The seats of these chairs are 15 x18" so store bought cushions would have likely been too bulky and wide. Remnants of the 2 patterns allowed for outdoor toss pillows that reverse in the opposite pattern.

This type of cushion starts @ $15 because there aren't ties, tufting, or piping. Ask about other ways to drive costs down during your own appointment!

Custom Slipcover for Barrel Back Chair

This is a "Before" picture of a chair that had an attached buttoned-back cushion that I just removed. It is a nice chair from Ethan Allen, sitting with all kinds of potential in my clients garage. The material and style was outdated but the construction was still great. Here is a picture of the back of the Barrel-Back chair. Your eye follows the seaming down until you reach the box-pleated skirt. Now the back cushion is separate and not attached without the covered buttons for a cleaner, modern look.

We were able to cover the entire chair and 2 separate cushions with 4 yards. What an update! This gold damask reads as a neutral and could be used anywhere in the home. The slipcover is fully removeable and can be spot-cleaned however, with a material like this one we did not prewash. A like this one starts ay $90 and goes up $30 with each additional cushion. Deconstructing the back of the original design and creating a separate back pillow costs more as well.

Cafe Curtains with a Teacup Hook Valance

Here is an excellent "before" picture for this space. Very clean and blank without fabric.

The cafe curtains are fully operational and provide privacy and light diffusing. We hung the valance with simple inexpensive teacup hooks purchased to match the simple black rods mounted below. Stay tuned for another update to this job as we have decided to add red fringe to the valance!

This is a well used eating area for a young family. It did not occur to the client to dress these windows until she saw it in a photo and it appeared empty behind her girls. A vibrant and contemporary floral material brightens the space and makes it so cheery.

Pretty Little Valance

This client had some roller shades ordered a standard width that turned out too narrow for the windows. A "Dog-earred" valance covers the sides of the windows when the shades are pulled down. The fringe here really pops the color contrast. A decorative lining material is important with a treatment like this one because it's shown in the folds of the draping.
The entire treatment was stapled to a piece of wood and drilled into the wall. This creates a clean header and you save on drapery hardware.

Stay tuned for more on this job as we fine tune and order new shades.

Relaxed Roman Shade with Arched Window

This client chose a matallic gun metal type color for the material in this Roman Shade. The wanted something to dress the only window in this room and would rarely lower the shade for privacy. Because of this, we went relaxed for give a dressier, "swoopy" appearance to the shade.

Pinched Pleat Panels ~ 108" long x4

This Client has tall faux doors that run along the front of her home and lookout onto the front porch the length of her house. On the inside the doors are stained a dark brown and become an architectual element.
This room is a cozy study used to watch television and decorated on the masculine side with handsome accessories and a large mounted Zebra head. The client chose a chocolate houndstooth check in long lined panels with a triple pinched pleat - 4 per panel.

The rods are simple and the length is not fussy. There is just a small break in the fabric as it hits the floor. Treatments should always be hung at least 4" below the crown molding or half way between the crown molding and the window casing.

Above you see "Utah", the family dachsund, checking out the new treatments. She matches the room.

Dining Chair Update x 12

These clients had 12 dining chairs covered in an outdated material. Choosing a classy solid made for simplifying a busy room visually. The black truly grounded the entire room. What a big difference this makes for not a lot of money. This service starts at $12 per chair. Choosing a small print and you are likely to get 4 chairs out of a yard of fabric.

Baby Boy Bumpers

Here is a set of bumpers I made for a client. I love her simple combination of 3 materials. A tan and soft blue boy toile, a natural minky dot, and a khaki and white stripe. The boxpleated crib skirt is made from the stripe on the hand made ties I made from the material. The piping, cut on the bias, shows the stripe on the diagonal. Valance to come in the same materials.

Swanky Master Bedroom with Tall Ceilings

This Master Bedroom sports ultra tall ceilings so, it was important that the window treatments weren't understated. #1 client chose a wide tonal stripe that reads as a silvery blue. The top photo shows a smaller window we centered a single panel in front of - it is identical to the center panel in the main window. The 2 outside panels are double width to cover the entire windows at night for the clients. All they do is let the sashes down and the panels fall open. Had we done single width, it wouldn't have appeared as dramatic as it does.

The client chose this design and even though I would've never thought of tab top curtains for such a dressy treatment, the center loop is pleated and gives a unique and dressy twist so they really don't read as "tab top" drapes. The chaise lounge bottom left was also slipcovered by me.

Roman Shades with Inverted Box Pleat

Here is a before picture of a blank bay window in the eating area of a newly remodeled kitchen in Brentwood. The client had a picture of a roamn shade showing an inverted box pleat that we replicated for her here in only the center window of the bay.

Here you see all three window together. The inverted boxpleat gives the treatment more fullness as you pull the treatment up. I like this for more drama and would definitly do it again.

Tell Santa that you want Custom Window Treatments and Bedding from
The Material Girl
Gift Certificates are now available for Christmas and all occassions!
Any donomination is available and good toward only the labor of your project.
Please tell Santa's elves gift certificates can be ordered easily over the phone and mailed!

205-401-0202 Thanks, victoria

I just did the window treatments in this master and I really think they are suitable for almost any room in the house. I made these cornice boxes for almost nothing using a 12" x 2" and securing them to the wall with teacup hooks! I wraped them in batting for a cushiony look and fastened the fabric around the corners seamlessly like I was wrapping a present. The windows already had real nice blinds so the treaments did not need to function for privacy or light. Because of this the panels did not need to function so to save even more money there is no rod involved. These are half width "dummie" panels stapled to the other side of the cornice box. The ywill always hang beautifully because they are stapled in place.

Here is a closer look at how the panels just fall from behind the boxes. The materials used are also a neutral tapestry up top and a gorgeously expensive golden dupioni silk for the panels. Lovely choses by my client who tied this whole room together.

Dependent on the size of the window these custom made cornice boxes start at $40 and the panels are as always $1.00 an inch in length per pair -lined!

Luxurious Custom Bedding

Care to know what $42.00 a yard looks like? Well here it is. The main component of this material grouping is a golden taupe silk with a large tonal stitching. It has such a great hand we didn't even line it. The 3 large euro shams are piped in an icy blue dupioni silk to match the reverse of the coverlet, so that when this couple turns down their bed they get a contrasting color. It also helps to break up all the taupe. Below you see a window to the left of the bed. We did embroidered chenille in brown and blue. A simple pleat across the top keeps the panels from being too busy. I chose a simple antique brass rod and rings not to distract from the beautiful fabric and to coordinate with the pulls on their furniture.

Below is the other double window in the room. We did 2 double width panels so that when the panels functyioned to meet in the center there was still that extra amount of fullness to look nice and not skimpy.

I wanted to show the foot of this sleigh bed because we really love the idea of folding down this expensive coverlet at night for practicality. What keeps the coverlet on the bed? The fitted corners we put to fit thew foot of the mattress. Now they don't have those big floppy triangles flapping on the corners of their bed and gives a more custom look.

A striped material was chosen to create a large bolster pillow. This king is very wide and alot of the pillow forms ready for purchase appeared way too small for this grouping so I chose a large roll of batting to fill the space for less money than a custom ordered pillow. Upholstered buttons secure tightly to the cinched ends of this pillow.

Never worked with such gorgeous and luxurious materials before. They are all still available at the Fabric House!

The Little's Nursery

This happens to be one of my favorite nurseries! When I first met with the client I was immediatly concerned about all the busy prints she was hoping to incorporate. You can see that she was successful at pulling it all together using the same consistant color palette and a fresh white background. The Curtain panels were hung with grommets on a cream rod. The cloet doors were replaced with the same treatment for easier use of the entire closet. The bumpers are 4 individual cushions made to convert to pillows as their baby girl grows. Handmade ties in orange secure them to the bed.

A floral, a stripe, and a pale print that reads as a neutral come together to make a cheery, unique, and very custom look. Try to find this in stores.

My talented client created a piece of art for over the changing table. A contemporary flower inspired, Im sure, from all the beautiful materials.

Before and After of Window

True or False ~ "We have blinds in all of our windows so we don't really need window treatments." Answer~ False ! Window treatments add so much more to a room than just light filtration and privacy. You can tell a huge difference in this entire room.
We started with 3 store bought panels inherited from another home and split one down the middle to create 2 width and a half panels. They are thicker and more luxurious this way. The panels are hung just on the edge of the window to give the appearance the window is much bigger. So much better.

Inexpensive Rod Pocket Panels

These are some very simple unlined "rod-pocket" panels for my little boy's room. Something like this would cost between for $40 and $50 for both panels total. I purchased the material at Joann's for less than $15!

We have done primary colors in this room. Even though there are blinds to block out light, curtains were another opportunity to add color to this room.

2 wingback chairs

2 inherited wingback chairs are pictured here. One is with the new slipcover done in upholstery grade material so it is real stiff and hides dirt well. The original chairs are great quality and sturdy but outdated.

Now they flank a handsome fireplace and fit right into this family's decor. Box pleated skirts on the slipcovers totally hide the curvy wooden legs of the chairs and give them a much different appearance.

Slipcovered Chaise Lounge

This is a real pretty addition to a Master Bedroom. It is a slipcover but, doesn't appear to be. The couple inherited many quality pieces but, the upholstery was outdated and faded. This piece looks like the rest of the room now.

The chaise lounge sits next to a queen size bed pictured below with 3 euro shams across the front in a coordinating material.

October Special

Place an order for any 2 pillows or slipcovers and get one free!

For Example:

Purchase any 2 euro shams or sofa pillows and the third is free!

Slipcover any two dining chairs and the third is free! This means you can slipcover six dining chairs for the price of four!

Slipcover any 2 pieces of furniture and get the third free - of equal or lesser price.

Contact me for details!
owensvm@gmail.com
205-401-0202

Lilly's New Big Girl Room

Big Girl Room with Gorgeous window treatments ~ This pale pink toile with a large print was a great choice for a young girl's room. She will be able to grow with this for years and if they were to move, panels are easily adapted to new windows. I love her pink tu-tu hanging on her closet door!

Here is tiny Lilly in her new " Big Girl Room" ! She is getting a new baby brother so, a new room was in order as well. The gorgeous white slipcovered headboards are a real focal point for the room. They are so fresh and clean. This picture also shows off a pair of new dust ruffles shown again below.

These windows were tricky because they ran right into the corner of the room. 3 panels cover the awkward architecture. We found a ticking stripe that matched the beautiful pink toile and banded out the borders of the panels for a more custom look. The white curtain rods and rings match the new crown molding.

These twin beds are so girly! The precious white matelasse is plain enough to pull off a really fussy bed skirt. We created a layered ruffle out of a solid pink underneath and a beautiful tulle with tiny pink bows sewn all over it! Looks like a ballerina's tu-tu!

The small window in the bathroom off of the new big girl room got a boxpleated valance to match the sink skirt below. This took very little material to pull off and the fabric covered buttons make it look so special.

This bathroom right off of Lilly's new room was another place to incorporate the girlish material. We made a removeable boxpleated sink skirt that velcros right under the sink.