Have you ever had something that went completely WRONG? No...? Well, I had something in June. Look at this; can you guess what it is? Or better; what it WAS...!
- After the painters had completed our home and gazebo, husband Pieter did buy a new storage box for the seat and back cushions that we always used in the chairs.
- Looking at those cushions, I decided to have them laundered at our local Coin Laundry. Their huge washing machines and dryers can handle them far better than my mini Miele, in comparison.
- So off they went and when Pieter did pick them up they looked like this...
Oh my!
- At first I wanted to trash them, but I left them sitting there for a couple of days, till the rain stopped and I had light enough to look at them and THINK.
- The fabric looked like new but obviously they had put them in the dryer too long or too hot as the fabric had shrunk.
- Also the foam had gotten out of shape.
- No zipper...
- Out came my BIG seam ripper.
- I do have a small one too, but this meant serious business!
- Also my SUPER POWER READERS got retrieved...
- Now I was all ready for the fight!
- Yes, I pulled the foam out, cut it off a bit on the sides and bottom and put it back in again.
- Now I did recognize them as the nice cushions we bought ourselves on July 10 of 1998 at the Atlanta Home Depot Expo.
- First we got ourselves four seat cushions and we went back on July 12, for four more to use for the back.
- Perfect choice and we did enjoyed them for 14 years now.
- Sadly all Home Depot Expo closed in the spring of 2009.
- Okay, I had to rip some more...
- DONE - all 8 were now opened up.
- Would I be able to sew them back up?
- I don't have an industrial sewing machine.
- Let's try, I do have spare needles so what's the risk?
- It certainly was not easy to sew them shut, with that thick foam inside.
- Why did they not come with an easy zipper?
- Ready for use!
- If only the sun would come out so we can have our tea in the gazebo.
- I promise to make a photo once we have the good fortune of a sunny day for putting them out.
- What do you think?
- They are good to go once more for a couple of years or not?
oh, you made a GREAT save! they look like new again!
ReplyDeleteDearest Theresa,
DeleteOh, the ending definitely was a good one... But MY, what a sight at first!
Hugs,
Mariette
Hola Mariette, es increhible el gran arreglo que has logrado en estos. Te felicito! curiosamente en una ocasion me sucedio tambien! ,pero los mios no corrieron con igual suerte! abrazos, Rose marie
ReplyDeleteQuerida RoseMarie,
DeleteSupongo que sólo tuve suerte por haber podido salvarlos... Lástima que no pudo rescatar tuyo. Éstos será buenos para ir por un par de años más. Gracias por visitarnos!
Abrazos y tenga un buen Domingo.
Mariette
You are a very talented lady, Mariette! They look great!
ReplyDeleteDearest Linda,
DeleteThanks but it was more a case of perseverance...!
Happy weekend to you and hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette ; How fabulous that you were able to restore them back to shape!! You and Pieter always amaze me on your creative ways to add longevity to items. May you get many more years out them. We can all learn from you - not only have you restored your cushions and will be able to enjoy them a bit longer - you did not have to incur the expense of replacing them.
ReplyDeleteSending you some of our heat and sunshine ... looking forward to seeing your photos of tea in the gazebo with your lovely cushions. Hugs and blessings, C. (HHL)
Dearest Celia,
DeleteYeah, I did turn those shapeless, striped heaps back into something to use for several more years! Never give up and wait till the sun shines again so you can see what you're doing.
Today it stayed dry; believe it or not; we had a fabulous day at our friends' place. Fur babies happy too; believe me they get cranky if they cannot play and dart around on the lawn.
Hugs to all of you and happy Sunday!
Mariette
Glad you didn't just trash them. It was definitely more work than you probably wanted to do, but you put them back together very nicely
ReplyDeleteDearest Daniela,
DeleteWhen someone else would have requested me to 'revive' those shapeless heaps for them I would have firmly said: NO WAY! But... we don't count hours so it got done and with great satisfaction I must admit.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette.....Bravo to you for not trashing the cushions. It looks like they are good to go for several more years. It's so frustrating to try to replace something like cushions you like, but you made this work! Good job.
ReplyDeleteIt has stopped raining for a while, still very humid. I'm glad we have shade and cool breezes,
Enjoy your week end...........*s*
Dearest Suzi,
DeleteThanks for your visit and yes, if feels good for not trashing them. That was my thought too; what will I have to replace them? The colors worked just perfect and that's what prompted me to tackle the tedious task.
Glad the rain stopped in your area as well.
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, You are lucky to have the talent to fix and sew these cushions to repair them. I might have had a similar impulse to save them, but there is no way I could have done such a professional job.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dear Jim,
DeleteMy first impuls was to trash them but after letting it sink in for a couple of days I started with Plan B... Glad it worked!
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletedu schenkst immer wieder viel Freude.
Alles Liebe
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteDanke, es ist ab und zu nicht leicht aber am Ende wenn es gelingt, dann kann man wieder etwas teilen...
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette
ReplyDeleteHaha - they looked almost dead but you saved them!
Applause to you :)
Kajsa
Dearest Kajsa,
DeleteYeah, 8 dead cushions in a white body-bag!
Maybe, just maybe it was my former First Aid mentality that went to work in order to rescue them... Thanks for the applause!
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteDu und dein lieber Pieter seid wahre Genies. Ich muss Euch immer
wieder bewundern, was ihr alles macht.
Diese Idee mit den Kissen ist einfach toll. Und nach 15 Jahren
sehen sie wieder aus wie neu. Trinkt eine Tasse Tee zum Geburtstag.
Aber bitte aufpassen, dass nichts verschüttet wird.
Ganz liebe Grüße und eine feste Umarmung
von Irmi
Liebe Irmi,
DeleteJa, zum Geburtstag werden wir bestimmt eine Tasse Tee trinken. Die Idee alleine um etwas zu verschütteln... Um Gottes Willen, nie wieder diesen Weg!
Am Ende wenn es sich lohnt vergisst man alle Mühe.
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletedas war eine Riesenarbeit, aber es hat sich elohnt. Du bist wirklich eine tolle Hausfrau, du kannst wirklich alles. Das wird dich immer stolz machen, wenn du die Kissen benutzt.
Liebe Grüße
Johanna
Liebe Johanna,
DeleteVielen Dank, ja den Stolz mag sein, nach soviel Zeit mit den Kissen zusammen auf dem Schoss!
Das beste Gefühl ist wenn man drauf 'sitzen' kann.
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletewenn es auch viel Arbeit war und vielleicht so mancher Seufzer aus deinem Mund kam... die Kissen sehen so schön aus - toll gemacht - ihr seid ein gutes Team -
liebe Grüße - Ruth
Liebe Ruth,
DeleteJa, du hast Recht; die menge Arbeit ist schnell vergessen wenn man am Ende wieder schöne Kissen hat! Wir beide lachen oft das zwischen meine Näh-Box und seinem Werkzeugkasten wir mit eigene Hände fast alles schaffen können!
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Dat was slim van je om ze open te maken (en weer dicht). Ze zien er prima uit nu.
ReplyDeleteBeste Marianne,
DeleteJa, het is wel een drastische ingreep met de voor- en na 'look'!
Liefs,
Mariette
Mariette, I think your seam ripper and needle therapy was the right cosmetic surgery treatment for these cushions. There is still some life left in them :-).
ReplyDeleteI would probably let the cushions dry on their own after washing and that might have prevented the shrinking problem.
Dearest Zosia,
DeleteIndeed this ripper & needle therapy was the right cosmetic surgery. Sure they could have used also a very low setting in their huge dryers but not everybody seems to be thinking all the time, or most of the time...
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette, I hope that you had a safe and fun fourth of July.
ReplyDeleteYou are very patient and creative indeed. Good for you for salvaging all of them, it must have taken a lot of hard work but you made the God very happy by not wasting resources.
Dearest Munir,
DeleteYes we did pass a very safe and fun 4th of July lunch with friends. Yesterday we had a big gathering, family reunion at our best friends' home. They adopted us as family long time ago.
Patience and creativity often does pay off in the end! Add perseverance and in the end we were kind to Planet Earth as well!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
They look like new again.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Dearest Kay,
DeleteYes they do! It did not come as an easy task but well worth it.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Sei riuscita a salvarli questi cuscini, molto belli tra l'altro. Hai donato loro la possibilità di continuare a svolgere egregiamente la loro fuzione. BRAVA! Paola
ReplyDeleteCara Paola,
DeleteGrazie, sono molto contento con miei cuscini!
Buona domenica sera e baci,
Mariette
Oh my stars! That was a lot of work Mariette! But look at them. They look perfect again.
ReplyDeleteGood job!
Hope you and your sweetie are having a wonderful weekend!
xo Catherine
Dearest Catherine,
DeleteYep, hind sight is for being happy that I went through all the trouble and soon that part is forgotten. More years of enjoying them lie ahead of us. Hope your summer weekend has been a good one so far for all of you!
Hugs,
Mariette
eh eh bravissima un lavoro a opera d'arte :) un bacione dalla bollente Italia oggi 36 gradi!!!!
ReplyDeleteCara Elly,
DeleteLa ringrazio per la vostra lode e si è con voi così appena calda come qui in Georgia. Con la differenza che abbiamo aria condizionata ovunque. Forza con esso.
Baci,
Mariette
You are soo talented too sweet Mariette! Although you worked hard, it sure was worth it, they look Brand new and amazing! I'm so happy you liked my shawl-runner, I so appreciate your taste. Have a terrific week ahead, honey.
ReplyDeleteFABBY
Dearest Fabby,
DeleteThanks for your words of praise. Certain things are worth salvaging; regardless the amount of work it takes. Your 'Runner' is something to really fall in love with. Enjoy its new purpose.
Happy week ahead for you as well.
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh my, the cushion looked quite messed up after laundry! Glad you saved them so they can celebrate 15th birthday looking like new :-)
ReplyDeleteDearest Tamago,
DeleteThat bag of malformations did really scare me at first! But after some major surgery they came out looking 'young' again! With pride we will celebrate their 15th birthday!
Hugs,
Mariette
dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteSo glad that with your perseverance and sewing skills, you were able to get them looking good again. Would of helped if they put zips in the cushions and would make for washing much easier.
Happy new week
hugs
Carolyn
Dearest Carolyn,
DeleteSure it would have been handy if they had zippers! We're looking forward to using them; if this persistent wet monsoon will pass!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteyou did a GREAT job saving those cushions! I am sure, they will do it for a few years more!
Have a happy new week,
Love and hugs
Claudia
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteThanks and they sure will last us several more years.
Enjoy your new summery week.
Hugs,
Mariette
Good Morning Mariette, Isn't it the most marvellous feeling when we can rectify a mistake, even if it takes a little time and is a bit fiddly. You have saved yourself a lot of money by unpicking the cushions, straightening the foam and restitching.... but worth every moment as I can see you really do like your cushions and they will be with you for many more years. Fingers crossed that the weather changes for you and you can enjoy some sunshine.
ReplyDeleteHere in England we are basking in the most hottest of weather. I love the sunshine, but I prefer to be in the shade.
Best Wishes to you,
Daphne
Dearest Daphne,
DeleteIndeed I felt great about having been able to rectify somebody else's mistake. It is not only saving money but where in the world would I find a replacement in the right colors and size? Anyhow, summer will last till November for our part of the world so there will be plenty of hours left for sitting on these cushions!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Way to go................they look great when you had finished with them
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteThat is the right way of saying it indeed; when I had finished with them. It was a battle to sew them shut but I did it.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteOh, you sure have handicraft technique♬♬♬ How wonderful that they weren't thrown away and revived. What is more, having 15th Birthday which you will celebrate for them with tea♡♡♡ I cannot even guess how hard the job must have been! Great skill☆☆☆
PS> I have one sewing request from my husband, which I'm hesitating to do for a while p;) Little pouch (clothe) to put rice-hull. He uses it to wipe the soba-making table clean. Haha, getting a bit old. Sometimes people use it to shine the wood floor; makes a little slippery, though.
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Dearest Miyako,
DeleteThanks for your reaction and yes, we all need to be very conscious about not trashing too many items too soon; thinking always about the environment! Would you believe we've had them now for 15 years? That will be tea time in the gazebo for sure! Rain or shine...
That pouch (cotton I guess) for keeping the rice hulls will not be hard to sew. Just straight seems and at the top an opening in which you can draw a cord for opening and clothing it.
Hugs you you and love from Georgia,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteAfter the parnters has completed your home your Pieter buy a new strage box will be able to enjoy. I understand this time for your both work hard for happy new years for ever Mariette & Pieter!
Hugs and love to always!
I has happy day time but only my golfing was not best time yet I working hard with me more many month...
Michiko
Dearest Michiko,
DeleteIndeed we did finish lots of hard work and these revived pillows happily reside now in their new storage box to keep them from getting moist. Many more years of use we will get out of them!
Glad you could go back to some golfing but of course after a longer break you need to practice again for working it up. Never give up; you have come such a long way since you got run over by that motor cycle!
Hugs to you sweet lady,
Mariette
Cara Mariette, questi sono i cuscini di cui mi parlavi tempo fa in una mail? Beh, devo dire che sei riuscita a sistemarli perfettamente, nonostante tutto sembrano ancora nuovi! Bravissima cara!
ReplyDeleteUn abbraccio grande e colmo di affetto♥
Anna
Cara Anna,
DeleteSi questi sono i cuscini di cui ho parlato in una mail a te. Sono molto felice con i resultati. Vogliamo utilizzeremoli per tanti anni!
Anche un abbraccio grande con baci,
Mariette
How clever you are, Mariette! Now, if only I were as handy with a needle and thread as I am with the ripper, I'd attempt your perfect fixer upper.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs, M-T
Dearest Marie-Thérèse,
DeleteOh, I'm not that clever but it's more about perseverance.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Oh my Mariette, you sure are patient! I think I could have done 2 or 3 at the most but all 8...wow!!! You did a marvelous job though:)
ReplyDeleteDearest Victoria,
DeleteJust a matter of having the Discipline (yes, with capital 'D') to start such a job and than having the perseverance to FINISH it.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Very nice work but I wonder what the cleaner had did to them.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Dearest Elna,
DeleteGuess they were in the dryer and set on hot... Glad I got them back to 'normal' and they are nice and clean. She told us that she didn't launder them on hot so it must be their dryer setting.
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteKLASSE hast du die Kissen wieder hinbekommen! Ich musste sooo lachen, als ich das "vorher"-Foto sah - ein grotesker Anblick :o))) Aber du hast nicht aufgegeben und sie gerettet - einfach wunderbar! Ich wünsche euch schönes Wetter, um den Kissengeburtstag :o) draußen feiern zu können - und damit ihr eure neuen Balustraden machen könnt!
Alles Liebe und herzliche rostrosige Grüße,
Traude
Liebe Traude,
DeleteJa danke, es ist schon vergessen. Ich hätte gern ein Foto gehabt von mein Gesicht beim Anblick von diesen Klössen... Ja den Geburtstag werden wir festlegen.
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYou have saved yourself a good bit of money with your handy work and I can see why you would want to try and repair your cushions - they are wonderful! Obviously a good investment all those years ago! I am looking forward to seeing them in service once again. Hugs, xoxo
Dearest Karen,
DeleteOh, you bet they will be in full service again! We always loved their color, they were perfect for our gazebo.
You will get to see them again.
Hugs,
Mariette
I think you did a smashing job, Mariette. Those cushions look like new! I can't wait to see pictures of your gazebo. :)
ReplyDeleteDearest Stacy,
DeleteTHANKS! Oh, we're going to enjoy the labor of our hard work, that's for sure! Gazebo will be shown soon.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteWow, you did amazing job they look new. 14 years old with you?
they become your house treasures ;)
love old stuffs.
have a nice days Cara Mariette
hugs
Dearest Ayu,
DeleteThanks for your compliment and yes we will treasure them for many more years.
Taking care of things we got is important; not wasting things and adding more trash to our environment.
Hugs,
Mariette
You did a GREAT job, dear Mariette!!! What a creative, environment-friendly action you did! And at the same time, you still have those great cushions which have already served you so beautifully for so many years! I do believe too in reusing, reducing, recycling and upcycling things and making them last for many years :) Great message from you, Mariette :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you're going to enjoy them a lot in your beautiful gazebo this summer!
Hugs!
Dearest Anna,
DeleteMaybe later in the summer as it is so wet and soggy right now and pouring down. Every day heavy rains and thunderstorms. No environment for carrying the tea tray to the gazebo. My pillows stay locked inside the storage bin... sadly for the time being. But thanks for your kind praise. Yes, I only wish that more people would adopt this reusing and upcycling mentality! We need it so badly as people keep buying and trashing. Better think twice or trice before adding anything.
Hugs to you,
Mariette