The Design Confidential

How to Make a DIY Kilim Pillow with Silhouette Fabric Interface and a Silhouette Promotion

RyTurner — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:43:23 +0000

DIY Kilim Pillow

As a Silhouette America affiliate, I have the opportunity to try new products and earn a small commission on sales while passing along special promotions. Here’s the current deal with awesome savings. Just use code “CONFIDENTIAL” at checkout.

Oky dok, now let's dive into the fun stuff aside from discounts... those are fun too! This project took me a grand total of 30 minutes and that includes making the actual pillow cover too! I love a good fast project! So we are going to dive right in, let's go!

Begin by choosing an image and opening it in your Silhouette Software Program. I chose to make my own kilim pattern which you see attached below. If you would like something similar, feel free to right click and save. You will need to download a triangle shape from Silhouette and then modify the size according to your needs.

For the various proportions of the triangles you will want the largest to be double the size of the medium triangle and the medium triangle to be double the size of the smallest triangle. For mine I used, 2.5" across the bottom, 1.25" across the bottom, and .75" across the bottom. I realize .75" is not half of 1.25", but we were getting into the very tiny and hardly worth it range.

Now the fabric interfacing is really easy to use... it's the layout that is the most difficult. If you are working with only one color, simply layout your triangles as you see and then follow the instructions that follow, easy peasy. Of course I had to make this hard by including several colors in varying amounts of triangles... but for the sake of this tutorial, let's pretend I didn't.

Once you have laid out your pattern in your Silhouette Software, select fabric for the material and adjust your blade as indicated (a 3) then you are ready to get your fabric set up...

Begin by cutting a piece of fabric that is 1" larger than your pattern or image and a piece of the fabric interfacing that is a tad smaller than your fabric all the way around.

The bumpy side of the interfacing should touch the back of your fabric, then iron together on a heat appropriate for your fabric type.

Trim all the way around your edges so your fabric and the interfacing are the same size. Then place on your cutting mat.

Cut away and then when all your pieces are cut, lay them out on your fabric.

To iron them in place, you can simply use your iron on the same heat setting from the previous steps and iron these cute little pieces in place. For this pattern I began in the middle and worked my way out after I made sure everything fit properly!

Once your pattern is ironed in place you are finito... yahoo! easy peasy, right?

Now If you would like to order some of this amazing stuff, click here and enter CONFIDENTIAL at checkout for a discount!

Outdoor Living Space and Tiki Brand Fire Sculpture

RyTurner — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:31:47 +0000

Outdoor Living and Tiki

The Design Confidential

This post brought to you by TIKI Brand®. All opinions are 100% mine.

I had a funny (or not so funny, really) experience recently... it involved a giant jug of bubbles and a fire sculpture... ask me who won? I wasn't me, that's for certain, at least not at first. It seems that the soapy ingredient in bubbles, mixed with water, doesn't create the perfect environment for fire, or fire related ambiance... who knew? Let's just say that I'm quite surprised and utterly thrilled that my Tiki Brand Fire Sculpture not only survived, but thrived even... after a decent amount of cleanup and some major drying out, of course. eek...

Remember when I published 2 outdoor living decor options, here and here? Well I am super duper excited to say that one of these looks is very much under way! My outdoor space is so important to me since I adore being outdoors, but you guys... I have never actually had a real grown up outdoor space! I was having trouble deciding on which color scheme to go with, right up until I realized I have two separate and distinct outdoor spaces... duh! I can do both! yahoo!

The first space I am tackling will be the living space with sofa and chairs and it will have the pink, peach, red and purple color scheme you see above along with the furniture... yay! The Tiki Brand Fire Sculpture will live in this space too and is the perfect addition to add a bit of that relaxing vacationy vibe I hope to achieve! Now I just need to settle on a rug or two (layering is cool) and get this party started. No really, like actually started...

You can purchase the bad boys (TIKI Brand Fire Sculptures) at The Home Depot or follow TIKI Brand on Facebook, and of course they are well priced at between $50-$100. This replace the more traditional idea of a series of small tiki torches and acts as a fabulous piece of decor as well! Now I will get real with you for a quick minute. I am actually terrified of fire. So suffice to say that putting this together (the cleaning it up) and getting it lit were a bit of the scary side for me. It was one of those band-aid moments where you just need to rip that thing off and dive right in, and of course it was so simple and not scary in the least. Always works out like that, but at least initially I was petrified when my husband was out of town and I had to do this myself! yikes.. but seriously easy peasy. I have included a short video showing just how easy it was, yay! enjoy...

Sources

All of the sources found in the moodboard can be found here! and purchased if you like!

My Neighbor Needed a Rolling Grill Table

Jake — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:37:01 +0000

Rolling Grill Table

My friend, neighbor, professor, author David (pictured) needed a large rolling grill table to support his frequent efforts at great grilling. He showed me plans for one from This Old House magazine so we got the shopping list together and headed off to Big Blue for supplies. A couple of days later with luck and forced design changes the final product came to be. You can get the plans at: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20691643,00.html

It is a straightforward project but the plans leave a lot to the imagination and calculator. Pay attention to keeping everything level and square. We are going through Beta testing now to see what may need changing and strengthening.

Estimated Cost:

About $100. Wheels alone were $20 and cedar was $50 so it adds up quickly.

Length of Time:

2 days (12 hours)

Modifications:

The table is a little high for me to pull around so I suggest another handle just a little lower.

Lumber Used:

100% cedar

Finishing Technique:

Probably just natural stain.

DIY Succulent Garden, DIH Workshop and a $100 Giveaway

RyTurner — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:23:09 +0000

DIY Succulents & Giveaway

The Design Confidential

Post and giveaway sponsored by The Home Depot, but all opinions are my own.

It's been a whirlwind week or two working with The Home Depot for the DIH Workshop, Inspired by Pinterest. There have been tv segments... workshops... projects... succulents... dirt under my fingernails... and it's been an amazing ride! I am excited to share all the deets with you and also launch a giveaway as our way of saying we heart you and to wrap this amazing partnership! One of you lucky duckies will walk away with a $100 gift card to The Home Depot, yahoooooo... For the giveaway, scroll all the way to the bottom, and for a recap of all the excitement as well as a fun video tutorial for a DIY succulent garden, just hold on to your seats folks... it's gonna be fabulous! I'm also including the link to another DIY succulent garden I created specifically for The Home Depot and can be found on their blog, The Apron... it's awesome-sauce, if I do say so myself (which I do...).

Also if you would like to watch my segment on KCRA, click here and watch away (I haven't figured out how to embed it yet) and my segment on ABC click here. Don't judge... I'm still chubby from hatching the bird, I have this strange tendency toward crazy eyes... and I'm downright goofy most of the time, pretty sure that's why you guys guys tolerate me though, ya? I will try and post the other links to the other segments as they roll through.. weeeeee.

The DIH Workshop at the Stanford Ranch Home Depot was amazing, with an amazing turnout! Yahoo! Everyone was completely into the topic and the whole experience was amazing (Thank you Stanford Ranch Store, I heart you guys!!!)!

We tackled a vertical garden, classic potted garden and even hypertufa... ya be jealous... hypertufa rules!

Now let's get down to business for our DIY project, shall we?

Materials:

4x6 piece of lumber at 6' or less
Spade Bit or Hole Saw at 2"-2 1/2" would be perfect, but smaller will work with multiple holes (see my video below!)
large and long drill bit for wood
succulents of your choice
sandpaper
acylic paint of your choice
paint brush (I used a 2" brush for this, it went faster that way)

Oky dok, the directions are all included in this short video below. yahoo...

Oky dok my friends... and now are you ready to get this GIVEAWAY started? One of you lucky ducks will win a $100 Home Depot Gift Card! Yahoo!

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Updated Painting and Seeing Spots

RyTurner — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:41:21 +0000

Updated Painting Seeing Spots

The Design Confidential

I have been making some major headway in the new house, despite my radio silence on the matter... I have had freelance project after project and haven't hardly had a moment to update you on what I have been up to otherwise! In fact I am almost completely finished with the Family Room, squeal... can't wait to do the full room reveal for you guys! Such a fun space...

In the meantime the other areas of my house are needing some love desperately too! Remember this painting I found at Denio's, my new home away from home? Well as much as I loved it as it was, I wanted something fresh and exciting and so I took a paint brush to it, duh. After all, the reason I purchased it in the first place was the sheer size and of course the price of a mere $3! Doesn't get better than that folks, except when it gets a new 'do' and that 'do' is a little reminiscent of a space I loved when I shared it with you here... See the room with the spotted art above the bed? Yep, loved it...

One of my goals in the new house is to turn my design style up a notch and mix things up. I want to really push my design boundaries and find a new style to love for a while! The only way for me to do this is to take risks, so a few dalmatian-ish spots above the bed are a great place to start!

I will spare you the 'tutorial' since it's pretty straightforward, but I will mention that I used Rustoleum spray paint and primer in one to give it a good base coat. I used just regular acrylic craft paint for the spotted goodness and a sponge brush with a round tip. That made the spotting that much easier to do! Easy Peasy update and I couldn't love how it sets a fresh new tone for the space any more than I currently do. It makes me happy to remember it's there and stare at it. Ya, that's probably weird but, it's my way...

Also... how devious does that pup look. I clearly caught him in the act of something, I have yet to simply find out what... He's a little out of focus here because I was shooting the painting, but that look on his face is priceless. Part, leave me alone, part, did she see what I was doing? eek...

The Design Confidential

How to Make a DIY Kilim Pillow with Silhouette Fabric Interface and a Silhouette Promotion

Related Stories

Outdoor Living Space and Tiki Brand Fire Sculpture

Related Stories

My Neighbor Needed a Rolling Grill Table

Related Stories

DIY Succulent Garden, DIH Workshop and a $100 Giveaway

Related Stories

An Updated Painting and Seeing Spots

Related Stories