By interior designer and crafter Karen Barlow read more
Now that the weather is getting warmer and brighter and the days longer, I thought I’d give our bathroom a spring make over using some of the items from Laura Ashley’s Coastal collection.
Nautical interiors are a perennial favourite for us island dwellers, so as well as using checks and stripes within the collection, Laura Ashley have re-invented some of their designs using coastal colours, such as Wallace which is available in Seaspray for spring 2013.
Starting with some DRAWSTRING BAGS, which are perfect for storage, I used the Wallace and Whitby fabric in seaspray. I find these bags are ideal for keeping grooming essentials in, especially if you have small children. Razors, toxic liquids such as nail varnish remover and medicines can be kept out of reach, high, on some hooks and out of harms way. They are also ideal if storage space is limited.
I started by cutting the fabric 50cm square with an extra 2cm for seams.
Turn each side in by 1cm, pin and machine stitch. Now turn the top of the fabric over by 7cm and turn a 1cm hem under and machine stitch again.
Measure 3cm above the stitch line, at the top, and machine another row to form a channel for the strap to thread though. Pin the wrong sides of the bag together down one side and along the bottom and machine stitch, up to the turned back top. Snip the bottom corners on the diagonal, being careful not to cut through any stitches and then turn the bag out so that the right side of the fabric is facing you. Using a pin, carefully pull the corners out so that they are nice and square and then iron the bag flat.
To make the strap, cut a length of fabric approximately 60cm in length and 3cm wide. On the reverse of the fabric, iron each end over, so that the raw edges of the fabric are on the inside of the strap. Then iron 1cm on each side, of the fabric, into the centre, so that the right side of the fabric is facing up and then fold in half again and machine stitch along the edge. You will end up with your finished strap like this. Alternatively you can use rope, ribbon or sisal string.
Attach a sturdy safety pin to one end of the strap and use this to thread through the channel at the top of the bag. Tie the two ends of the strap together and your bag is now complete.
Another quick craft project is CUSTOMISING PICTURE FRAMES. Using Wallace, Eaton stripe and Sandhaven wallpapers in seaspray and emulsion paint in Cloud, I turned some boring plain wooden frames into something much more refreshing.
First remove the back of the picture frame and the glass and paint the frame using your chosen emulsion paint. Give the frame three coats, leaving each coat to dry in between.
Using the back of the frame for a template, draw around it on the back of the wallpaper. In the centre of the cut wallpaper, draw another square slightly smaller than the picture or photo that you want to frame. Use a scalpel or craft knife to cut out both the squares as this will give you nice crisp edges and make the process easier. You will end up with something like this.
I always think it’s useful, if you have the room, to have a stool in your bathroom that you can put guest towels onto or use whilst bathing young children.
This one started life a little sad but was picked up for a few pounds and had a lovely shape and more importantly a loose seat pad, perfect for re-upholstering.
I chose to paint the base in Seaspray emulsion, which was given three coats and then I finished off by using some briwax and wire wool to distress the stool, perfect for that sea worn coastal feel. The seat pad was removed and used as a template for cutting out the fabric to size with an extra 2cm border for turning under. I chose Awning stripe fabric in Seaspray, which has a strong linen texture, perfect for upholstery projects.
Using a staple gun, secure the four sides with one staple in each side before working on the corners. Pinch pleat the corners into a fan shape and secure with staples. When you have secured the corners continue around the seat with more staples.
Don’t worry if it doesn’t look too perfect, nobody will ever see the underside. Be firm with the fabric but don’t pull too hard if it has an open weave such as the one I used, as the pattern will distort.
Place the seat pad back on the stool base, hang your pictures and storage bags and stand back and admire your new coastal bathroom.
A lovely alternative to the hooks I already had in my bathroom would be Coastal Fish multi hook.
Take a look at Karen’s blog for more interiors and craft inspiration here