Home and Decor » Room Makeover

~ Hanging Amish Quilts as Tapestries in Your Home ~ (pt 2)

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:34:00 +0000

Where and How to Hang Your Wall Art – Part 2

Just like Amish furniture your Amish quilt is meant to be an heirloom that lasts generations if properly cared for. In order to ensure the value of your tapestry quilt will be maintained there are a few simple tips. Select a focal point in your home, perhaps above an Amish crafted couch or buffet. An Amish quilt hung on a wall makes an excellent and colorful headboard choice. Remember, select a spot that will not receive too much sunlight, in order to prevent fading.

No Amish textile should ever be hung with rings because of the weight being unevenly distributed. Much like an old shower curtain, rings can cause sags, creases and tears. Carpet tack strips should never be used because the very sharp edges cut the fibers and eventually rust. Adhesives should never be used when mounting textiles because of future conservation issues with the glue. Metal rods or any metal coming in contact with your Amish quilt should be sealed to prevent rusting. Wood bases or strips should also be painted if they are to touch the textile because of acid deterioration when touching the fabric. Everything touching the textile should be made of acid-free materials.

A very cost effective and simple display option, if you are handy with a needle and thread, is to stitch on casings. These casings made of heavy cotton, linen, or even cotton twill rug binding can be hand sewn across the top of the back and a metal rod slightly shorter than the width of the Amish quilt can then be inserted in the casing. You can hang from two slightly angled nails or two screws in the wall or alternately, the quilt can be suspended from the ceiling via its rod hanging from above with monofilaments. Favored by many museum conservators, a strip of Velcro is hand-sewn to the top back of the textile and the fabric is simply pressed into place. Stitching will not damage and in fact, by distributing the weight evenly across the width of the piece, the casing-and-rod or Velcro methods are the gentlest ways of hanging a quilt. Rigid mountings can be accomplished by mounting on stretchers and even framed. For smaller pieces fabric-covered archival quality foam core board makes an excellent base for your Amish lap quilt or baby quilt.

Now that you have it prepared for hanging it is important to know how to hang. Finding the studs is important for support, especially with heavy quilts. If you are suspending from monofilament, find the ceiling supports. Your tapestry should be a small distance from the wall to help prevent mildew from building up on your wall hanging. Summers humidity, even in air conditioning, can cause mold and weaken fibers, so use preventative measures with quilts just as you would to protect your Amish hardwood furniture.

~ Hanging Amish Quilts as Tapestries in Your Home ~ (pt 1)

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:10:29 +0000

Where and How to Hang Your Wall Art – Part 1

A large colorful quilt hung as a tapestry above an Amish crafted couch or a smaller quilt above an Amish Mission style buffet can not only lend color but tie a home’s theme together. Amish furniture and quilts have long been sought after by collectors, decorators and home owners for their high quality and design. Amish quilts and their unique patterns and solid colors in tapestry became a part of Amish communities in the late 1800’s and a recognized American art form in the 20^th century. Tapestry, a word rooted in Latin (tapetium) is taken from the Greek and is an art form at least as old as the Egyptian pyramids. Modern Amish crafters produce intricately stitched and consciously assembled fabrics into both contemporary and country designs, using the same techniques as those used in centuries past.

Amish quilts while functional are also a beautiful and timeless art form that can be made into an important decorative home accessory, just like paintings or sculptures. Quilted wall tapestries bring warmth and color and add a soft relaxed, elegant and rich texture not found in any other art form. Amish quilts can be a cost effective option to add color to any room but especially a rental home or apartment, where painting may not be an option. Since Amish handiwork is of heirloom quality knowing how to display your precious textiles is important in preserving your investment as well as your home’s aesthetics.

Most antique or modern Amish quilts must be converted into a tapestry wall hanging. Age can cause a fabric to become fragile and the risk of damage from hanging increases. Hardware like rods, hooks, finials & brackets can keep them safe when properly used. Your decision on which style to use will depend on your decorating theme and the fabric itself. The costs of different hanging methods can vary considerably. The options may range from quite expensive to absolutely free except for some of your time and imagination.

Visually your tapestry will have great impact so placement is crucial. Depending on the size this may be dictated by the available space. Large tapestries are a very easy answer for homes with higher walls since they can add interest and warmth to a large blank slate. By making a mock up of the fabric’s size with newspaper or butcher paper you can try it in several spots and levels before attempting to permanently install hardware. Remember placement of your Amish quilt tapestry near or over your Amish solid wood crafted furniture will help tie together your home decorating theme.

DECORATING WITH AN AMISH DESIGNED GRANDFATHER CLOCK

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:11:14 +0000

You’ve wisely invested in your home and lifestyle by acquiring high end Amish furniture that will last a lifetime but did you realize you can include an heirloom Amish timepiece, an alternative to traditional Grandfather Clocks, to match your décor? While still as collectible as antique clocks Amish clocks require less maintenance and have just as much visual impact on a design.

Long before computers and cell phones the most technical thing a person owned was perhaps the clock. For approximately 350 years homes have held the traditional long case clock, often called the Grandfather Clock. Although centuries have past since first designed, the Amish Grandfather tall-case clock can be a timeless focal point of your modern home’s décor that will reward you hourly.

Selecting only one is not easy since they have many designs to choose from, including clocks suited for homes styled in Mission, Craftsman, Arts and Crafts, Adirondack, Lodge, Cabin, Cottage and even West Lake. All available in American hardwoods like red oak, quarter-sawn white oak, hickory, cherry and maple; matching your décor is easy. By selecting the design, the wood and then the stain you can have a custom clock made for your home’s personal style. Do you have the rustic look of the Lodge or Cabin designs? Choose Old Country style with its hickory twig embellishments. Do you have more modern sensibilities? Design a grandfather clock in a dark cherry finish and the straight lines of the Shakers. Especially in modern, sometimes stark designs, a clock can add that touch of hominess you desire.

Amish artistry is highly recognized and sought after and as a designer cabinet clock your money is well invested. While integrity is always a hallmark of Amish craftsmanship, you should select quality timepieces as well as practical. The Amish craftsmen have designed and built solid wood Grandfather Clocks in many styles to last. People can go a lifetime with no real thought over the timepieces in their homes; not realizing a high quality clock is one of their best investments for functional, aesthetic and inheritable qualities. Sculpturally the Amish floor clock is an undisputed piece of art. Created by skilled wood artists these are not just clocks but investments, meant for a lifetime of use, to be handed down as an inherited piece like all Amish furniture.

Ten Simple Ways to Transform a Room

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:27:46 +0000

Changing the look of your home does not necessarily have to take up a lot of time or a lot of money. You can dramatically change the way a room or your entire home looks by doing just a few simple things to give your home a fresh, new look.

1. Clean up clutter in a room by removing all of the knickknacks, toys, or anything else that is lying around. If you feel the room is too bare, choose a theme or a color and only reincorporate items into the room that matches that theme or color.

2. Rearrange your furniture to create conversation areas and to open up the traffic pathways. Pull the sofas and chairs away from the walls and come up with unique ways to arrange the furniture in your rooms.

3. Borrow different furniture pieces from other rooms and incorporate them into a different room to create a new look. Consider how the tables, chairs, pillows, lamps, baskets, and other items would serve a better function in a different room.

4. Take down those cluttered collages of family pictures down from the walls and choose just your favorite shots. Have them reprinted in black and white, place them in black or silver frames, and arrange them in an artistic way back on the walls.

5. Consider replacing or just removing your old, dingy carpets. If you’re lucky you will find useable hardwood floors underneath. If you’re not that much or a risk taker, cover up stains or ugly flooring with interesting throw rugs.

6. Add new light to a room by giving it a fresh new coat of paint in a lighter or brighter shade that is already on the walls. This way it will still match the other items in the room, but will have a fresher feel.

7. Cover old sofas or chairs with slipcovers, place new pillowcases over your existing throw pillows, buy a new duvet for your bedroom comforter, or add fabric chair pads to your dining room chairs.

8. Transform your furniture by distressing it with stains, paints, and sandpaper. You can make new furniture look old or give old furniture new life with simple to do antiquing techniques.

9. Remove heavy drapes and replace them with light and breezy sheers or remove the curtains all together and replace them with bright white or wood plantation blinds. If your windows are bare hang simple valances to add a punch of color.

10. Replace old or dated drawer pulls and cabinet handles with new ones in bright colors or antique designs. This can give a kitchen, bathroom, or any furniture piece a fresh new look.