That's Sew Sandy

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  The walls in Sandy Stone's house are mostly beige. And she describes her wardrobe as boring. She's modest. And timid, she says. But when it comes to her design style, Sandy is anything but shy. Bold patterns, vivid colors, and gleeful new uses of familiar materials broadcast her vision, which is as animated and fun as it is artful. "Something happens when I see old zippers and trim, or clothes that are being thrown away," she says. "I want to save them!" Studies in studio art and an early career in graphic art influenced Sandy, but so did her mother, who sewed all her clothes. "It's as if everything in my life has come together, and this is how it's turning out," she says.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

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  Drawn to large-scale graphic prints in audacious hues, Sandy creates cushions using (top to bottom): 1950s chiffon scarves; vintage drapery with chenille bedspreads; 1960s housedresses; polka-dot scarves and houndstooth linen; and old tablecloths.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

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  Punchy accents in a neutral field, her tapestry throw made entirely of zippers and decoupaged canvas of colorful scarves are displayed with a verdant 1950s lamp.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

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  To Upholster the Chair:
  
  Sandy cut big circles in several sizes from 1970s cotton housedresses, surging their edges to prevent fraying. Then she sewed them onto a ground of hemp fabric and used her created textile to upholster the chair.
  
  Before you sew, remember that with any fabric, vintage or otherwise, preshrinking is key. Midweight fabrics are best for a project like this one, but if you prefer lightweight or sheer, reinforce them first with backing.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

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  "I'll buy an ugly curtain just to get the ball fringe," says Sandy of the white fringe on one of these moss-floral pillow shams made from a tablecloth. And if the trim runs out before the second sham is done? No problem. Sandy sews on, using blue instead. The fire-hued quilt appealed to her even though its puckered texture is the result of accidental shrinking. She covered the lamp shade with pieces of silk drapery and a polyester bathrobe.
  
  Get the Look: For a white matelasse, try Pine Cone Hill. Vintage-style sheets? Try Anthropologie. For a wooden-frame bed, try Country Swedish or Maine Cottage. Like the star-shaped pendant lamp? E-mail: info@culturalintrigue.com.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

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  Sandy's Home Studio: The walls of this second-story studio, which was designed by Sandy's architect husband, Ken, are covered in stapled scarves; polka-dot and print scarves were also applied with a clear medium to the storage cabinets; clear bins hold her stash, an ever-present source of inspiration. Ready when she is, a surger and two sewing machines (one industrial, one a 1950s Singer) await. Pushed together, a farm table and a school table serve as a work surface. The result? Witty furniture art, such as the tie-backed chair. Sandy sells her work, along with vintage goods, at Hunt & Gather; huntandgatherantiques.com.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

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  "Increasingly, I'm interested in upholstering with unordinary things," says Sandy, who recently created a chair ruffle with sheet music. The pages were accordion-folded before being stitched to sheer fabric. "It's not entirely functional, but it's one of the directions my work is taking."
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

• 

  A chair's seat is covered in a fluffy polyester handworked rug. The chair back is covered in a series of zippers, stitched vertically to create fabric that is further combined with a blue-and-green floral print.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

• 

  One-of-a-kind designs include:
  1. Terry cloth bathrobes and trim cut to cover a simple bench.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen

• 

  2. Vintage Butterick sewing pattern illustrations applied as decoupage and encircled by a slim dress belt and ruffle.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: That's Sew Sandy

  Lucas Allen