The Chair

Oh, how I love creating.

In all it's forms.

I love it.

And makeovers? Heaven. I love taking something ugly and watching it transform.

When we were in college and I would get excited about buying things from the D.I. to make them look lovely, I thought it was because I liked saving money. Many years and many dollars later, I realize that this is not really true. I love getting a good deal, but that's not why I like recreating second-hand treasures. I have a funky and eclectic style and I really, really like making something my own.

Besides, what would be the fun of having all my furniture matching?

Last year when we finally sold our house and moved all of our furniture up to Sandpoint, I was left with a very small room at the front of the house that had no furniture. I created an idea of just what I wanted and set out to find my pieces via Craigslist. After a couple weeks of searching I found exactly what I was looking for and promptly purchased BEAUTIFUL fabric to recover them with . . .

. . . fast-forward a year and another move later . . . . So typical. I hate this about myself. Sometimes I feel like I have zero follow through. {sigh} anyway.

After my success with my string art project, I was on such a high that I finally delved into the chair.

bias double cord welting - much more fun to make after buying the correct sewing foot

I made my welting and ripped all the fabric off - taking pictures along the way. Recovering furniture is actually far easier than most people imagine it to be. I take detailed pictures throughout so that I can remember how things are assembled, then use the old fabric as a pattern for the new pieces. Most chairs actually require very little sewing.

However, I'm not always smart and I never do things the easy way or choose simple projects, so this one required a little more work than I'd originally thought. The ENTIRE back was sewn together. I'm so SMRT.

The worst of it was the three blisters that I got on my poor crippled hands by not wearing gloves to remove hundreds of staples with a screwdriver and pair of needle-nosed pliers.

It's a good thing that Nels and my kids are the only people who see me when I'm doing these types of projects.

First, because I don't get dressed or brush my hair --- but second -

I turn into a lunatic.

An insanely proud and neurotic crazy person.

When I was first learning how to sew while pregnant with my oldest daughter, I discovered something about myself that I'd never known. I LOVE puzzles.

In the numerous hours that I've spent reading patterns and sewing in the past ten years, I've found that sewing is really Fabric Engineering. And there is a latent engineer housed in this brain of mine. It is ridiculously exhilarating for me to figure out how something works. When I get going, watch out!

I dance around, sing songs, get completely engrossed in what I'm creating, and generally spend a great deal of time telling Nels and my girls how AWESOME I am.

Like I said, it's a good thing this is done in the privacy of my own home.

I made a couple of brilliant choices with regards to this chair. One: the fabric. Seriously. Isn't it gorgeous? I know it's bright, but I love it. And Two: the purchase of a pneumatic stapler. Oh my heavens, that thing changed my life! I can't believe I ever doubted Nels's purchase of that little air compressor a couple of years ago.

Ta-Da! Isn't it pretty? I've been SO SICK since finishing it up that I couldn't even fully enjoy it until today.

From start to finish I took less than a week to complete my little chair and LOTS and LOTS of poked little toes, due to scattered piles of pulled staples.

Next project?

Recovering the matching couch -- or settee -- if you will. It's going to be a beautiful navy velvet. And I just realized a couple of days ago that when I bought the fabric a year ago, I didn't buy enough . . . {insert eye rolling}

Also, if this:

causes me any grief with my new upholstery job, She. Is. Dead.

And I love houseplants.
The End.