again with the home improvement!

 Reupholstery is now on my list of unknown talents!  I tackled the 6 dining room chairs, and we are nearing the finish line!  I say "we" because I couldn't have done this without Bob's help.  The upholstery business takes some muscle!  These chairs and table were purchased in the early 90's and have been our every-day eating area ever since then.  The fabric was wearing very thin and started fraying on the edges.

This is the "before" picture.

I had done a couple very easy things before, like recovering a foot stool.  But this needed to be done as neatly as possible and look close to professional.  I did some reading and scanning through some videos to get started.   I picked out a fabric that I really liked, even though I have some reservations about the light color.  But I decided to give it a go and see how it turned out.

Bob removed 1 million staples holding on the fabric, piping and dust cover.  And they were tough to pull.  I know because I started out doing it, but it was really hard on my neck and shoulder.  The staples needed to be pried out with a pointed tool, then removed with a second tool.  Those staplers were very thorough!

I had planned to replace the foam cushion, but struggled to get it to shape around the edges smoothly.  At that point, I threw up my hands and abandoned the project for awhile to think about what to try next.  By this time, however, 4 of the 6 chairs were missing their seats!  So there was no going back!  Still, I procrastinated for awhile, toying with the idea of just giving in and paying someone to do it for me.  But at that point, Bob urged me on with promises of help. 

So, I ended up just using the old foam padding, since it already was shaped just right to fit.  While the seats were removed, I washed and scrubbed the nooks and crannies of the wood frames.  There was a bit of accumulated spilled milk, squished vegetables and who knows what else in those hidden spots!  

After we were satisfied with getting the fabric all stapled down, I went to work on making the piping (welting) to finish off the edges.  The picture below shows what that will look like when it's stapled in place.  I cut the fabric strips on the crossgrain of the fabric, so it could be aligned with the stripes in the front of the chair.  So I have a few (quite a few) more yards of piping to prepare and then see if I can staple it neatly in place.

We did make a couple of rookie mistakes, but this has been a "learn as you go" project.  

One lesson learned:

Although I was very conscious of measuring and centering that wide navy blue stripe in the center of each seat, I did make one big oops.  This stripe is an uneven stripe.  The color pattern is not mirror-imaged.  If you look at the "before" picture, that stripe is an even, mirror imaged stripe.  Well, one of the seat covers got flipped around and stapled on in the reverse of the other 5.  Big oops!  But our mutually agreed upon decision was to not remove and replace that seat cover.  We were tired!  That's going to be our Amish chair, bearing a mistake to remember us to be humble.  And either be more careful the next time or hire someone else to do it!

Meanwhile, we have had a good period for our growing plants outside!  Two quite different kinds of purple iris have been blooming.

And the garden seeds that we planted a week ago are sprouting up.  Along with the weeds!  We had 2 days of temps over 90, so that really gets things going.  The garden is in full sun, so that's very favorable for growing but also prime sunburning.  So I look for less sunny times for garden time!

learning is fun

I was recently contacted by a representative of Fons and Porter Magazine about reviewing their online publication about log cabin quilts.  So that is what I have done!  I didn't just turn around and put this up and announce that you should all read it and use it.  No, I read it all very carefully, and decided it was a good recommendation.  Because even though it is FREE, it still has to be worthy of your time.  And yes, it is more than worthy of your time!

It is well written, beautifully illustrated, and in a very nice format that you can save with your documents for future reference.  It contains historical notes as well as contemporary ideas for using the classic log cabin block and a couple of variations.  I like the tables of information that are included, so you can have an easier time with cutting pieces to the right size.

I also wanted to test out a couple of the techniques that are included.  These are nice little bonuses that add to the value of this ebook.  One section covers binding application, and a good way to complete the connection between the first and last sections of the binding strip.  I have used my own system for making that 45-degree angle seam for a long time, and it works very well for me.  I thought I would try out their directions and see how it worked.  It has just a couple of variances from what I am used to doing, like leaving a little gap and a different way of marking.  I made a little sample piece and it worked slick!  It is on pages 23 and 24 of the booklet.

I also tried out the Binding with Piping instructions on page 22.  I got the basics to work right, but I only did a little bitty sample and I think it is going to take a little more practice for me to get it to line up correctly and neatly.  The directions and illustrations made it pretty easy to figure out what I needed to do.  I have never done piping in a binding before, and this might be just what I need to apply it to a whole project.

So, click here to get your own copy of this publication, and let me know what you think!  And thanks to Fons and Porter for another great learning tool.