Projects

I told daughter Sam that I would make her wedding dress, and the assistants' dresses as well. That was before I learned that I would be moving to Staunton, Va (she lives in Hornell, NY). She said I could borrow her sewing machine, but she sews a lot and I couldn't imagine her doing without it for a whole summer. And anyway, I figured I could borrow Anna Maria's machine, who lives in Broadway, Va--just an hour away. Alas! that was not to be. AM's machine is a wonderful basic machine, but it cannot seem to handle fine fabrics. After weeks of pondering and advice seeking, I decided on a new Brother. About the same time a friend of a friend at church gave me a wonderful gate leg table. Folded up it takes only a scant amount of space in my apartment. Opened up it's a great work table. But the table came sans chairs...

Today I visited an antique shop I often frequent and found these solid, but ugly, wooden chairs with vinyl seats for just $40. No big deal...they're comfortable and I figured they'd work as comfortable sitting chairs for visitors AND as dining room chairs.

I also found this glass washboard, which covers up some nasty mars and nonremovable large black screws on the bathroom wall. And so I made three trips, three blocks down the street to haul my loot -- first the washboard and a chair, then two chairs and finally, on the third trip, the last chair. But on the way home, my ADHD kicked in when I noticed The Golden Tub Bath Shop. I left the chair just outside her shop and went in. Seeing a whole wall of cloth shower curtains, I got an idea. The owner, a widow, asked "the same question I was asked when I moved here...how did you come to Staunton?"
I answered and she asked if she could help,
"I have a very bizarre idea. I just bought four chairs and I'm thinking that one of these curtains would make excellent new seats for my chairs."
In a very business-like manner she asked, "Well, what do the chairs look like?"
"Well," I answered, "I was carrying the fourth one home when I decided to stop, so it's right outside your shop."
"Bring it in. Let's have a look." She then proceeded to bring out four or five options -- in the color schemes I was hoping for, and all in heavy fabric. And then she said, "And I have this one that has a flaw, so I have to sell it for just $15."
I couldn't decide. I said, "My money is at home. Let me take this chair home, and bring my purse and the painting that I'm decorating my room around." I hurried home, and took down a diptich AM had created and carried them to the bath shop. I set them against a counter, and the shop lady laid out the curtains -- one and then the other. It was easy that way to decide, although as she said, "It will look different, of course, in different lighting..." She also asked if there was enough fabric to cover all four. All good things to consider. I decided on the $15 curtain. I really liked the soft, almost suede, fabric of another one; but it was $40 and just not quite the right color. As I went to pay, she said, "Since you're new in town, let me sell this to you for $12." So for $52 and some labor, I could have a gate leg wooden table and four pretty chairs. Excited, I came home and immediately went to work.

The finished chairs...they be can painted or refinished, but the worn look goes very well with everything else in my apartment. So I decided to stick with doing just the seats for now. Now, with a good chair at the right height (I had been sitting on a folding camping chair with pillows stacked on it to bring me to the right height), I dove into the sewing projects for Sam's wedding.

AND I made a lot of progress. No sleeves, trim or hem yet, but it's coming along. To see "the rest of the story," you'll have to keep checking my blog.