The sewing machine has been humming in my little sweatshop, accompanied by the snap-snap-snap of the staple gun. It's taken three days of intensive work, two trips for supplies at Mill End, and one light-bulb moment. Also involved were six yards of tan chenille fabric chosen after myriad trips to $2 Fabrics looking for just the right neutral brown, two years (or is it three years?) of looking at the chair and dreading the moment when I would actually start the reupholstering process, and the unlikely blessing of an unwanted saggy queen-sized mattress which turned out to be a source of cotton batt and non-woven fabric when I tore it apart. The combination of that unexpected treasure trove, the end of summer vacation and the daily sight of my chair in all its half-removed rust-colored dishevelment finally pushed me over the edge and onto my sewing stool.
Originally my chair was covered in this horrid pinky-brown tweed. It had seen better days before it took up residence in our furnished apartment.
Then we bought our first home and thought we'd seen the last of apartment furniture until our old landlord offered us the chair along with a seven-foot sofa and two walnut end tables. Fifteen dollars and an empty family room made the deal too good to resist.
I cut my upholstering teeth with this rust fabric--very Seventies. Recovering the back and sides of the chair went smoothly.
Unfortunately, the "T"-style cushions stumped me--how in the world could anyone stuff that shape into a tight new cover? We solved that problem with a blue floral slipcover in the Eighties. Time passed, the shiny synthetic slipcover went out of style (thankfully) and a change was needed.
Change wasn't that simple though. I can't count how many years I spent searching for a simple brown upholstery fabric. $2 Fabrics was a regular stop on my hunting trips.
This tan chenille was as close as I could get. Turns out it was a great choice.
Why would anyone keep an old, ugly, half-covered chair around for DECADES? Comfort, pure simple it-fits-me-perfectly comfort. Turns out springs are the secret! Springs in the back cushion, springs in the seat cushion, springs
under the seat cushion. Modern chairs just can't compete.
Several bits of twine had broken, so I grabbed some sturdy cording and retied all the springs. Ugly but utilitarian (and hidden).
It's been all chair, all the time, for three days. I quickly learned to wear jeans. Apparently it's not a good idea to wear shorts on a nylon carpet--kneeling and walking on my knees while I moved around the chair and reached for my tools resulted in rug burn on both legs. I've also had a better workout than anything devised by a fitness instructor. I was so sore from the bending, reaching, holding, and stapling that two Advil couldn't even get me to sleep on Night One. Every little toss or turn was painful enough to wake me up. But the tribulations were minor and the process went smoothly. The sweatshop coughed this up right before dinner time today:
Her cushions are a bit plumper. Her curves are fuller. Her arms are softer. She lost some details and gained others. She's a delight to view, but best of all, she's still the most comfortable chair in the world.
Hallelujah!
Wild blackberries...picked yesterday on the last walk of my summer vacation. They tasted all the sweeter for marking the end of summer vacation. 
Then we bought our first home and thought we'd seen the last of apartment furniture until our old landlord offered us the chair along with a seven-foot sofa and two walnut end tables. Fifteen dollars and an empty family room made the deal too good to resist.
Unfortunately, the "T"-style cushions stumped me--how in the world could anyone stuff that shape into a tight new cover? We solved that problem with a blue floral slipcover in the Eighties. Time passed, the shiny synthetic slipcover went out of style (thankfully) and a change was needed.
This tan chenille was as close as I could get. Turns out it was a great choice.
Several bits of twine had broken, so I grabbed some sturdy cording and retied all the springs. Ugly but utilitarian (and hidden).
Her cushions are a bit plumper. Her curves are fuller. Her arms are softer. She lost some details and gained others. She's a delight to view, but best of all, she's still the most comfortable chair in the world.
I'm not nearly finished, but I managed to use up nearly the entire spool of thread. So I must be making progress.
Windfalls are so sweet. I picked up lots and tucked them away in a special corner of the box to use first. I may have eaten one or two. I love rubbing away their natural waxy coating and revealing a glossy striped apple.
We shared lots with the family, then brought the rest home where they made my kitchen windowsill look even nicer than usual. Aren't my little birds cute? I grabbed them a few years ago at Target the instant they appeared. They decorate my life year-round except for the Christmas holidays. I love birds!
Applesauce, Apple Crisp, Apple Brown Betty, Apple Pie or...Apple Cobbler! A picture can't do the delicious tart-sweet perfect apple taste justice. You'll just have to acquire your own Gravensteins.
Turns out chipmunks prefer junk food (tortilla chips) to nutritious anti-oxidant fruit (blueberries) and will graciously pose for photo ops. I'm not sure if this was Chip or Dale.
This photo was taken on August 2nd last year--which means it took me slightly over a year to digitize our record collection. I don't know whether to groan because it took so long or cheer that I'm finally done.
Poor Ruff looks a little naked without his polo shirt. Wait till you see him with happy dog smile.
This is Skipper, the Shih Tzu. He had to be black and white like the very talented Toby who lives in Fremont, rather than cute puppy Zeke who lives next door. Don't ask me why, sometimes the patterns take over and I have no choice.
I adore Pitties, known as Wiggle Butts around our house. Major here, who reminds me of Dozer, is clearly on vacation somewhere near Laguna Beach.
Winn Dixie will be darling with hair bows, lace trim, eyelashes and a big smile. Winn Dixie and Ruff are technically Pound Hounds rather than Dazzling Dogs, but mutts and purebreds look equally spiffy once they're dressed up.
And then there's Prissy. Still needs rhinestones for her glasses.
I hadn't seen this painting of my grandparents' ranch before. I spent a lot of time there as a kid. This artwork brings back memories of dragonflies in the "crick", kittens dropped off at the end of the drive, windfall apples in the orchard, horseback riding in the hills, slopping the pigs. Pickup trucks, peacocks, dairy cows, a series of cattledogs named Ruff, ketchup in 7-Up bottles. Cousins and basements, berries and cow skulls.
