I got two parsons chairs about seven years ago at Salvation Army. The pair was only $40 and I could live with the black and tan floral fabric until I decided to do something about it. That only took seven years.
My solution was to reupholster the chairs in painters drop cloth from The Home Depot. It’s so inexpensive and has a great weight for drapes or reupholstering. I tore apart the first chair. I think I pulled out no fewer than 500 staples. I unpicked all the fabric and ironed it out so I could use it as a template to redo the chair. I’m sure there are easier ways to do it, but that is what worked for my dull brain.
Getting the inside and outside back and seat of the chair recovered was pretty straight forward. It sat unfinished in the dining room for about three months because I was afraid to tackle the next part.
The original chairs had lovely piping on them. I really wanted to keep that part because it made the chairs look more tailored and professional. Basically I wanted the chairs exactly as they were before, just in different fabric. I made the piping, but attaching it to the chair with the skirt, which was in four parts, was a daunting task.
I finally got it done, but only because my friend Jennie was visiting for Christmas and could help me. It was most definitely a two person job and a job that required someone like Jennie who is a perfectionist when it comes to attention to detail.
It turned out that I had cut and sewn the skirt panels incorrectly. We were able to use them anyway, but not to the same effect as the original chairs. I was still really happy with how the new chair turned out.
And that was a year ago.
I have been paralyzed when it comes to starting the other chair. I have actually had these two chairs together in the dining room like this since then. LAME. I just know how much work it is going to be to do the next chair and I am dreading it. Plus, I have no Jennie to help me finish the skirt and piping. But I am sick of staring at the black and tan fabric which I now hate.
My goal: to start this chair next week and finish it in the next two weeks. And I’m writing about it here so that I’m accountable. I’ve got to get it off my plate.
Does this ever happen to you?
6 comments:
I do this ALL the time. I have a skirt I cut out and started sewing in 2011. It's still not done. And it is the EASIEST skirt ever to sew. All straight lines, no zipper or elastic to put in the waist. It comes out every once in a while and I sew a seem or two and then it goes back into it's ziploc bag until next time. But I do really want to get it done for this Easter.
I'm on it. I'll get on a plane today. That was way fun:)
you amaze me
You have just written the story of my life. Half painted entry ring a bell. Jennie come live with us for a while.
Great job on the first one! You will do great on the second.
I get stuck on things frequently. The hardest part always turns out to be deciding to start.
Does this every happen to me? Bwa ha ha. I am so good at not finishing projects that I start that I've even made FINISHING projects a news year's resolution…that helped me finish about 1/2 of the projects on the list. I'm big into finishing half. =)
It looks really good! Good luck on chair #2- you'll get to it one of these days. I have to do lists with projects that have been rolled over for years, so you are ahead of me!
I threw all the food out in our 72 hour kits, it was all expired in 2008. All the kids clothes in the kits don't fit anymorem I really better not procrastinate getting on that project!
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