Have a Seat

Before we get to the main event, thought I would give you an update on a past project. I mentioned purchasing this DIY rag rug kit this past summer. I promised myself that I would get around to working on it this winter sometime, and since then, the balls have sat on the floor of my workspace judging me. I took a look at them a month or so ago and said, how hard could it be? I set up a process like this:

It allowed me to roll the balls back and forth, as they are much too big to pick up. I then proceeded to use most of all my free time to braid the #@*&% things together. Hours and hours later I have come up with this:

You can see the last remnants of the balls on the table, as I decided that on the floor was killing my back, and once the balls were of manageable size, I could do it on a table in front of the TV. It was funny, as I had a happy ball, a medium ball, and a sad ball. This was categorized by the types of fabric in each ball. There was a brown plaid, and a tan solid color fabric that I will gladly never see (at least by themselves) again. There is only one problem with that giant braided ball: it’s still not a rug. How many hours is that going to take? I have a new appreciation for any woman who EVER made more than one of these, and a full batch of sympathy for those who complete even one! I will keep you posted.

OK, on to the “real” post. For some reason a couple of weeks ago, we found a plethora of crazy chairs! All on the same day. So have a seat, and take a gander at some seats!

What did these chairs do to deserve this?

They were perfectly harmless oak press-back chairs, not offensive to anyone, and then some misguided soul got hold of a paintbrush. I for one, will be thrilled when the egregious fad of painting perfectly good wood goes away. It is a sin against a tree and an antique. Now some poor schmuck is going to have to refinish the chairs to make them even half way presentable, but I am sure some follower of Joanna Gaines is going to take them home and paint them an even more hideous color, if that is actually possible. Sorry to her fans, but she needs to be stopped. OK, rant over.

Right beside the press-back paint samples were these cuties:

These were sold quick as a wink. Only way they would be better is to be the taller backed version. I always think of these as chairs from the Three Bears story. I don’t know why, must be some book from my childhood. Chairs like this are comfy and classic. They will look good forever, unless someone feels the need to paint them purple.

We also like this little pair of vintage kitchen chairs:

We even thought the upholstery was cute, although I might have chosen something more Mid-Century. Now these you can paint with my blessing, or leave them black. Useful, decent looking and hey, they are even collectible. If I remember right they were actually priced reasonably. They did sell before we got back the next week, so someone was watching.

While we are in the kitchen, let’s move forward a couple of decades:

The ’70s are not as kind, although there is a new up and coming generation with an appreciation for this style and all the monstrosities that went with it. Those drippy lamps with the oil coming down the wires? Folks fight over them nowadays and they are all late 20s early 30s folks setting up homes. We all buy Grandma’s stuff, don’t we? Worst problem with this sort of chairs is that they were never comfortable. I think the backs sit up too straight. Good for the posture, not so much for lingering over dinner.

Add another decade and the ’80s bring us these:

Again, the upholstery is not so bad, but the rest can be broken up for firewood. On the bright side, these are solid oak, and that is a rare bird these days. Most furniture is not worth the pressboard it is made from. I have heard there is a new generation buying the old Golden Oak furniture that was made around 1900. For a while, it was a super hot antique, then it fell out of fashion and mom and dad foisted it off on the kiddos when they moved out. Now they are buying more to compliment what they already have! What goes around, comes around, again, and again, so maybe someday the ’80s will return! Let’s hope not.

We decided that this chair was ugly:

But it was surprisingly comfortable. The arms hit me at just the right height, and the seat and back were in good proportion. Who knew? Kuddos to the lady that did all that needlepoint as well. It has held up well. A bit threadbare on the front edge, but aren’t we all? Wasn’t tempted by it as it is still rather ungainly and clunky, but hey, it tried.

Last up, while not a chair seemed to fit as well:

It was a very low slung coffee table finished in red lacquer. The inlay was mother of pearl:

This was probably a fabulously expensive item in its day. Imagine it with that red lacquer as shiny as can be. Fit for your best Chinese brothel, or a page out of Architectural Digest. Poor thing has fallen on hard times indeed. I am not sure it can even be saved, and it wouldn’t fit in either of our houses, so we have to leave it to the mercy of the thrift store and hope for the best.

That’s it for this week; please spare a thought to my fingers as the needle begins to make a rug out of a giant ball of scraps. What was I thinking?