A New Project

One of the folding chairs I brought home

"Oh, sure you can do it," encouraged my friend Sharron as we examined the folding chairs our church was giving away when they began a remodeling of our activity center and kitchen.  "But if you decide to fix them up, you have to take pictures and share what you did."  Hmmm. Do I really want to take on a new project? And document the process?  I had been thinking about buying new folding chairs to replace some very flimsy ones we had been using, so with Sharron nudging me, I took four of the church's folding chairs. 

The heavy metal frame with an upholstered back and seat meant they were very comfortable, even for large framed bodies like my husband.  Because of their frequent use for church meals, the upholstery was getting rather dirty despite frequent cleanings.  I would need to reupholster them and probably repaint the frames.  Do I want to do this job? Do we want to spend money on free chairs?  Maybe I will hire someone to do some of this.  Decisions!!

 

 

Step 1 Remove the seat

The first thing I did was remove the seat.  Yes, I can recover this but that composition board will be difficult to staple into. Next I removed the fabric from the seat by prying out 35 staples, using a very small screw driver and needle nose pliers.

 



Tools needed to remove fabric from the seat

A padded seat

Under the fabric I found foam padding glued to the board.  The padding appeared to be in fairly good condition, no crumbling or deterioration.  Savings #1, I would not have to buy new padding, but it was clear that the combination of a foam pad and a very hard board would make stapling the new fabric needed a professional touch.  I had recovered dining chairs and knew that the bounceback from the staple gun would be a real challenge to a smooth seat cover.  So I began to search for an upholsterer who would accept this small job at a reasonable cost.  

The first shop I looked for was now an auto repair shop in a series of warehouses.  The shop owner did not know where Jorge had moved to, but he had his phone number and would call him.  With the new address and directions in hand I searched for the shop, found it in another series of warehouses.  Yes, he would do the job for $40 a chair (cut and sew fabric, attach it to the wood parts) and even sell me the fabric needed at $20 a yard but I would need at least 3 or 4 yards. 

 

The next shop I found was behind a Chinese restaurant and the address was the same as the restaurant.  I almost gave up looking for it until I saw a small sign with the shop's name and an arrow directing me to a small door.  Yes, he would do the job for $40 a chair if I would sew each cover and bring them for him to staple on to the seats.

 

The third shop was the furthest from home but highly recommended by a friend.  She had used them for years to cover her antique sofas and chairs and was very pleased with their work and prices.  Their shop was the easiest to find and the most reasonable, $30 per chair if I sew the fabric for the seats.  I now had a professional to help with the hard stuff.

 

Additionally, I needed to price fabric.  Again three stores, very different selections and prices.  I settled on an upholstery specialty shop with a huge selection of fabrics and found a neutral brown fabric that was sturdy and wouldn't show dirt for many years. With the width of that yardage in mind, I took apart one of the seat covers, measured the pieces and created a cutting layout. 

What fabric pieces I would need times four

A conservative estimate of fabric needed: 2 yards.  Allowing for mistakes: 2 1/2 yards.  One phone call, a credit card number, and my fabric was ordered.  Delivery took 3 days.  Now I was committed to finishing this project.  One more purchase: 2 cans of Rustoleum spray paint, no primer needed. 



The new fabric

 

Marking each part of each chair. . .

Now the hard part began.  I marked each part of each chair as I carefully disassembled the pieces.  Screws, chair seat, chair back, chair frame, fabric of the first one marked #1.  Same with chair #2, 3 and 4. 



. . . and each frame

Then I washed each frame with a Lysol solution.  I was surprised at how much food was hidden in the crevices of each frame.  After a few hours to dry I was now off to paint the frames.  I had never spray painted anything, always a brush or roller.  I was amazed at how easy it was!  Oh, sure, there were a few drips on the first frame, but I got better with practice. I like the hammered look to the finish and the dark color will blend in well with wood furniture.

 

Ready to paint



The paint

 

 

Two down and two to go

 

I like the hammered finish







 Two done and two to go.  My 'trigger finger' started to cramp so I stopped for the day.  If tomorrow is another clear day I can finish this part of the project.  Next step, cutting and sewing. Maybe I will have it all done by Thanksgiving.  Yeah!!  

Is it a sign of our times?

Our grandson rode to the park this weekend in Uncle Bill's old car, one of those no nonsense, no frills, basic package, low budget type of cars. Now this particular seven-year-old is inquisitive and fearless when exploring new things that catch his ever observant eyes. So when they got to the park he proudly announced his new discovery. "Uncle Bill, look at this!" he shouted as he emerged from his car seat. "When you turn this crank on the car door, the window goes down! Isn't that neat!!"
Alas, I wonder what other electronic marvels have robbed this new generation of other such wonders of physics like a window crank.

Moving day for Vera

I hope when I am Vera Martin's age, I can be as pragmatic and as organized as she is. About ten days ago I made arrangements to begin moving her to Clairmont. The plan was to pack up her belongings today and move everything tomorrow. When I arrived this morning, almost all of her things were packed. She has been doing a little bit each day. Not only was she packed, but she had sticky notes on everything to tell us what stays with Brighton Gardens and what goes, what should be donated and what needs to be sold, and where to put each large item in the new apartment. It was amazing.

I am relieved that Vera is eager for this move. The financial concerns have really been stressing her out, and she commented today that tonight she will sleep well because the move is happening. Pragmatically, she sees this as something that just needs to be, so do it. Oh, to be that accepting of things in our lives. Perhaps this is what life looks like when we allow ourselves to be completely within God's will.

At the start of my journey

Where to begin?? White space and a cursor, and I navigate both. The dual course I have charted includes reflections on life today and what it may all mean, and sharing those memories of the past that come to me at various times within my day, snippets from childhood, from motherhood, and all the times in between.

My daughter-in-law was the one who urged me to share these stories. I was in a reminiscing mood and sharing my memories of a Girl Scout trip to the local meat packing plant. "You need to write that down!" she said. Since I now find myself on the laptop more than with the notebook I started a few years ago with some of these stories, this seemed like the best way to preserve and share the memories as they surface. I say "surface" because a memory may be sparked by the simplest event--a bird's song, an word, an aroma, a sound. They often surprise me and seem like gifts to myself. Family--I want to share some of these gifts of memory with you.

So let the journey begin!

A Memorable Field Trip

So what is the story that started this electronic journey? Let me tell you:

One of the recurring field trips every Scout leader in Indianapolis took the troop to was Kingen & Company, the local meat packing plant. There was no escaping this enevitable trip. I believe I went three times--with my troop, my brother's den, and with 4-H. And always the same routine. Gather in the lobby for orientation. Then follow the guide's chronological tour of meat from hoof to slaughter to processing, smoking, and packaging, to the kitchen.

Now this is where memory gets fuzzy, but I recall that one of the first jobs my father had was with Kingen's. And I recall him telling us that one thing he did was stand at the top of the cattle chute and, as each beef was prodded up the chute he was to hit the animal in the head with a sledge hammer. The dazed animal then staggered down the chute, fell, and its neck was slit. How gruesome!! Yet, I recall starting the trip through this packing plant expecting to see dazed cows slipping and sliding to their deaths. Never happened. The guide pointed to the open area where the condemned livestock gathered. Then she pointed to another area and quickly proclaimed that that was were the cattle and hogs were slaughtered. I don't recall that she ever explained that process in great detail, although I am sure the Cub Scouts asked a lot of questions about it.

Next, we entered a very large, cold meat locker and saw many skinned and gutted carcasses hanging from large hooks. The odor was distinctive and overpowering and very new to me. A blend of blood and meat permeated the chill air and sawdust crunched under foot. This was the aging room. I was shocked that raw meat was left for so many days to "bleed."

The butchering area was interesting to me. We always bought our meat at a butcher shop and I was just tall enough to peer eye level into the meat cases. I had been confronted with meat in this form for years. It was, however, amazing to me to see men using saws as well as knives to cut such large pieces of meat.

For me the most interesting part of the trip was the explanation of the smoking process. Hams, lunch meat, and hot dogs were cured in these rooms and the aroma was very pleasant. This was also the aroma surrounding the plant and how we knew we were driving near the plant. When I unwrap a ham to cook for my family, that smoky smell reminds me briefly of this field trip. I quickly push aside the visions of slaughtered animals and continue the cooking chores.

The final stage in this tour is introduced with the question, "Does any one know what tripe is?"
Then the tour guide explains that very little is wasted in a packing plant. All the left over parts of meat are ground up in a big machine, including the tripe or stomach (ughhh), and made into sausage and hot dogs!! Yum!?!! We watch as the ground meat is forced into casings (did she say intestines?) and quickly twisted into links. End of tour.

Now who is ready for lunch? Yes, this tour always ended in a free lunch of chips, hot dogs, and sodas. No wonder it was a favorite trip for Scout leaders. Entertainment, educational, and a free lunch!! This was where you really proved you fortitude. How many hot dogs could you eat without reflecting on all that you had just seen? "Any questions?" inquires the guide.