Last August my very good friend lost her husband. He had been very sick for a long time and a couple of times the year before he had almost died from his condition. He was getting better . . . but the medication he was on made him hungry all the time so he often got up in the middle of the night to eat something. The night of his passing was no different from any other. He got out of bed and never came back . . . she and her dog were so used to him getting up they never noticed that he hadn't returned until she got up to get ready for work. Unfortunately, she found him passed away on the kitchen floor - he'd gotten out of bed to eat something and choked on what he was eating and no one heard him. It was such a sad day. He was her soul mate as she was his.
Several months have now passed and while having a conversation with her one day she started talking about an old chair that she had from his Grandma. It had been stripped of its old parts and restained so all that was left was its shell.
She wanted it reupholstered but had no idea what to do with it so the melding of the minds begins . . . what inspires you . . . what makes you happy . . . when you look at it what do you see . . . and she showed me a tile she'd brought back from one of their trips together. She gave me carte blanche but sometimes that's more difficult that it sounds.
And off I was . . . to my favourite fabric store. I found many different pieces that I personally liked but every time I touched one all I heard was "no, that's not it" . . . and that went on for several minutes before I realized I wasn't working alone. I decided to leave the store and put my focus on it another day at another store where I often go when I'm having difficulties at the other! After I got home I texted her with a "scathing brilliant idea" and asked if she had something of his that I could use on the chair and she started to cry . . . she had a "leather" jacket that he used to wear on the jobsite (contractor) all the time that no one wanted and if I thought I could use it I could have it . . . now I can work this out . . . She brought the jacket to work the next day and the following Saturday I walked in to Chintz and there it was a piece of brown/blue fabric (on sale) for $13.00 - that would be awesome for the seat but I truly wanted something "special" for the upper back. Rounding a corner, looking for that special something, I was awestruck by the most beautiful piece of burn out velvet with a peacock on it . . . and I heard "THAT'S IT"!!!!!
I purchased both pieces and sent her pics and she responded with . . . "I'm not getting the Asian piece" . . . But But I thought you'd love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so disappointed of the thought of letting her down. So the next day when I asked her what it was she didn't like about the burnout velvet - I didn't see Asian but you did? Her response . . . do you know that I'm 1/4 Asian and that he used to call me his "Little Asian Girl". That's it I said - it's going on the chair.
Wouldn't you know it because it's been a while since I have reupholstered anything I'd forgotten what to do when you get to the arms and backs - where do you slit it again . . . GAWD . . . ruined the brown and blue piece and when I went back to get more it was all gone - that's what I get for purchasing on sale . . . now I need to find something that will go with the peacock and I end up with a beautiful black velvet.
It took me days to cut the jacket . . . every time I looked at it I cringed thinking of how if I ruined it nothing else would take its place . . . it had to be perfect . . . and it ended up that it was not leather at all it was "oil cloth", the kind of material that construction guys buy their coveralls out of . . . OMG the anxiety . . . and then positivity kicks in and I just do it dammit!
Here are the various stages of work . . .
I think it turned out beautifully. She agrees.
Here it is in her home
Lesson learned - listen to your instincts - go with your gut - and KNOW that you never work alone!
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