Well, y’know, there’s no rest for the wicked, so even though I was sick over the weekend, there was still plenty to do! I took it easy as much as I could, but kids were in & out, Junah turned 11, and Annie & I had our project (the clock’s ticking!).

Junah’s birthday was Sunday, but we celebrated with cake & ice cream (and presents) on Saturday! I can’t believe he’s 11.

Kate grabbed some MadLibs games when she was out on Saturday and, boy, did we have fun with those!

And, may I say, my grandkids are really smart & funny. (There’s so much going on in that photo!)

On Sunday, Ann & I got to the upholstery work. I never did get out shopping, so just made do with what I had (and one next-day delivery item). The springs were originally covered with burlap, but I made do with some extra canvas that Rusty had. We re-used the main part of the stuffing, and planned to add a layer of Dacron on top, but made do with a few layers of “other stuff,” including cotton batting, instead. Oh, my, that cotton was so soft. The delivery item was cord to make the piping.

I thought, for a moment, that we’d be stalled by a cranky sewing machine, but I took the bobbin chase apart & cleaned it… and thankfully, it was smooth sailing after that. (I like my machine, but I sure do miss my old workhorse Husqvarna sometimes.) That’s a gallery of photos below that you can click on to embiggen & scroll through.

Kai’s been our assistant from beginning to end.

There were some spots where we probably should have trimmed some extra fabric — we had to haul out a bigger staple gun, and when that wasn’t even enough, some tacks & a hammer for some spots.

It turned out so great!! Annie even sewed a double bead of cord for the bottom, but we all like the simplicity of just a turned under edge. I have a bit of fabric left, so maybe I can make a fancy pillow.

I’m so happy, after more than a decade-and-a-half, to have this project finished!! And so grateful to my sister for her knowledge, expertise, and just-do-it attitude.

1. I’ve said it before (every time she’s here), but it sure is fun having my sister right around the corner. Looking forward to that being a more frequent occurrence after they move back to Wisconsin next summer.
2. I have a head cold. It’s going around. First the norovirus, then a cold. Not fun. I’m going to bed early (like, SO early compared to usual).
3. It was a short week but I am still happy that tomorrow is Friday!

After work today, I had a dinner date with two little boys.

Then they had a date at the barbers’.

It was long overdue…

…and so satisfying! We finished with a little ice cream treat at Culver’s (where else?).

It’s always amazing how one little haircut changes things… they look so much older!

Today didn’t go quite as planned… not bad, just different. I don’t have the needed reupholstery supplies yet, but will work on that tomorrow. Rusty was on it & manufactured the new spring supports last night, no problem, so there’s that!

Ann & I undertook a project today that’s been in the wings for a LONG time. More precisely, it’s been underfoot… mostly under my feet.

I bought this footstool at my Mom’s antique mall — which hasn’t been a thing since about 1997 or so. At some point, the “original” upholstery gave out, so I decided to re-do it. That’s as far as I got, and it’s been a REALLY long time. I know it was in this same state in April 2009 when Ann/purlingswine came to visit & we went to Yarns by Design’s Midwest Masters Knitting Seminar (sadly, also not a thing anymore — neither the shop nor the seminar).

A spring gave out a few years ago, which you can see above — and also, in the first photo, where Ann said to be sure to show where the spring gave out! She’s been wanting to help with this project for a while now, and having worked for an upholsterer for a while when she was in high school, she knows a lot more than I do… and, trust me, under her direction, it won’t sit unfinished for years!!

I bought new fabric a few months ago (which goes better with my old rug, but whatever), and today we tore the whole thing down.

We’ll re-use the main padding & add some more, but otherwise there’s nothing else to save but the frame & the springs. It’s not actually the spring that gave way, but a funny manufactured metal piece that holds the spring to the frame — and there’s another on the verge of failure. Somehow, we’ll need to replicate or devise a new plan to hold the springs in place, and then we need some other upholstery supplies. We’re heading to Green Bay tomorrow, and will hopefully be able to find most of what we need.