10:43 PM

10:43 pm. 

That's what time I conquered the beast!  The beast of a chair that is!!!

I started with the first cut yesterday morning.

I then figured out welting.  It was probably the easiest part of the entire project, although it made it look the most finished.

I had the hardest time deciding the order of how to put the pieces together. It was like a huge jigsaw puzzle, and it often had me stumped.  I had written all over the original pieces, but it was still confusing... 

Here I have the back and arms complete.

I was determined to finish the front cushions last night.  I think they were the hardest part of the entire chair.

I was able to figure out the puzzle part of the back cushions last night, but I left the rest for today.

Today's challenge was sewing the front cushion panels onto the welting of the back and arms.  And it was a CHALLENGE!!! I had everything lined up.  It was going to be difficult "finagle-ing" the welting to the front pieces, but I bucked up and decided I could do it. 

Until.......my Wallyworld sewing machine decided IT was done!  I couldn't believe it!  I only had about 4 feet of sewing left, and my machine decides not to cooperate! 

I was livid. 

Angry as a hornet and nearly in tears - I stomped off and told my hubby that I was DONE!!!  Someone else was just going to have to finish the project, and we'd just have mis-matched RV chairs. 

As I fumed, he quietly asked if there were any sewing machines shops nearby...If maybe his tailor could just sew that last piece...If any of my friends might have machines capable...If he should run, hide, and never come back.... Poor guy. I think I scared him! :~}

Anyway, after walking away and giving my brain some time to think (and a quick call to my mom), I came back and took my machine apart, cleaned it, performed an exorcism and VIOLA!

The only thing left was the seat cushion. No problem by this time...

DONE!

I can't believe I pulled it off - even with my Wallyworld sewing machine!

Only one more chair and a couch to go!

:-)



Apart

What have I gotten myself into???

:-)

What a Surprise

Yesterday, I finally FINALLY took my boys to the zoo.  My youngest has been asking and asking to go since we haven't been for at least 2 years.  Every time he asks, it's either the middle of summer and sweltering; raining for the next 5 days; or, some project needs to be finished or class needs to be attended.

Last weekend, Charger asked again to go, and we are having WONDERFUL weather, it's actually not raining (although it tried to yesterday morning), and the pending project wasn't more important than the zoo this time.

Right before we walked out the door, I asked Charger if he wanted me to bring the camera.  Sometimes, I love to document what we're doing, but other times the boys would rather the camera just stay home (and sometimes I do too).  Charger wanted me to take it with us this time.

I AM SO GLAD HE DID!!! Look what came strolling down the feeder to the highway as we drove to the zoo...

Yep, the Rodeo has come to town!

:-)

Upholstery Learning Curve

I have finished the painting in the RV!!! YEA!!! It looks soooo much better already!

Next on the list is re-upholstering the furniture. It was bad before, but with the new paint, it's even worse.  I have been looking for upholstery for our RV for a while now.  Today, my mom, the boys and I went out to a wholesale fabric store.  The store was huge and had such a great selection of fabrics. I told my mom, "If I can't find something here, I'm never going to find it!"

We looked and looked and looked (while the boys happily played DS in the corner).  Finally, I found a fabric that I just kept coming back to over and over.  The color just drew me in.  It had to be it. 

After looking at a ka-jillion fabrics (that's a real number - for reals), I just went back to that one fabric that pulled me to it.  I got 27 yards of it in one fell swoop. :-O  Yes I DID!!!  My mom suggested getting a sample and coming home with it, but I was ready to buy something. So, just like that, I had 27 yards of green fabric for the chairs and sofa and 2 yards of a multi-colored stripe for the dinette.  Whew!

When we got home, my mom and I took the fabric into the RV to take a look.  Of course it was getting dark by this time, and the fabric looked a little...different...in the pale light of day...hmmmm...27 yards...a bit different shade than in the store...panic???  Nope, it will be FINE!!!!!!!!  Just keep telling me that...please...

Anyway, I came to grips with the fabric (which will be FABULOUS) and came inside to take a look at taking apart the original fabric on the chair.

Earlier today, my husband emailed with a great find on a pneumatic staple gun.  $30 shipped for free from Amazon - PERFECT!  I jumped on that and ordered it this morning before heading out to the fabric store.  YEA ME!  I am SO getting this project done!

Back to this evening.  I turned the chair over to take a look at how it was put together in the factory.  I noticed some clips holding the fabric to the metal braces. No problem, I can get those off and re-use them.  GREAT! 

Then I started looking closer.  The more I looked, the more worried I got. Suddenly, I realized there was not a speck of wood on this chair!  The frame seemed to be made entirely of metal.  No biggie except I just bought a nifty-neato pneumatic staple gun (that I was VERY excited to use) and that would NOT be any help to me whatsoever.

Instead, I find that what I need to purchase are called hog rings.  Let me say that again, HOG RINGS and a set of HOG RING pliers. HOG RINGS are used with chicken wire, in the making of crabbing baskets and apparently in RV upholstery projects.  FUN! (maybe...)

This project just keeps getting better and better.

:-)

Renovation Update

PAINT PAINT PAINT


Here's some before and mid-renovation pics. I just can't wait to post the progress until it's all done, so here it is mid-way.

We have these colors, Laura Ashley Home - Deep Cowslip 4 (yellow) and Summer Field (green), in our kitchen in the 'burbs.

(Remember, you can click on the pictures to see them larger.)

The Booth Area

The Kitchen

 The Bathroom is the only green room.

 The Bedroom

The Front Seating Area

This is the curtain that started it all. My husband doesn't really care for it, but I have a vision. ;-)

I am loving it!  The horrible 90s upholstery even looks better! It will still be changed, just as soon as I learn how to do upholstery from YouTube. ;-)

Even the boys said they loved it.  Now, that's one for the record books.  Hopefully, my husband will agree once he sees it...

:-)

Happy Valentine's Day

So sweet...brings tears to me eyes....



:-)

RV TOUR (the before)

Here's my newest hobby!  We bought this 1993 Fleetwood Coronado last month.  It's in great shape inside and out, but SOOO outdated.  That's where I come in! 

I am so excited to remodel the interior of this sucker!

Check out the before pictures - the 1990s to a "T".

Nice exterior - not as dated as some this age.  And, it's in really good shape. Stored indoors in a mechanic's garage it's whole life.


Check out the mauve, teal and purple upholstery - looks like my bedroom in high school. No, not really, promise...



I do LOVE LOVE LOVE the 2 Captain's chairs.  With 2 boys - it's nice to have TWO chairs.  And there is a larger table top that pulls out and makes a nice work space between the chairs.



This couch pulls out oh so easily into a couch.  If we re-upholster (as opposed to replacing) anything, it will be this couch.  COMFORTABLE and EASY!



We're thinking of either getting rid of the booth and putting in bunkbeds or putting a loft bunk over the couch.  Haven't figured it out quite yet.  We want the boys to have their own space, and I don't want to have to convert the booth/table into and out of a bed everyday.  Any ideas???



Flooring - ugghh!  Thankfully, it's in good shape and clean for the age of the rig.  But, it's MAUVE.  No thanks.  We have purchased Allure flooring in light oak to put down.  From all I have read, Allure floating wood floor is the easiest to install and use in a traveling RV.


We're not doing much to the kitchen area.  I want to install a metal backsplash from IKEA behind the stove.  And, we would LOVE my brother-in-law to resurface the counters.  HINT HINT HINT



Bathroom.  Let me just say, "Carpet in the bathroom. Carpet in the bathroom??? CARPET IN THE BATHROOM!!!"

That will be replaced with vinyl ASAP!



The bedroom is in pretty good shape.  I am re-covering all of the window boxes in the front of the rv.  But, I have ripped out the ones in the bedroom.  They were NASTY!  I plan to put in blackout curtains to match the front.





There's the gist of it.  We are replacing the flooring, painting the walls, recovering the window boxes, making curtains and eventually re-upholstering all the teal/purple furniture. 
If any local readers know of a reasonable upholstery shop, please let me know.



Wish us luck.  We're hoping to get all this done by late March/early April to head to the Washington, D.C. area, and take a few trips beforehand to work out all the kinks.

After that, who knows.  We've talked about touring the country for a couple of months and would love to do it.  We'll see if the $$$ allows.

:-)

The Farm (that's really a Ranch) in Pictures

And now, for the pictures you've all been waiting for....

The Farm (that's really a Ranch) House

Snow!

Snowman and His Dog



This is the soft rime I talked about.  May not look like much here, but it was so pretty covering everything.

Icicle off the barn

Red Barn

Boy in Tree and Go-cart Fun



Not only did Buster enjoy the delicacies of dead chickens and deer at the farm (that is really a ranch), but he was brave and learned quickly how to stay warm...

Brave Buster

He's no dummy...

The Boys on Saunders Heights (it was a bit chilly)...



I just realized I never wrote about the bull....

Yes, that bull! EEEK!

:-)

Patty Cake

:-)

Monday Moment

[Monday Moment - no or few words, capturing the everyday in my world.]

The Next Project

:-)

Hubba Hubba

Sometimes, it sneaks up on me...

:-)

Heart Attack

Today, the boys and I gave the kitchen a HEART ATTACK.

Being in a house full of boys, we tend to not TELL each other how we feel. 

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse opportunity to force encourage the boys to do just that.

:-)