Dining Room Chairs

I have a bit of a fondness for Auctions, I find that most people consider my treasures trash and this leads to great deals for me.  We went to our first estate auction a couple of years ago with The Best Neighbors in the World and picked up this table and chairs for a cool $70.

It was love at first sight.

I loved this set from the first time I saw it but bidding on stuff is so exciting it makes you love stuff even more.  There is a sticker on the bottom of the chairs that says 'Made in Italy' but that is all I know about this set.  I would love to get some history (if it has any).
So the sad part of the story is this part of the chairs.

tear.

The seat bottoms are damaged or gone on several of the chairs.  Sadly, I've spent the past few years bringing in alternative chairs when people want to eat food at my house but the time has come for a change.
I looked into having them re caned or trying to do it myself but this is cost prohibitive. . .So here is my solution.

Tada! 

Bryant cut me some circles out of whatever that composite stuff is in the picture.  I then cut larger circles out of an old mattress pad, batting and a beautiful black linen.

The guts.

  I'm happy with our solution.  I would post a whole table pic but the office is under construction and said table is covered in tools/dust.

Dining Room Curtains



At some point this year we intend to build an office out of what is now an unused living area, a side benefit of said renovation is that I will have a more official looking dining area instead of a table being awkwardly crowded out by a couch.  My soon to be dining room needs curtains on its one small window so I took this:



Jar o curtain parts





and this: 



Wrinkly Fabric

And made this:

 



Curtains!

I'll have to work on a better after picture.

How To:

• Buy fabric-  I needed about 5 yards to make an almost floor to ceiling curtain.  I have 8 foot ceilings and did not make a big hem or any kind of fancy top tab.
• Measure fabric.  I used my husbands measuring tape because the fabric was so long.  I think I cut about 8 feet for each panel.
• Cut fabric-  I tried to use my rotary cutter.  I think rotary cutters are an acquired taste, you have to get used to using them.  My rotary cutting skills need some work

 

Measure twice, Cut once



• Iron-  If you are new to sewing, you should know that you kind of have to develop a love for ironing, this goes against everything in my nature but it helps things to look much nicer.
•  Pin- some people are pinners and some aren't.  I don't like to pin, but if I'm honest with myself, I'm not good enough to forgo pinning.



someone should make pins with funner tops.



• Sew!  I don't usually worry too much about seam allowance,  I just sew where it looks right.  I also don't worry about matching my thread exactly.  The beautiful thing about sewing is that it can be very forgiving if everything isn't done perfectly.  Some of us can't cut a straight line, so what?  Either way you end up with new curtains in your 'dinning room.'