Occupying me

The recurring theme over the last month has been furniture: moving furniture, fixing up furniture, and selling or freecycling the excess. Hardly a day has past when my trunk hasn't been at the ready with boxes destined for Salvation Army drop-off. With this kind of activity, one might guess we were preparing for a move. But no, not yet, though I do look forward to moving on from this place one day.
And these things- chairs, tables, buffets, dressers, an antique sofa, a mish-mash of old china, books, photos and sewing oddments- all landed in my dining room, filling it from wall to wall. So for a time here I've been swimming in excess... pouring through piles and trying to make sense of these bits and pieces accumulated over the years- ranging from the old and beautiful to the broken and worn. I've been sifting through boxes wondering about the woman to whom the items once belonged, imagining what her life might have been like and wishing I might have had the chance to know her better in person.

And here and there a project is finished. I was happy to bid farewell to my old dining room chairs and table and make way for these new (old) ones. I applied a favorite (and lovely smelling!) linseed/beeswax finish to all the pieces. Then I layered and stapled new cushions, batting and fabric onto the drop-in seats. The heavier weight cotton fabric is an Amy Butler design. The fabric purchase was a bit of a saga as I wavered back and forth between several choices. I browsed online to find quite a few I liked, but ultimately settled on purchasing this one from a local shop. While I wanted to do my little part in supporting the local economy, I think I might have chosen another fabric given the multitude of options out there. Ah well, at least we're enjoying being able to sit in our dining room once again. Stay tuned for more projects in the works!