"I've Had Enough Fun!"

That was Zar at the end of the day....It was followed shortly by, "I quit!"

We put in a full day, between us, on this chair.

I just didn't have enough leather of any color that we liked for the chair, so Zar decided on an 80s tweed.

Here's what we did.  We covered each piece separately with the fabric.  I had Tessie check to see that everything that was going to show was covered completely.  The sides and back of some pieces weren't covered, because they wouldn't show in the finished chair.  It would also make things a little less bulky.

I cut strips to fit the sides of the back and around three sides of the arms.  Then I shaped them to match the places that they would go.

I rounded the top front of the back, so I had to cut a curve on the top of that piece.  I put batting on the front only of the back and batting on the top of the cushion.  All batting was cut to the exact size of the piece it was to go on.

I cut a notch the width of the back piece at the bottom, to make it fit over the seat cushion.  I cut a corner of the card stock to match.

Then I  covered those pieces.  On the arms, I put bating on the top and front sections. 

When you cover anything that is going to be bent like the arm strips, be sure to bend them as you cover them.  They are longer when they are bent, than when they are straight.

Some of you asked if the chair is functional....Of course!

I put strips of fabric for hinges at the bottom of the back and the top of the foot rest and glued those in place, testing them to see that they worked.  Then I glued the cushion over that.

I assembled the pieces, clamping them tightly around the arms to make sure that the thing would hold together.

Test it once in a while to make sure that the hinges still work....It may take a few times to get them just right.  There has to be a bit of play in them..

The bottom back and top front have to be rounded a bit for them to turn right.

The tightness of the fit is what holds them in place when reclined.

When the upholstery was done, I turned it over to Zar for the mechanical part.

From one side it looks pretty much like a normal recliner....

From the other, Zar wanted to have an easy repair job, if need be, so he left the workings out where they could be seen...

He got the foot rest so that, it would adjust at the turn of a button....

He ran into trouble with the back rest.  He finally decided that a cog wheel and a chain would do for that part.

He has it mounted on the right arm rest.  All he has to do is wind it up or wind it down.  Hey!  It works and he's happy. 

Tessie, however, is NOT!  I am not sure if she is reaching for his throat or if she is going to pull all of his hair out by the roots.  He won't let her sit in it.  He grabbed a grapefruit daiquiri and reclined... He has announced that he is staying there until further notice!

Walter wants one of these now, real life sized.....I don't do big.  He's out of luck.

See you tomorrow.