When Given Lemons...

When given lemons make lemonade.  That is what they say.  Some tenants broke an expensive glass table and left me this. I wasn't in town to see what they had left.  Of course they will never get a recommendation from me!  I know I could sue but why bother to go through the hassle and expense.  Instead,  I decided to  clean up this old table and chair and reupholster the cushions.

First, I took them apart and analyzed what I had there.  Some very soiled covers, six chairs, two of which were rickety, and some covers which could be difficult to redo, especially the back rest. The seat was easy enough; cut cloth to measure and staple it to the chair cushion, but the back was more complicated.
I could figure it out.  No nails holding the cushions in yet they seemed firmly in place.  Finally,  I accidently pushed one out.  I had found my solution!

Next I checked how the cushion had been made originally.  The cover was actually two flaps cut to size that had been glued with contact cement.  I tried doing it that way but the cloth I was using was getting frayed.

Then it hit me!   Use the sewing machine!  So I did.  I cut the cloth to measure right on the cushion, pinned it on right side in, basted, and then sewed.  Then I turned that right side up and slipped the narrow pillow-case cover on,  sewing it shut at the bottom. No more frayed edges.  I do have to redo the first redone back rest since I had tried doing in with two loose flaps but all the others are done. The chair at the bottom is the final result.

Here's my lemonade!