Oh yes, where was I?

Before I was so rudely interrupted by the need to schlep off to Upholstery School, and, I might add, even with getting up at 0415 I was still three minutes late out the door for Miss Natalie...,I was explaining why we went to Pearls on the Beach on Saturday?  Because my lovely Bro, my DSB* is turning 50 in June, and this was the only day we all had free to celebrate.  


A few words about the Bro.  I don't have a brother.  If I had had a brother, he'd be what I want.  He's the middle child, so of course he's incredibly well adjusted.  He's funny, he's smart and he's got about the biggest hands I've ever seen.  Plus, he's a redhead and he's married to one of the tallest women I know, so that means he's even more incredibly well adjusted.  I just made that up, there's no scientific basis at all to that assertion.  But it must be true, because I said so.


Here's a pic of him showing proper reverence for the fabulous wine we bought him for his birthday (and those huge hands!):

Happy Birthday Bro!


In news of the Upholstery School kind, I finally finished the arm exercises on Monday - I have to say that inserting decorative tacks into vinyl in a straight line, perfectly aligned, is an incredible pain in the arm, and if I never have to do another one, I'll be happy, but then I'll never create a fantastic piece like this:

Oh well.  The head teacher is currently joking about what we will actually be doing in our shops when we've finished, and we've eliminated stripes, velvet, checks, pleats, skirts, vinyl and possibly leather.  So far we're offering cushions and buttons, and church pews.  Lots of upholstery on these...

And here's a picture of Miss Natalie starting work on her slipper chair.  This is a chair which sits on a box, then the box becomes a secret compartment (you can't see the box for the skirt when it's finished)... 

Here's a kind of similar finished version:

Mine's going to be covered with this:

which should be a very interesting exercise in pattern placement - the pattern is huge, and the inside back of the chair (the bit of the back that faces you when you look at the chair) is actually three pieces - lots of fun & games, careful cutting and some bad language, methinks.  I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, my hands are cold, I haven't had breakfast, and I need to go & do my cutting out plan for this chair.  Ah, back to the heavenly salt mines.  

Ciao!

*Defacto Step Brother - my mother's partner's son.  Got it?