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mochyn
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 12601
Location: mid-Wales
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 Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:21 am Post subject: refurbishing furniture |
 
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Whoopee! I remembered to log on!
Now, has anyone any idea what I could use to re-seat a foot stool? It cuttently has a knid of string on it, and I want a free or at least cheap alternative. No problem with how, it's more what! Any ideas? |
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Deedee
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Hi Mochyn I read on another thread in recycling that Gertie has a load of baler twine..I haven't got a clue what this is like but maybe if you ask her sweetly it might be the sort of thing that would work????  |
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mochyn
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 12601
Location: mid-Wales
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:39 am Post subject: |
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It would surely work, and I did think of that, but as the stool is in the parlour it wouldn't look too attractive! Visions of a bright pink foot stool... hmm, perhaps not! But thanks for the idea. If it was an outdoor thing it would be excellent. It's a pity rafia comes in such short lengths. |
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Bugs
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10430
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:40 am Post subject: |
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Well done Mochyn! First thought is, Gertie's got plenty of baler twine 
What about sisal or jute...from a hardware store, not a craft place. Wellington Womble has been using sisal for her knitted wash mitts so should be able to tell you how much is reasonable. Raffia might be too weak?
Of course if you're not attached to the woven seat it's pretty straightforward to cut a piece of wood to shape, top with wadding or foam (which you'll have to buy  ) and cover with material (you can staple it to the wood). You've probably got the wood and material about somewhere. My sister's done this a few times with various chairs and it looks very good because obviously the scruffy stapled bit is invisible.
Finally I've just bought a book on baskets from natural materials, and one of its base materials is brambles, stripped of their thorns (especially for a seat  ). Allegedly it's very strong but flexible and of course, you can get great lengths of it for free. If you fancy the idea I can look it up later and see if it advises any treatment to keep it more flexible. |
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Deedee
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:42 am Post subject: |
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 LOL is it bright pink then?? No not really the sort of thing you were after then...Wilkinsons sometimes have big bundles of raffia quite cheap if thats any help?Not sure what the lengths are. |
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mochyn
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 12601
Location: mid-Wales
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:45 am Post subject: |
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Deedee: it may not be bright pink but baler twine comes in an 'exciting' range of colours! I am going to try weaving things from it outdoors, though: it would jolly up boring stock netting until things grow up it. |
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Bugs
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10430
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:52 am Post subject: |
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I'm sure there are plenty of alternatives to wadding or foam, esp as it mainly needs to look nice. Sawdust is pretty traditional, no? Or perhaps you have wool, or an old pillow that can be raided for organs? |
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Deedee
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:52 am Post subject: |
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I can just imagine lovely multicoloured fields now!What a great idea.I try to recycle as much stuff as I can which has led to a few 'disagreements' with his nibs as he's one of these everything in its place types..not good when I'm the worlds biggest clutter junkie,you should see my loft Still he can't be all bad he's put up with me and my ways this long I'll have a rummage thru my crafty bits and see if theres anything in there that might do.I bought some jute string a while back and I'm sure its under a pile somewhere... |
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mochyn
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 12601
Location: mid-Wales
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 11:39 am Post subject: |
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Deedee: sounds just like me! I have piles of all sorts: cloth, paper & card, yarn & thread, you name it... except string! My old chap isn't a tidy freak, though, so we get on fine, it untidily! I'm trying to find a use for old veg. nets at the moment to use up the stash of those: any ideas? (apart from to keep veg in!) |
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Bugs
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10430
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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When you say veg nets, do you mean the bags, or nets you use to keep bugs and birds off the veg? Or something else? If the former, you could also use them for the latter. There're a couple of other ideas in Gertie's thread about her baler twine and carrot bags that might help too |
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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some sort of webbing would also work, a canvas type or strong grossgrain ribbon perhaps?
Sisal string is avaliable from hardware stores - I got mine from a Wilkinson's type place for a £1 a ball!
Interested in this idea of using bramble stems, more please on that one! See plenty on my walks out... |
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Gervase
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 6193
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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At one of our local agricultiral shows this year there were quite a few entries in the craft section made from baler twine, inclduing a rather good bathroom mat and some baskets. Very colourful, and pretty hard-wearing, too. |
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Gertie
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 05 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Mochyn - hey you say the word, I can let you have a hundredweight of baling twine - anyway, don't knock it for being pink - it's orange actually
Likewise I have some fetching carrot bags - any colour you want as long at they are orange.
When you mentioned footstool I thought you were after some material to cover a padded footstool. I think I know the type you mean, now.
Taking advice from Gervase I could use my baler twine to make some bathroom mats - would clash with the existing colour, though. 
Actually, I remember my grandma used to make two types of rug a clippie mat made from fabric clippings and used as you would use wool to make a mat (i.e. readicut), and a proddie (?) made which was just fabric woven between hessian, I think!!!! |
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mochyn
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 12601
Location: mid-Wales
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 05 10:19 am Post subject: |
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OK the veg bags are the sort you get 25K of veg in: orange for onions, peuce for beets, green for, well, greens, green top and white bottom for leeks. I'm sure I could use them for something.
It came to me last night that I could use strips of cloth, woven, but the mention of proggie mats has made me think again. I have a small hessian sack that chestnuts came in and is about the right size to cover the stoool, and upstairs is a box of rug-making tools, as well as rucks of cloth in a chest. So, watch this space! I'll do before & afters of the project.
And as for baler twine: it often seems to festoon the hedges like sookbind in high summer! |
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Bugs
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10430
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 05 10:32 am Post subject: |
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| mochyn wrote: |
| So, watch this space! I'll do before & afters of the project. |
In fact it would make a very very nice article for the main site Would you?
| Quote: |
| And as for baler twine: it often seems to festoon the hedges like sookbind in high summer! |
Takes your mind off all the mollocking, I suppose |
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