Glider Project 2010

I needed a glider for Cohen's nursery. I knew this, Mom knew this.. but only Mom was proactive about it. :) I mean, I was checking Craig's List daily, but they were all $150 or more or really janky. Mom was merely driving by a garage sale and saw one sitting out there for $30, in good condition, with an ottoman! Steal! She knew we were looking for a project, or at least willing to put in some work for the right price. So she bought it. Here it is before we touched it...

Of course, we wanted the wood to be the dark espresso color and the cushions to match Cohen's bedding. So, Hector got right to it... sanding down to the skeleton of this chair, out in my Dad's shop.

He worked SO hard! I would have sanded one piece, gotten seriously bored/tired and quit. He sanded for hours and hours!

In the meantime, Mom and I were inside working on the cushions. I'd gotten some super soft corduroy-esque fabric at JoAnn's and was real excited to get rid of the dirty blue denim-ish fabric that currently covered the cushions. And when I say that Mom and I worked on them, I mostly mean that she measured, cut and sewed while I watched. How much can two people really do at the same time on a sewing job?? Thanks Mom.. :)

Then it was time to stain! And staining to the dark espresso color of Cohen's other furniture is easier said than done! But I did help with this.

Really, I just stopped to smile for a second.. ;) And please pardon the size of these pics, Mom emailed them to me and I couldn't make them larger without making them look pixel-y.

So, after two trips to Paris and countless hours on Hector and my Mom's parts.. the glider and ottoman are finished!

It's sitting up in Cohen's room right now, looking quite amazing, if I do say so myself. I'll put up pictures of the room in a day or two. We're getting the dresser after this payday, so his room will be about complete once we add that. Then, I'll post pictures.

A special thanks to my Mom, for grabbing up this great deal of a chair and for all your expert sewing know-how. You always amaze me, how crafty you are. And for your contribution in sanding all those little curvy pieces of the chair!

Thank you Dad, for letting us use your shop and your tools. And for cutting out the new piece for the ottoman. No matter what we needed, you provided it. Thank you so much!

And to my sweet husband, Hector.. You are amazing! This chair is so much prettier than I ever imagined it could be. Your dedication and hard work really paid off. Your attention to detail and need for perfection really come in handy on a project like this. I just know it's going to be such a calming addition to our son's room. Just think of all the nights he'll fall asleep in my (and your!) arms while we gently rock with him on the glider.