Cawood, KY.
When her husband came home with a sack full of belts from a flea market
this Cawood native didn't know at the time she was about to begin a hobby that would
last for years. Her husband told her to do something with the belts so she came up with
the idea to refurbish the seats of old wood chairs with them. "It was my husbands idea to
do this many years ago when he brought the belts home from the flea market," she said.
I decided he always had pretty good ideas and I better stick to it. I am making use of old
chairs and belts is really what I am doing. This is my pride and joy." The seat of her
chairs begin with about 20 or 22 used belts woven from the side of the chair frame, then
interweaving them until the entire seat is complete. Each project can take her months to
complete because of the wait to find more belts, she usually finds them at flea markets
and yard sales. She currently has 3 completed chairs of which two are made of leather
belts and one made of plactic belts, one of the chairs she found in Lexington, KY. while
cisiting a daughter there. "when I was visiting in Lexington a neighbor put a chair out and
I got it out of the garbage." she said, "I have been working on it off and on for over a
year.I'll probably give it back to her when it is finished."The chair is now rewoven with
belts and looks new. The strong, sturdy seats make comfortable chairs. She says she will
keep up her hobby as long as she can and is able to find old belts. " As long as I can get
the belts, I'll keep doing it, " she said. " I enjoy my old chairs but I'll probably end up
giving them away." "I've got to more chair frames and hopefully, I can get them done."
She also spends her free time quilting and sewing and attending craft classes at her
church. "I just enjoy doing it. I'm always interested in my hands-on projects."
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