ON THE COVER
What ’ s old is new
Anna Sutton stays busy recovering furniture
Anna Sutton ’ s husband of more than 55 years , Bobby , would never dare question the amount of time and energy she spends out in her shed recovering furniture and sewing . That is because Bobby and all those who love Sutton know she gets great joy and peace from the time she spends taking old pieces of furniture and giving them a new look .
“ People who know me know that I absolutely can ’ t sit still ,” the 75-year-old said , laughing . “ I know it sounds crazy , but I can ’ t even stand to sit still and shell peas . There is something about it that just makes me nervous , sitting there like that . It makes me want to scream .”
Sutton has been recovering furniture , as well as making drapes , pillows and other decorative items , for about 40 years . Although she has taken a few breaks here and there to pursue other things , she says she has been consistently upholstering for at least the last 25 years .
It started with a chair
She started by recovering a chair just to see if it was something she had a knack for .
“ Honestly , I didn ’ t have any major plans the first time I did it ,” she said . “ I just started thinking and wanted to see if I could actually do it . It turns out I could , although I have definitely made a lot of mistakes and am still learning every day .”
Sutton said that although upholstering can be challenging , she has been fortunate to have people in her life who were willing to help her when she hit a snag that she couldn ’ t overcome on her own .
12 • TIMELESS MERIDIAN