Left over from a garage sale and sitting curb side, a friend spotted her and snapped her up. It was completely unexpected when he showed up at my door with the chair frame saying he thought I could do something with it. After a couple of days, I carried it to the basement. And that’s where it sat until I received an invitation to participate in The Chair Affair - a Toronto Furniture Bank event that culminates in a gala fundraising auction this October. As soon as I saw the invitation in my in-box, I knew it was meant to be. The design idea came like a lightening bolt. The feminine quality of the chair, the notion of coming out at a gala and the knowledge that more than half of The Furniture Bank’s client base is women and children made The Debutante an obvious inspiration.
I love the idea that something old can be redone as something new and fresh to be presented to society with the aim of helping people get a fresh start on life - turning an old tradition that once represented social status into a new one that represents social conscience.
None of the work was contracted out and took me over 250 hours to complete. I used more than 160 yards of satin ribbon and hand sewed 126 roses for the seat front and back. There are 118 mini roses framing the outside back and the rest of the chair is dressed in many dozens of pearls, stones, feathers, an organza train and even a tiara. It’s a true nod to the debutantes of the Victorian era.The Debutante will be auctioned at The Chair Affairgala, televised live by Global Toronto and hosted by Susan Hay at the Steam Whistle on October 21. Tickets are available from the Furniture Bank. http://chairaffair.furniturebank.org/
You can see more of my work at sandramuscat.com
