How To Restore Worn Leather
These two leather sofas are nearly twenty years old and still strong and very comfortable. They have been slept on, played on, eaten on, frolicked on by two puppies who became keen on sleeping on them as grown dogs and, of course, sat on by people. Although I have treated them over the years with saddle dressing, wear and tear was beginning to show.
There are four steps to restoring the leather surface on worn sofas.
1. Ensure the areas needing restoration are clean.
2. Match a quality leather dye to your sofa. I bought the dye I used from a boot maker/shoe repair shop. Test the colour somewhere you wont normally see. Be aware it will dry a little lighter than the colour when it is wet.
3. I was re-dying small areas so used the small brush which came with the dye but if you need to do a bigger area, use a bigger brush. Dab the colour on carefully. The dye is thin and can run easily. Go slowly and carefully. Make sure the room is well ventilated.
4. Leave the dyed areas to dry overnight. Next day, treat the entire piece of furniture you have restored with a saddle dressing ( I use R.M. Williams Saddle Dressing) Rub it in with a soft cloth. Let it soak in before giving it a final buff.
Not a good photo but a very successful repair!
I use the old version of this R M Williams leather dressing cream.
Maintain the renovated leather by treating it regularly with leather conditioner. Regular care will prolong the life of the furniture.
Summer Fruit
The shops are full of summer fruit and we love this time of the year. Here’s last night’s desert; blueberries, strawberries and mango. We grow our own blueberries and apricots. This year I am not feeling generous towards the rats and birds who eat our fruit so we have netted the apricot tree and the blueberry bush. We’re protecting the fruit. Covering them was a difficult and time consuming job. We will have to refine the process for next year.
Louis has been to the groomer for his Spring suit. Under all the fluff was quite a small dog!
TONGUE TWISTER DAY
How will you celebrate phrases that are difficult to say, especially when repeated really quickly? Try this one:
Six sleek swans swam softly south on Sunday.