Quasi-Sewing Bertoia Adventure...minus the adventure but with more sewing

Isn't Craigslist awesome? I clicked on an innocuous link "Black wire chairs" and found these beauties in perfect condition for only $50! I must have broken at least a few speed limits driving to snatch them up :D

Look at how much these normally retail for! Mine are even prettier because they flair more. Since they're vintage (therefor unmarked) I don't know if they're originals but they sure are perfect :)

Unfortunately they're rather uncomfortable to sit on bare so I took some more of the same fabric I use for everything, tore apart a throw pillow of an acceptable size (to use as a guide) and spent a week sewing these cushions. Yes, a week.

I used a handheld sewing machine, complete with thread that snapped at every hit of the silver pattern (a thick, almost rubbery overlay), cotton batting and a lot of Stephen King on .mp3 time. Then I took some fabric scraps and made tiny little "lower back" pillows that look like cluth purses and serve no purpose other than to make me smile. This was the first time I'd sewn anything more complicated than a button since grade school Home Ec so I'm happy with the results!

The half cushions for these chairs are cheapest on eBay for $69 while the full sized are $179. Eventually I'd love to own the full sized ones but I don't want to dedicate that much money to a cover without being positive of the color choice.