Director's chairs

[EweSheep]

We are CW reenactors and on Freecycle, we picked up two HIGH director's chairs and two regular director's chairs. You know they are two different heights and I am wondering if we can cut the HIGH director's chairs into the normal director's chairs where our feet can touch the ground.

How would I go about doing it? Cutting the legs is one but there is a metal bracket that holds the legs in place AND the seat and back cloth panels are in different size.

Can the HIGH director's chairs be modified into shorter chairs?

 

[EweSheep]

Also, can I modify the width of the seat? Ladies with hoops, that is, we don't want to scrunch our hoops into director's chairs when we don't really need to. Just add a few more inches to the seat, we will be fine! Or any heavy set people?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

So I'm wondering...what is a "hoop"?

 

[Godsgrl]

Quote:
I think it has to do with the skirt the women wear. It has a "hoop" to make it poof out as opposed to laying flat.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I think it has to do with the skirt the women wear. It has a "hoop" to make it poof out as opposed to laying flat.

Think of the skirts in Gone With the Wind. Over the many years when hoops of one sort or another were used, they were everything from round and only at the bottom, to flat in front and back, but rounded far out to the sides and only at the top. Some had multiple hoops frm top to bottom, others, just one or two. Sitting down in them was an art--if not careful, the skirt would lift up in front and expose the wearer's unmentionables to the world. A bustle was sort of a latecomer on the scene as far as hoops go.

 

[saddina]

If you replace the seat part to make it wider, it will also make it closer to the ground. Another option is to remove the arms off the chairs for the width needed. The few times i've worn a hoop i used a stool.

 

[EweSheep]

Yes, the hoop is the poof skirt LOL! I could let down the arms however I like to lean back to be more comfortable. Sling chairs is a big no no for hooped skirts because with a corset, you can not bend over to get out of the chair.

when I first got my hoops, the ladies at the sultery gave me a few lessons on how to sit gracefully in a hoop and lifting the first two or three of the hoops of the six bone hoop as you sit down, you would be able to sit without the hoop flying up to your face. Believe it or not, I've seen it happen to inexperienced hoop wearers or new people trying out dresses.

I brought the chairs over to my father to get his opinion and he said it could be done but its more work. He cut the legs off, the metal components and it is going to be challenging. Now we have to get the metal parts for the legs and the leg braces.

I don't want it too low to the ground if I make it wider. Its bad enough for big people and hoop wearing ladies to struggle out of the chair, including myself. Wooden patio chairs would be the way to go unless the director's chair armrests can be modified into a shorter armrests that one of the bottom post would be angler to the back post. Or just deal with it and if I have to lean (to get off my tail bone, scactic nerve damage), I would have to push the chair against the ridgepole or tree . Thank God I don't have to wear the hoops often, only going to "town" or tea parties but mainly if I am to cook or doing camp chores, I would wear my camp dress (heavy petticoat layers or corded petticoat) and able to sit in those chairs.