Macrame chairs at center: seniors learn a new art

Each week, seniors gather in the craft room to socialize and work on macrame chairs.

On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, seniors meet at the Golden Hour Senior Center to work on their macrame chairs. Some have been practicing the art for years, while others are just learning.

Monday was no different, as teacher Verna Trujillo moved from student to student helping them with their chairs.

Rue Marie Finney, who’s been making macrame chairs for the past three years, said Trujillo has all of the patterns and supplies already. Trujillo buys all of the supplies and then those who are making chairs buy them from her.

“All you have to do is come down here, do them and socialize,” Finney said. “I haven’t done as many as other ladies here, but I enjoy it.”

Finney has completed about 15 chairs over the past three years. No chair is the same even if it is for the same team such as the Wyoming Cowboys or Denver Broncos.

“I use them as donations,” Finney said about the sports-themed chairs.

She’s donated these kinds of chairs for raffles to Life Skills, the Holiday House fundraiser for the Rock Springs Women’s Club.

Other styles she’s made over the years are, butterflies, horses, fish, roses and dragons. These chairs serve another purpose. Finney gives them to family members as gifts.

“I’m running out of family,” she said.

She’s decided if she wants to keep making them, she can probably start selling them sometime.

Finney said it usually takes her about 10 hours to make a chair. When she first started it probably took longer.

Even though Finney could work on her chairs at home, she’s decided to make them at the senior center.

“The reason I like doing it here is I don’t have any interruptions,” she said.

Trujillo has been teaching macrame chairs for more than 20 years. She said it’s easy for people to pick up and it’s something they usually remember.

“It’s just like riding a bike,” Trujillo said. “You fall off, you get back on.”

Newcomer, Janice Castillon was working on a Green River Wolves-themed macrame chair. She’s making it for her granddaughter. Castillon said this was the first chair she was working on, but Trujillo was helping her correct her mistakes so it looks nice.

“I check them all,” Trujillo said.

Finney said sometimes they just can’t see their own mistakes.

Trujillo said anyone is welcome to come to the class and learn the art.

 

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