Canvas - stretching lime

So I am getting much more painting practice in (because of vacation - yayy me!). My friend and I got together for what I called a 'canvas - stretching lime'.  We got some stretchers, canvas and a staple gun (did I ever mention how much I love to avoid staple guns) and got to work.  I took some photos of what we did that day.

Here are some of the stretchers, there are unmounted pieces in the black plastic bag.

We were taking off an old painted piece of canvas on this stretcher that I had stored at home for ages.  Then my friend realised that there was water damage (mould - eek) on the frame.  I have my past living arrangements to thank for that *rolls eyes*.  That called for an improptu road trip...

 ...to a big old dumpster where we promptly got rid of that mouldy thing, eww.  I am laughing hysterically in this photo because my friend wasted no time in 'flinging' that old frame into the dumpster.
We beat a hasty retreat, so we could get back to our work.

We unfolded the canvas (I got it for $30TT a yard at a fabric store) and placed the canvas stretcher on top of it.

We had to do a lot of pulling and tugging to pull the canvas tightly and staple it to the edges of the stretcher.  I was screaming bloody murder at this point, our hands and fingers were red and painful from this activity.

This is the front view of one stretched canvas.

Here you can see the front of one and the back of another.  I think this was good work, my friend is a good teacher :). The smaller frame measures 24" x 30", while the larger frame measures 30" x 37", hoping to eventually 'graduate' to painting this size. Excitement - yayy!