My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Redoing a Vintage Chair

I bought this vintage chair at a local antique store several weeks ago. I wasn't sure where I wanted to put it but I knew I DID want to redo the cruddy seat! It was pathetic, I tell ya. However, since there wasn't any place else to put it except my sewing and craft room, I put it in there reluctantly—first because it was the only place I had left and second because I knew having it in my way would prompt me to get at it quicker. *Wink*..........

The seat is very hard wood with no "cushioning" and it had the most atrocious and filthy fabric on it I've ever come across. Three layers of crud. I took off the first layer of fabric that had been put on with tiny upholstery tacks. (This tells me it was put on there before the advent of staple guns and the rusted tacks proves its "vintageness"!) The second layer of "fabric" was a vinyl that was so old it "snapped" off as I was removing the tacks. *Sigh*.... The third layer looks like something out of the 40s or 50 at least. I had to go wash up once while doing this my hands were so dirty! The chair was in "scruffy" shape—can we say "shabby" here?! Just the right amount of "wear and tear" to call it that. Squeeeeeeeal!!! So I didn't bother painting it but did give it a dusting and wipe down. Yuck.

I then found a piece of shabby chic roses fabric in my stash. I put some upholstery fiberfill over the top and then added the fabric. I think it turned out quite well actually.




Then I added some roses decals to the back and voilĂ  here it is. I don't think it's sturdy enough for a person to sit on it because one of the dowels in the back had to be replaced and while doing that Love Bunny noticed that a piece of wood on one of the back legs was cracked. It must have fallen off one day while in the craft room and evidently—I have no idea how this happened(!) Can I help it if phone cords and vacuum cords get in my way while vacuuming?—and got s*cked up in the vacuum which is a Dyson and s*cks up quite good while mutilating the wood piece. *Heavyyyy sigh here*! I emptied the Dyson and everything in there was dust or so tiny there was no hope to fix it. If there is then hubs will find a way. That man is a miracle worker. However, his time frame is not MY time frame here so I'm doing the best I can, chicks! I think it will go in my bedroom to hold books or pillows from our bed at night. I can always use another chair in there besides the 2 in there now. Right?!?!? *Sigh*........