Grandpa Isadore's Rocker

Great Great Grandpa Isadore's rocker, which was is the possession of great aunt Stella, has just recently been passed to my aunt Deanna, whom conveniently has a niece who re-upholsters sick furniture! ME!! Heirlooms are wonderful to work with, the memories that are brought up to tell the story of a peice of furniture make the task so much more enjoyable.  This chair in particular was in need of new batting and had some sprung springs.

As you can see above, we re-strung the springs which was a first for me...I should mention my dad was a big part of this... When I tore apart the batting I found a ton of straw-like fluff under the cotton. My mom says that it is called excelsior and it was used back in the day for padding??? Gross is what I think about all of that. Nowadays they make a rubberized hair product that is its substitute.  The wood had a worn down patina, but we all decided that a good rub and wax was the best way to go for the finish.  This chair turned out so beautiful, and the fabric choice is a lot of fun.  Deanna wanted something vibrant and warm and here it is! I was so happy when this was accomplished, it has been a wonderful project and interesting furniture piece.

We are in the process of searching for a picture of Grandpa Isadore sitting in this chair. My family swears it exists somewhere, so the hunt is on and hopefully soon it will be added to this post!