Rocking Chair

This is the reason I haven't blogged lately. I have been waiting to finish this really fun rocking chair. I had to have Reed help me sand this one. It was so old yet really well made. It was such a solid chair I knew it would be great when it was done. Anything that is really well made is worth re-upholstering and refinishing. It took A LOT of sandpaper. I almost should have stripped it but, didn't realize that until I was about half way done. By that point, I decided to have Reed help me because I was getting tired of sanding. Once it was sanded I used a Mahogany PolyShade Stain. This has the polyurethane and the stain together. You do thin coats and then use special steel wool between layers. I had to do 5 layers until I was happy with the color. I wanted it to be dark and beautiful. So, it took a lot of layers. Roughly 1 1/2 to 2 weeks because you had to let each layer dry. Reed was gracious enough to give up his parking space in the garage for a week. Thanks honey!! It was definetely worth it! I also had in mind a soft chenile fabric for the back of the rocking chair. I scoured probably all of northern Utah. I even looked in specialty shops for a large pillow I could take apart(The peice of fabric I needed for the chair was only 20 inches square)to be the soft black and white fabric. I finally found the perfect fabric at a The design Fabric Store in SLC. I brought home 10 samples because I couldn't decide. Reed was great at weeding out the fabrics I wouldn't be happy with. He has such a way to get me to think about how it will look in the long run and if I will be happy with it. I have now realized that if I am not totally happy with it, I probably never will be. That's what Reed has gotten me to realize! He kept asking me..."Do you love it!" If I stalled...he through that one out as an option. It really is hard when there are so many choices that are close. Thanks Reed for your help. I used upholstery tack to attatch the fabric and then decorative nail heads around the edge with trim. This is how it was originally put together so I just bought new trim fabric and...new filling. Yep, I tore the chair apart and found STRAW for the batting. I couldn't believe it...I haven't re-upholstered anything that was so old that it had straw for the filling. I called my dad to tell him about it and he said that he once had one filled with horse hair, it was so old. That would be pretty crazy. I am in love with this chair. It took so long to do and took forever to find the right fabric. I love the grey cut chenile for the seat and the black and white for the top. I love the mixing of fabrics! I love how sturdy the chair is and how the fabric is so soft. The chair really is very comfortable!! I know I haven't blogged for a while and now you know why! I have been making a rocking chair!!