Starting to reupholster the antique nursing chair
We begin by reducing this antique nursing chair to its frame and we examine the springs and the other support. The cord securing the springs is loose. It has become floppy over the years and needs to be replaced.
Client discussion and choices
We discuss the options for this antique nursing chair with our customer. They want the nursing chair to be recreated with springs and, where possible, using traditional methods, as it would have been in its original state. However, they would prefer to use a seat pad made from foam rather than the existing horsehair stuffing. We can always accommodate the customer, whatever they wish to achieve.
Springs and stuffing
The springs themselves are in good shape, we just need to give them a clean with some fine wire wool. We change the webbing to a 2 inch traditional jute webbing to give the seat and back more structure.
We re-tie the springs in place on the new webbing with linen laid cord, we use curved needles. Next, we cover this all with a layer of fine weave upholstery grade hessian. To replace the horsehair stuffing seat, we create a pad of carefully shaped foam and add wool linterfelt at the customer’s request. We do this for the seat and the upright back. Next, we secure the foam with fire retardant calico and hand tack it in place. Furthermore, we add layers of cotton wadding for a lovely, comfortable seat. Please note that it is absolutely essential that all upholstery meets the fire safety standards so we are very careful to make sure that all upholstery fabrics used are fire retardant.
The top fabric
First, we carefully cut and shape the fabric for the seat. We fit it seamlessly to the base, creating neat square front corners which we tack invisibly in place to the wooden frame below. Next, we create the inside back using the same techniques and top fabric.
The hand made piping
We use strips of the top fabric, chosen by the customer, to hand make strands of self-coloured piping. We secured one strand to the frame on top of the seat cover. Below this, we use invisible back tacking techniques to cover the remainder of the seat base. Then we cut the final fabric and fix it in place. We fix a second strand of hand made piping to the base of the seat frame.
The finishing touches to the antique nursing chair
We use the same top fabric to create the back panel. Lastly, we secure the fabric in place with specially matched taupe gimp pins. To prevent dust and at the customer’s request, we cover the underside of the seat with a panel of hessian as it had been originally.
This is just one of the chairs, benches and stools which we have reupholstered recently. Click on the link below to see some of our other projects.