These photos show the original stuffing foundation as I took it apart. The first photo shows the chair without its fabric. You can see the basic burlap covering on the seat, stitched with a wire front edge.
The arms are also stitched. The back panel has been removed and is resting in place. The second picture shows the back panel structure. The springs are surrounded by a hard stitched edge with straw stuffing. The horsehair is placed in the center of the top. The third picture shows the chair laying on its back on my work table. The seat stuffing has been cut away from the springs and is folded back to make it easier to remove it. This stuffing is very fragile, since it is just straw and the burlap is rotten.
I use care to keep it intact, vacuum it and transfer it back into its original position during the restoration. You can see the difference in the burlap which covers the springs now replaced by an upholsterer some 50 years ago and the torn burlap which is original to the stuffing, holding the straw in place. The last picture shows the original springs and the method of tying them in place.
This pattern is called "8 knot" tie, since each spring has 8 knots. Note the cords tie both the tops of the springs as well as all the centers of the outside springs to hold them in place under load. This is the way I was taught to tie springs. There is also a great deal of broken straw debris which sits on the top of the webbing.
Fortunately, this chair was not used much after the burlap became torn. With most upholstery, and straw in particular, if the seat is used after the supporting burlap tears, the stuffing quickly becomes chewed up and damaged beyond repair.
When we used this padding, after putting the wool pad down, we then put about 6 to 8 layers of this padding over the top. This needs a lot of layers to give it some bulk. This loose wool padding is suited for filling pillows and other uses that need an adjustable filling. This has a similar feel to "chopped-cotton". It is much denser than the wool in the roll. This needs no other filler because it has sufficient bulk by itself.
Picture from Wikipedia. Tow made from flax straw has been used as padding in upholstery. The flax fibers are separated during processing so that the fibers are finer than hair. Wood wool wood shavings has many uses , including the stuffing for teady bears.
In the upholstery trade wood wool is called excelsior and was used as padding in many types of upholstered antiques. Excelsior is also used wherever the padding needs fill bulk and yet be firm, such as filling leather ottomans that have no wood frames, but rely entirely upon the filling for support.
In this case, the excelsior fills most of the interior, but an inch or two at the top, which is usually cotton or foam. First, let me say that in it's proper use, down is a wonderful material. When it is used in jackets or in comforters it is very light and keeps the warm in very well. In that use it is a great project. So what you really have is feathers, so I will use that name.
I do not recommend feather filling for seat cushions because when you sit on a cushion you put almost all of your weight on it and crush the softness out of it. It is almost worthless as a filling used under you to support your weight. However, just lining it is not enough. If you put all the feathers in a big open cover the feathers would tend to scoot to the side as much as it could. In addition, it would not give you much support. So, the top and bottom pockets need dividers to keep the feathers in place.
The other place where down is better used is in throw pillows or in back pillows. However, again, the illusion is more profound than reality. In order to make the back pillow stand upright the back cushion needs to have baffles pockets sewn into it kind of like stacking 3 or 4 feather-filed tubes on top of one another.
The pockets help to keep the feathers in place. Good luck! Keep us posted on your progress. Kathryn, beautiful work and I love the fabric! Like 1 Save. Kathryn, Chair looks great, lie that fabric on it! Jckac Marques 5 years ago. Than you Linda and chibimimi for your help. I greatly appreciate it. I'll take it if you don't want it.
Jas Deb 5 years ago. Dena Prior 5 years ago. Jennifer Vargas 5 years ago. I got this beauty from an auction, wondering about age and type of wood. Thank you. Jennifer, your picture didn't post. Could you try again? Caro Clark 5 years ago. Start a new thread Justin Heard 4 years ago. Yes, old! Dates from at least Kathryn Stricker 3 years ago.
Victorian balloon back chair Sombreuil 3 years ago. Happy to have stumbled upon this thread. I bought this chair at a thrift store and have been wondering how old it is. It seems to be stuffed with horse hair We recently moved and it is currently in storage.
These are the only photos I have with me, but can get more if it would be helpful. Thank you so much. I would love to get some information on this chair that I found. The seat was a wooden frame held together with wooden pegs, covered in muslin the.
Layers of excelsior and cotton batting. When I first found the excelsior, I though a mouse had nested in the chair! The frame is broken, so my plan is to put a wooden bottom in the chair and a new cushion. In the future I could repair the frame. The rest of the chair is in excellent condition. Any information on age, style, history of my chair would be so appreciated!
I really live the look of it! Nichole Buus 9 months ago. Can anyone tell me anything about this chair? Thank you for your time. Related Stories. The results belie the speedy makeover of this s Quebec home — which not even a colony of ants could derail. Using passive solar and other green building methods, this Colorado home creates an energy-conscious vacation spot for a family of 5.
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