The ROCKER
Have you ever bought a piece of furniture at an estate sale or yard sale later to discover it had more history than you originally thought? This was the case for my friend who lives in this old Historic town!
My friend Katie asked me if I could re-upholster her rocking chair that she got at a nearby estate sale for $20. She sent pics of the rocker and I thought it was something that I should be able to do so I told her to bring it on over 🙂
The BEFORE pic
When I first saw it in front of me, I immediately knew it was pretty old but I figured I would get a better idea once I started tearing it all apart. She came fabric in hand!! No shopping required 🙂 I could tell that within it’s lifetime it had about 1 other re-upholstering job and that itself was extremely old. Nails had been used, not staples. Little clues such as the style of the fabric and the way that it was upholstered can help date a furniture piece. When I took everything off, the previous original padding showed signs that it had been originally tufted possibly in leather. There also had been reinforcement brackets that had been installed to fix the wood joints in some areas. Ed and I were thinking this was definitely an antique heirloom. Possibly late 1800’s or early 1900’s? And…Katie had no idea :0
The frame with all the upholstered pieces removed
Once I had all the padding and upholstered pieces removed, I asked Katie if she wanted me to refinish any of the wood frame. Considering how old it is, it was in really great shape. The wood has that rustic flair that she liked so she decided that she just wanted the padding upholstered. I was thinking to clean the wood with Krud Cutter or Liquid Gold but I was worried that the oils from those cleaners would somehow get on the new fabric as I was re-upholstering. I cleaned the wood with BONA which is the product we use to clean our hardwood floors. BONA does not leave any oily residue. It worked perfectly to clean the wood.
Separating out all the cushion pieces I noticed there was an old script on the bottom of the seat with what looked like a name.
Script found underneath seat
Possibly the family name or the upholsterer? I told Katie all about it because wouldn’t it be cool if we could look up old records of names in this old town and possibly know who this heirloom rocker belonged to. Katie said she did some searching on the internet but unfortunately couldn’t find the name Tepper in our town. We thought it was definitely Tepper but perhaps we are not reading the letters correctly. What do you think Tepper, Pepper, or Jepper?
When I pulled the old fabric off, some of the cotton surrounding the contained padding started to shred in half. Because of this I thought it needed some extra padding. I decided that in some areas I would re-foam on the top of the seat and the rocker back support. This would give better shape and feel since the foam was a memory foam.
MY DIY re-upholstering secret tip:
I use a memory foam bedding topper just for these projects that need thin extra padding. I buy a bed topper from Ross or Marshalls and cut it up for a lot of my projects. It is so much cheaper!! If I needed a dense THICK foam I would get it online or a fabric store but with this project I just need to add a very thin amount of padding to add to the existing padding. You can also use an egg crate foam that can be bought in the camping section of your department store. Years ago I upholstered a wooden kitchen chair with layers of bedding topper and batting. Spending a fortune on foam is not always necessary. SHHH….a true upholsterer might choke right now. :/
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- Refoaming
To refoam the seat and the back support I used my POWERSHOT stapler. This is one of the best manual staplers. I have used others…..this is better. I use this manual stapler for small jobs and for tacking foam like I did in these above pictures. I later switch to my air pneumatic stapler for upholstering the fabric.
In my HOW TO RE-UPHOLSTER tutorial (part2), I described how I cut the new fabric by making a pattern with the old fabric. Check out that post HERE. However in this project, it was slightly different. Because the old fabric was so old and stretched out, for the life of me I could not get that old fabric to lay flat as a pattern piece. There was so much buckling, I actually had to cut the new fabric an inch or more larger around the old fabric. That way it would ensure that it would cover the padding completely.
Here are all my ROCKER re-upholstering pics.
I pleated the top roll to be symmetrical on each side. I was so excited how this back support cushion came out!
Side of back support
upholstering the seat
The pieces are done and waiting to get assembled into the frame. The black dust cover was added to the bottom and under the armrests.
I put the dust cover on the bottom of the seat. I glued the black dust cover over the staples under the arms as well. The arm cushions had small holes underneath where the cushion fit into wooden dowels on the rocker. I cut the black dust cover around those holes. That part will not be seen from underneath. The dust cover finishes off the fabric and makes it nice and neat.
I added batting to the back of the rocker. Once again I was replacing the shredded cotton. It really smoothed everything out in the back.
The tacking strip went at the top under the roll in the back of the rocker. For details on how I assemble with the tacking strip, check out my ‘How to re-upholster’ tutorial part3 HERE.
Originally the sides of the back were sewn. I decided to re-create that finished sewn look for the back. I used this special curved needle to sew all along the sides up and down.
My backup plan: I was thinking if the sewing didn’t go well, then I would just staple the back on each side and put trim on top of the staples. But luckily I didn’t need to do this. The sewing turned out great!! I did attach trim on the top underneath the roll to finish and straighten out the line where the tacking strip was. And to my surprise, it added a little drama. I was excited that the sewn sides really gave a neat and finished look in the back.
Trim added
SURPRISE KATIE!!!
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- Back
YES!!! I made Katie the pillow you see there! When one gets something upholstered , they have probably picked colors that match their room. However often times, they bring it home and suddenly say, ‘wow I wish I had that pattern somewhere else in the room to tie that furniture piece in better.’ I have thought this so many times in my own house. So…….I threw in a handmade pillow as a surprise. There was some extra fabric after upholstering and I just happened to have some coordinating remnant laying around for the back of the pillow…OK OK from my fabric hoarding stockpile 🙂 Her heirloom rocker will look that much better with a matching pillow in her room. It’s done!! I’m so excited for you to see the finished pics:
Katie had a vision with a great combination of rustic wood and fabric complementing each other. I really think it will be the centerpiece in any room she puts it in. As thrilled as she was when she picked it up, I am just as happy I was able to execute her idea! I loved being able to give her a little bit of knowledge about this heirloom she didn’t realize she had. Thanks Katie for giving me the opportunity…..And now back to my honey-do list that apparently Ed has for me! haha. Signing out with another project DONE…woohoo…..
K. Rupp
Linking up at these great parties:
Grandmas House DIY.: Wednesday link party #59
Feathering My Empty Nest.com.: share your style #141
My thrift store addiction.: vintage charm party #106
Peonies and Orange blossoms.: Thurs. favorite things blog hop
Imparting Grace.: grace at home #272
A Glimpse Inside Blog.: handmade hangout #177
The Pin Junkie.: pin junkie party #237
This Autoimmune life.: bloggers pit stop #97
UPDATE: This party resulted in this rocker project being FEATURED HERE.
Easy Peasy Pleasy.: funtastic Friday Link party #150
Stacey Embracing Change: creative Inspirations party #46
A Pretty Fix.: sweet inspiration party #80
Unique Junktique.: Fridays Furniture Fix #102
Dwellings- The Heart of your Home.: Amaze me monday #238
DIY showoff.: diy party time 19
Stone Cottage Adventures.: Tues. with a twist
Across the Boulevard: Snickerdoodle create Bake make party#253
UPDATE: This party resulted in this rocker project being FEATURED HERE .
AND YAY! It’s FEATURED HERE……find the button on my FEATURED page!
Lauren says
October 25, 2017 at 1:53 pmWow!! What an undertaking!! I think the word is Tepper but it is kinda hard to tell. I love that the fabric she chose is modern yet in keeping with the period of the piece.
K.Rupp says
October 25, 2017 at 2:01 pmThanks so much Lauren! It is funny how even script has changed over the years. Yes, I agree she did pick a lovely fabric to complement that rocker. I will let her know. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Helen Reynolds says
October 25, 2017 at 2:12 pmSuch great work! That rocker is beautiful and will be a new heirloom!
K.Rupp says
October 25, 2017 at 2:45 pmThanks, yes she has a great piece now! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Katie says
October 25, 2017 at 5:23 pmLove love love!! Before it was tucked away in our office and never used Now, it is everyone’s favorite chair in the family room. Thank you so much Kathleen! It turned out better then I ever imagined in my head!
K.Rupp says
October 25, 2017 at 5:48 pmKatie, I am so happy it turned out so well and that you love it!! It was a great project! Each of these upholstering jobs are different and I learned a lot from this one because of the age. Thanks for thinking of me to be able to transform your awesome rocker!!! I’m so happy 🙂
Ann says
October 26, 2017 at 2:21 amYou did an amazing job on this rocker, Kathleen – I love it! Thanks for sharing all of your upholstering tips…someday I’m going to tackle upholstery…
K.Rupp says
October 26, 2017 at 10:22 amYAY! You will be amazed at what you can transform! Let me know if you ever try it! Thanks so much for your nice words:)
Angelina says
October 26, 2017 at 3:17 pmThis is a fantastic makeover! Thank you for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things! We love having you join us! Angelina @ Peonies & Orange Blossoms
K.Rupp says
October 26, 2017 at 3:59 pmThanks so much Angelina! Glad I found it!
Healthwealthbridge by Dr.Amrita Basu says
October 27, 2017 at 10:14 amI adored the makeover .It’s gorgeous and that pillow is a brilliant idea.#BloggersPitstop
K.Rupp says
October 27, 2017 at 12:05 pmThank you so much!!! Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment:)
Carol says
October 27, 2017 at 1:57 pmBeautifully done – it’s inspiring but probably a little much for me to do. I can recover very simple things. You’re a real artist.
K.Rupp says
October 27, 2017 at 4:34 pmOh thank you Carol…that is so sweet! I appreciate you taking the time to stop in to see it! Come back anytime:)
Debbie-Dabble says
October 27, 2017 at 8:49 pmOMG!!!!! What an amazing transformation!! It came out stunning!! You did such a wonderful job!! Thanks so much for for sharing your talents with us! And thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave such sweet comments!! Have a great weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb
K.Rupp says
October 27, 2017 at 9:23 pmOh thank you so much Debbie! What nice compliments! I’m so happy you stopped by! I love getting to know so many bloggers through the parties who have all different diy interests and skills. Making friends over the blogging internet has been a lot of fun:) I hope you have a great weekend as well and Happy Halloween:)
roseannmhampton says
October 28, 2017 at 12:01 amThe chair turned out beautifully! And I think you are correct with Tepper. Thanks for sharing at The Blogger’s Pit Stop! Roseann from http://www.thisautoimmunelife.com
K.Rupp says
October 28, 2017 at 11:32 amYeah, I think that name seems to be the consensus. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment and tweet!!
acraftymix says
October 30, 2017 at 11:53 amWhoever the chair belonged to previously would be so incredibly happy if they had to see it now Kathleen. You did a fabulous job
K.Rupp says
October 30, 2017 at 1:58 pmThank you so much Michelle…that is such a nice thing to say! I love bringing back historical pieces! Thank you so much for dropping in:)
Florence says
October 31, 2017 at 2:29 amWow, that is gorgeous fabric & the rocker is stunning! Love it! Also I think that name in the bottom looks like “Pepper” to me. For what it’s worth.
K.Rupp says
October 31, 2017 at 2:19 pmThanks so much Florence for checking it out! That is a possibility! Maybe she will have better luck in the records with that name!
Cecilia says
October 31, 2017 at 3:45 amKathleen, it’s just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm! Pinned & tweeted!
K.Rupp says
October 31, 2017 at 2:23 pmThank you so much for your nice comment, the pin and tweet! I appreciate you stopping by!
Kathleen Aherne (@CoolTweed) says
November 1, 2017 at 12:34 amThis project has been popular on the Blogger’s Pit Stop so we will feature it this week. Well done.
Kathleen
Blogger’s Pit Stop
K.Rupp says
November 1, 2017 at 10:53 amOh WOW! Thank you so much Kathleen! I will be sure to watch for it to be featured and grab a button. That is so exciting! 🙂
Brenda Young (@UniqueJunktique) says
November 3, 2017 at 11:16 amA wonderful reupholster job, I never would have thought of using memory foam, thanks for sharing the great tip and your wonderful project at #fridaysfurniturefix, I have to hand out big props to all you gals who tackle those fabric makeovers!
K.Rupp says
November 3, 2017 at 4:13 pmThanks Brenda! Yes, that tip is great for someone on a tight budget! Thanks for stopping by, your lovely comment and your TWEET:)
Christina Makri says
November 7, 2017 at 11:53 amKathleen your chair is a beauty!!! You did fantastic work!!!!
http://www.artdecorationcrafting.gr
K.Rupp says
November 7, 2017 at 1:14 pmThank you so much for stopping by to take a look and comment!!!! Such a nice complement 🙂 Thank you!
crazywriterof6 says
November 13, 2017 at 10:20 amHow fantastic! Beautiful!
K.Rupp says
November 13, 2017 at 3:19 pmThanks so much!
Arrow Fastener says
January 23, 2018 at 2:47 pmThanks for the shoutout for our PowerShot stapler! This chair looks great! #MadeWithArrow
K.Rupp says
January 23, 2018 at 4:18 pmYour welcome!!! Love that Power Shot stapler! Thanks so much for stopping by! I love the arrowfastener.com website!!!
kelleysdiy says
January 25, 2018 at 7:20 pmStunning!!!
K.Rupp says
January 25, 2018 at 7:43 pmThank you so much! And for stopping by!! How are you?
kelleysdiy says
January 25, 2018 at 9:29 pmGreat, thank you honey! Hanging in there!!!
Beverly says
October 15, 2018 at 12:21 amThis looks great! What a wonderful transformation for the old chair! It looks pretty labor intensive. I love the new look. I’d love to have you link up with us at Snickerdoodle Party. It’s opened through Tuesday night.
K. Rupp says
October 15, 2018 at 1:32 pmThank you so much Beverly!!! Yes, I was happy with how this project turned out and I’ll enter it into the party! Thanks so much for stopping by and the invite!
Arrow Fastener says
October 15, 2018 at 3:05 pmThanks for the feedback on our PowerShot 5700 staple gun and nailer. Glad it was able to help with this project! #MadeWithArrow
K. Rupp says
October 16, 2018 at 11:58 pmThank you so much for stopping by!! Yes, I have always loved my Power Shot stapler! It does a great job and I don’t have to ever wrestle with it like other manual staplers. Thanks for taking the time to drop by and comment:)
Debrashoppeno5 says
October 16, 2018 at 11:48 pmThe chair looks fantastic. I will be referring to this post when I tackle an upholstery project I need to do.
K. Rupp says
October 16, 2018 at 11:59 pmThank you so much Debra! Great, I hope you come back:). Thanks for stopping by!