The Snuggle Chair

In 1987 when the boys were tiny and we were living in San Francisco I bought a wonderful old armchair in a garage sale. It was the chair we could all fit into for a cuddle and became known as The Snuggle Chair.

Over the years it has got so very sad and saggy, and it got past the stage where another bed-pillow stuffed in under the cushion wasn't enough to stop us falling through.

Finally the tacks gave up the ghost and the springs fell out onto the floor so I am compelled to un-upholster it in readiness for re-upholstering.

About 20,000 tacks later I discovered another layer of upholstery under the tatty, faded and ragged brocade that was on when I bought it. (It has had a couple of slip covers I made over the years, and then I left it Shabby Chic until it sailed past Chic and even left Shabby behind...).

I have almost got it back to bare wood, and also remade the seat squab with more layers cut from an old doona cover, and added the feathers that were originally in it along with the feathers from the doona and balls of polyester wadding that I rolled up and stuffed in the centre of the feathers and down to give it all a bit of body. It is about 15" high, but will foof down when it is sat on.

I have photos of the process but they are on my phone and I have yet to discover how to get them from the phone to computer (there must be a cable that I have mislaid last year when the camera was new, thinking "Dunno what this is for, shall just put it ...here". Now I just have to find where 'here' is...). (No, don't have bluetooth and I tried emailing them to myself but it seems I don't have data transfer on my pre-paid 'plan').

Some shots of it so far:

The start - I had taken off the back cover and was about to tackle the webbing and springs when I discovered the little nest of red-backed spiders (very dangerous. Deadly even). So sprayed and waited. And then sprayed a bit more...(NOTE: the pine cupboard in the background - more on that soon).

I gessoed the legs and have some blue oops paint that may well be their new colour...

Discovering the second layer of upholstery - lovely glazed cotton.

My impromptu work-bench. Six besser blocks stacked 3 high with a wide plank over the top (which will be new shelf in that pine cupboard mentioned above, and below)

The new seat squab. HUGE new seat squab!!!. I traced around the old cover - only had red texta and it wasn't until I sewed it up that I realised I should have sewn that to the inside. Hopefully it wont bleed through.

Pine wardrobe from The Sweetheart's garage that will be a new pantry cupboard. Here it is with a first undercoat of gesso. It has a top shelf and hanging rail. Am going to take out the hanging rail, and add a couple more wide pine shelves and this will be a lovely mouse-proof cupboard in the pantry for my bins and crocks, and the big posts that are too large to be anywhere else. Don't know what colour it will be yet - there are a few oops paints in my tool cupboard.