Furniture Bones

I like to try new things, keep my mind busy and occasionally I find an activity that calms and clears my mind.  I’ve often heard people talk about that feeling of clarity and just being when they run.  I’m not a runner.  When I was younger, I was able to find that peace when I performed music or danced.

The seat. Just a bit more to take apart.

My current favorite work-hard-don’t-talk-a-lot-and-clear-your-mind activity is upholstery.  Re-upholstering a hundred-plus-some-old chair is exciting, steady, and work.  This week in class, I finished taking the chair down to its bones and parts.  Then I was able to begin rebuilding.  First came weaving and tacking down the webbing on the seat.  Next were the springs.  They are tied down into the seat, and if I did this correctly, the ones in the back are tied a little tighter and lower than the ones in the front.  No fun falling out of a chair.

The wooden rocking chair looking spectacular, refinished by Lucy.

I learned that in better furniture the springs are tied down by hand eight way.  As is usually  expected of things made by hand, this takes more time, attention to details, and material than tying it four way.

Webbing redone and looking good. Springs are aligned and ready to be tied.

Horse hair is apparently an ideal padding between you and the springs.  It’s firm, sturdy, and expensive.  The original horse hair was in good condition, so we’ve kept it and will reuse.

Tools for working with care on a fun project.

What do you do these days to clear your head?