Saturday, July 15, 2017

Vintage Pincushion Chair

A few years ago I purchased this adorable little pincushion rocking chair while shopping at a local antique store with my mom. We were thrilled with the unique find, since we are both seamstresses. I had never seen anything quite like it before. But I had hopes of updating the little chair and making it something extra special, all my own. : )
Here is what the little chair looked like when I purchased it. I am not sure of the age, but I think it may have been made in the 1940's due to the fabric.
It is very handy as it has pegs to hold six spools of thread. The back and seat of the chair are just perfect for pins and needles. It felt like the back and seat may have been filled with walnut shells or something else with an unusual texture. I read once that walnut shells help keep needles sharp.
There is a slot in the chair back made for a pair of scissors. It truly is the perfect pincushion for hand sewing! I can have my thread, scissors, pins and needles all in one spot that I can carry with me.
The fabric I used to recover the cushions is very special to me. It is one of the fabrics my mom used to sew my sisters and I dresses when we were little girls. It has always been one of my favorite prints. I had fun crocheting a miniature doily for the chair. When I was growing up my mom and grandma would often place doilies on the backs of chairs. I thought it would be the perfect finishing touch.