Friday, March 23, 2012

18th Century George III Wingback Project

I purchased a beautiful 18th century George III wingback last fall and wrote about it here.  I have been working on getting it recovered and it is finally done!   It took a while--I started using a new workroom, and we had problems getting them to understand that patterned fabric needs to be "matched" at the seams.  I purchased an extra 2 yards, but sadly didn't get a perfect matchup as they went around the outside of the chair!   I used Brunschwig fabric, and it wasn't inexpensive.   So what you see is "what I got".
18th century wingback in a Brunschwig & Fils  fabric

I agonized over the fabric choices if you read the previous post.  This fabric seemed like the perfect solution as I felt that an antique like this should be done in a silk damask, which would feel too formal for the project.  The fabric had to be knit-backed, as it was a linen.  That ran about $90, well worth the cost.


"Before"

I selected the fabric used in the valences over the windows.
The finished chair!
The finished chair!  I left the windows in the photo--yes, it is snowing on March 22 in Portland, Oregon.  The heat
 wave isn't all over the entire country.  It's pretty much rained or snowed every day since the first of Feb.

I had twill tape and nailheads added to the bottom to give the chair a more casual feel.  
I had an ottoman made to match.  The chair is comfortable, and the large "wings" keep you warm on a cold drafty day--just like 200 years ago!

I thought you would enjoy seeing the final product!  It is not in the intended room/house, but it does look nice with the area rug.