Cowboy chair is back in the saddle
UpholsteryJournalMag.com | November 8, 2011
By Janet Cass
More than 100 years ago, this rocking chair was covered in cowhide and oil cloth. The latter, which was used during that period of the American West for cowboy rain gear, covered the chair’s back and the sides of the arms.
Reupholstery was performed by Rip Feregan of Jack’s Do It Shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was awarded first place in the antique chair division of Upholstery Journal’s 2004 Design and Craftsmanship Awards. Although springs in the chair didn’t need replacing, they were retied and covered with new materials. All fringe was hand-cut with scissors. Feregan notes that the wrinkled look along the perimeter of the chair is once again fashionable.
Feregan diamond tufted and hand-braided leather to replace the piece’s original decorative elements. To create the braid that runs along the skirt, Feregan cut leather strips that were one-eighth inch wide and three feet long, splicing strips together as he braided. Braid was sewn to the skirt with nylon thread and a three-point needle. Feregan’s 30-plus years in the trade have convinced him that this arrowhead-shaped needle pierces leather more cleanly, and with less risk of tearing leather, than other needle types.
Feregan explains how he created the decorative elements that are visible inside the spaces created by the intertwined braid. “In skirting between where braiding loops around, I cut three vertical lines in the eyeball shaped part of the leather, pinched the strips [in their centers to make them assume a bowtie shape] and hand-sewed that shape. The thing that’s hard about making braid is cutting the strips evenly.”
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Leather was cut vertically, pinched and hand-sewn to create decorative elements within the spaces created by intertwined braid. -
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10:09 pm CST
similar chair
I have a similar chair, but the back is more upright and has a rolled headrest on it. Also has wings on it. Skirt trim is also slightly different. It has the "bowtie" feature, but has little punchouts in a star shape. Still has the original leather and oil cloth too. The black leather is in fragile shape. The oilcloth is on the seat and inside arms. I thought it had been repaired at one time because of the oil cloth, now I see it's original. Good to know. Going to redo in honey brown water buffalo hide from the Hide House in Napa. I found mine in an old barn here in Santa Cruz. It was advertised for sale as a "Morris" chair ! oops. What is an estimate of the value of these chairs ? It's the only one I've come across in 30 years. Thanks for showing.
Steve
5:33 pm CST
Great Work
What wonderful work!
4:53 pm CST
Beautiful work!
The leather chair is simply gorgeous! What patience it must have taken to do all those details. I love it!
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