Vintage Footstool

This darling little footstool is older than all of us and yet I found it, albeit in a sorry state, at a flea market. It is a 19th century walnut footstool with Tunbridge Ware inlay and bun feet.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

Too cute for words. Perfect for little bottoms!

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

I recovered the top with a piece of upholstery fabric which was no bigger than a large dinner plate.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

Much of the inlay is damaged or missing and its original cover would have been a needlework top. I don't mind the damage as the stool has a thousand stories to tell. Its current state is all part of its history.

Little stools like this can be found at larger antiques fairs and collectables markets where the dealers have the space to bring small furniture.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

This is the underside: completely untouched and just as lovely.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

I removed the seat pad by unscrewing the hand-made fixing.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

Making sure I did not misplace the wooden nut, I removed the old fabric from the seat. For ease and speed, I reused the layer of filling.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

I used a fabric with a pattern to centre the fabric and I did this by looking for one line to create my equator. I have placed the scissors to draw your eye to that line.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

Using a heavy-duty staple gun, I fixed at the four cardinal points and then infilled. Every second staple, I checked to make sure the fabric was not being skewed out of shape.

The piece of upholstery fabric I chose was a designer sample which I picked up on my travels to a scrapstore. 

For more information on scrapstores, click on:

http://lellalovescreativity.blogspot.com/2011/08/scrapstores-and-recycling-arts-projects.html

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

I married the two pieces back together and fixed with the original wooden nut.

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

My lovely finished stool which soon found a friend :)

Lella Loves... Vintage Footstool

If you quite fancy a little footstool like this for your special ted, keep an eye on eBay. A stool like this is easy to wrap and post.

A fun day out can be had if you go to a large collectables fair but pop in to antique centres when you see them. I rarely shop with an item in mind but I do have a wanted list and it helps me to focus as well enjoying the search.

Have a lovely day.

Lella  xx

http://lellalovescreativity.blogspot.com