Pilsbury Wingchair

Meet the latest Rapt Wingchair - the 'Pilsbury Mismatched' - named for the glorious feature fabric 'Pilsbury', a pure linen by Warwick.
All materials are brand new - including the frame, which is made by a Sydney master-craftsman.
This chair is seriously comfortable, largely due to the unusual inner-sprung seat cushion (superior comfort to feathers, or foam).
The fabrics are Scotchguarded;
the chair comes with the matching lumbar scatter cushion;
the legs are hand-painted in semi-gloss enamel (and a patchup pot is even available too!);
and - there's even a matching ottoman available.

All details in the Rapt online store, and the chair is currently available for a sitting in the Rapt showroom in Jamberoo (while it lasts!)

MAKERS' MARKET THIS SATURDAY!

showroom closed this weekend

the wrong date, but the message is correct for this long weekend coming - June 11 -13th.
Back to normal next week - have a great weekend everyone!
Woof!

MOTHERS' DAY IDEAS

Showroom is open the next 2 Saturdays (April 30th and May 7th) with lots of beautiful ideas for Mothers' Day, including this brand new batch of doorstops. For the Mum who has everything! Or… the Mum who loves an Open Door Policy!

There's also plenty of pretty, unique scatter cushions to choose from, chairs, ottomans and framed fabric art.

Hope we might see you there!

Showroom closed this Saturday

April 16th.  Back to normal after that (Saturdays 10am - 2pm, and other times by arrangement).

Here's a couple of gorgeous new designs from Social Fabric just in - sample hangers in store now. These - like all our fabrics - are available to order by the metre for your own projects. Prices on request.

Mothers' Day Suggestion

Just finished full refurbishment of this dear little chair. Work involved timber refinishing and full reupholstery, including covers using Jacquard fabric not available in Australia (I imported direct from a centuries-old Austrian mill which specialises in really special woven fabrics).
It's now available for sale in the Rapt Showroom and online store.
Don't you think this would really make some mother's day?

Before

the KITCHEN KOLLECTION

I've been having fun with a stash of beautiful unused linen teatowells I've had a while… wondering what to do with. By including some gorgeous remnant furnishing trimmings, these are pretty stylish upcycles I reckon!
Available in the Rapt showroom (Jamberoo) and online store (shipping price available on request).

A B****R of a job!

This was - perhaps - the hardest (upholstery) job I've ever had.
I can't find any information on this most unusual style of chair (let me know if YOU know!)… 
it's basically a mattress-type of sprung system, held together with steel straps, which hook onto the frame in only 2 places - the outside back top (shown) and the front seat rail.
It was necessary to remove the 'mattress' and upholster that, then hook it back onto the frame, then hand-sew the fabric closed.
MUCH harder than it sounds.
End result looked OK - but more importantly (and surpising to the clients, whose family this has been in since at least the 1930s) it's now supremely comfortable. 
I replaced the mass of flock stuffings with high density foam (dacron covered) - and sitting in it now is a bit like sitting upright in a very supportive hammock.
Result: clients delighted.
Phew! (I'll be quoting much more for the next one - if ever!)

NEED A GOOD CANING?

then I'm your gal!
I've just learnt how to recane a chair seat (using woven cane) so I can't claim to be an expert yet… but... it's turned out really well.

This antique spindle-back chair has an interesting story.  Made in USA, I'm not sure how old it is but do know that it has spent much of its life in a historic homestead on an Illawarra dairy farm.

It was brought to me to have its seat reupholstered, but it was only after stripping off the old layers*, that I discovered the original, badly broken, cane seat. It wasn't possible to reupholster as is - nor without changing the integrity of the chair… so recaning seemed the best option. The client will probably now use a loose cushion to soften the seat, but we're both 
pleased the chair is back to its original design

* One interesting thing which came to light between several layers of upholstery, was a thick pile of red dirt. As soon as I saw it I was reminded of a major dust storm which hit the east coast of Australia in 2009 (including here in the Illawarra). It was very notable because the dust had blown a long, long way from outback Australia and was a very distinctive red colour. The thick cloud blanketed a very large area of eastern Australia, including not only Sydney Harbour but also 'Bottoms' End' (my workshop), and, without doubt, also the home this chair lived in nearby. For more than a decade following, one whole exterior wall of Bottoms' End was permanently tinted with that red colour, until it was painted over.
It's only conjecture on my part that perhaps the dust which fell out of the upholstery came from that storm, but I like to think so.

MARKET REPORT

I'm still on a high following one of my best market experiences ever! 
This is the first time the Wild Rumpus Makers' Market has been held at the Wollongong Town Hall (a bigger venue than the usual 'Anita's Theatre' at Thirroul).
It was a well-organised and run event, attended by I don't know how many thousands of folk - all with their hearts and wallets open!
I now think the chief value of a well-promoted event like this is that people attending can be assured this is 'above-normal-market standard' products.

With my chief Label-Writer/Stringer/Pinner - Megan

Stall-holders were selected from a wide field of applicants - all local Illawarra makers - which ensured only high quality, locally-made goods were present.
Hopefully I'll be able to take part in future events held by Wild Rumpus - and if I do I'll be sure to give plenty of notice here, and on my Instagram and Facebook pages.

oh - and if you're one of my new (or old!) customers from Sunday - thankyou!

before!