Sneak Peek

So, after asking around for recommendations, I found an upholsterer who gave me a great quote for recovering the rocking chair for the baby's new room (under $200!). We talked it over and decided to go for it. I'm sure that the quote might end up being a little lower than the end price, but I still think it seems very fair, and the upholsterer is extremely responsive, professional, and willing to come pick the chair up from my home. I searched some upholstery online sources (like the recommendation one of my lovely readers suggested, www.newtoto.com) and found some great options. But after thinking it over, I decided I wanted to try and find vintage fabric. Ebay was overwhelming, so I turned to Etsy. Etsy was overwhelming, too, but I was at least able to narrow it down more easily by search term. I found this fantastic fabric, but thought I'd just mark it as a favorite and keep looking. Five minutes later, I had a panic attack that someone might buy it while I shopped around, so I went ahead and got it! The upholsterer told me I need 3.5 yards, and there are 5 yards of this, so I'm hoping it will work. The fabric is also 43 1/2 inches wide, which seems more narrow than most modern upholstery fabric, but again, I'm hoping the extra yardage will make up for it. I'm also hoping the weight will be OK. This is described as thin, almost similar to linen, but I just love the bright color and the texture looks so pretty! I'm really excited, since this is the first time we've sprung for getting something upholstered, and I can't think of a better reason than a new baby.
Again, here's the chair in question. I wish the upholstery were in better shape. It really is neat.
Here's a sneak preview of the fabric. This is the listing photo from GiantFlea's etsy shop (which by the by, is full of neat vintage goodies. The fabric with shipping was a little more than I had been hoping to spend, but still under $60 (which is more than the price of the chair...). But I think the color is just gorgeous, and I'm happy to have found vintage fabric. So after all of the costs, I know it feels expensive, but to put it in reference to new mama/baby chairs, an upholstered glider runs around $400 on Craigslist, and about $600-$1200 new (of course, the sky is the limit with really fancy rockers and gliders). Wooden gliders with cushions start around $200 and run up to about $500. So getting a vintage rocker with the perfect shape for our design taste and built like a tank and having it redone with a fabric we choose, seems like a great deal for what I hope will end up being around $300. The upholsterer said to call him as soon as I get the fabric delivered, and he'll come and pick up the chair. He said once he has it he can give me a better idea about what they can/need to do for it. The estimate he gave me was based on photos. But like I said, hopefully it stays in the same ballpark as the end price... Either way, I'm so excited. This will likely be the only real "splurge" for the new baby's room, and it's something that gets a lot of mileage when you are nursing little ones, so I think it's a good place to spend a little extra. Also, it's totally going into our living room after the baby's done with it...