Planter’s Chair Conservation
Chest Conservation
Lollipop Chair Conservation
C.W. Parker Portland Horse
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Author Archives: D. Katie Powell
Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Upholstery, 1 Buildup
Continuing from the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Finish post, (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) The frame is repaired and the finish conserved; Buildup begins! Stickley chairs do not have dustcovers, and so the underside of the canvas … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, chair, conservation techniques, Interim Report, preservation, process, reparation, restoration techniques, upholstery
Tagged 1910, antiques, arts and crafts, chair, conservation techniques, Furniture Conservation, Furniture Restoration, Gustav Stickley, Interim Report, Ladderback Arm Chair, MPF Conservation, Pacific Northwest, Portland, preservation, process, reparation, restoration techniques, traditional varnishes, upholstery, Upholstery Portland Oregon, wooden objects
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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Finish
Continuing from the Reparation of the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Armchair (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) We began our finish with a quick review of the chair with the repairs completed, above. The chairs were covered with radial … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, chair, conservation techniques, Interim Report, pigments, process, restoration techniques, traditional varnishes, waxes, wooden objects
Tagged 1910, antiques, arts and crafts, chair, conservation techniques, Furniture Conservation, Furniture Restoration, Gustav Stickley, Interim Report, Ladderback Arm Chair, MPF Conservation, Pacific Northwest, Portland, process, reparation, restoration techniques, traditional varnishes, upholstery, Upholstery Portland Oregon, waxes, wooden objects and tagged 1900
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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Frame Repair
Continuing from the Excavation of the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Armchair (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) Reparation of the frame begins with more disassembly, on an as-needed basis for each chair. Corner blocks are removed, labeled, and screws … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, chair, conservation techniques, Interim Report, preservation, process, reparation, restoration techniques, wooden objects
Tagged 1910, antiques, arts and crafts, chair, conservation techniques, Furniture Conservation, Furniture Restoration, Gustav Stickley, Interim Report, Ladderback Arm Chair, MPF Conservation, Pacific Northwest, Portland, process, reparation, restoration techniques, traditional varnishes, upholstery, Upholstery Portland Oregon, waxes, wooden objects and tagged 1900
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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Excavation
We are continuing on in our process on the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Armchair. Chair before disassembly. To disassemble or excavate the upholstery we begin with the historic decorative nails. Mitchell created a handy hand-tool for getting under the historic nails … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, chair, conservation techniques, Interim Report, preservation, tools, upholstery, wooden objects
Tagged 1910, antiques, arts and crafts, chair, conservation techniques, Furniture Conservation, Furniture Restoration, Gustav Stickley, Interim Report, Ladderback Arm Chair, MPF Conservation, Pacific Northwest, Portland, process, reparation, restoration techniques, traditional varnishes, upholstery, Upholstery Portland Oregon, waxes, wooden objects and tagged 1900
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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Assessment
We’ve not chronicled a project for a long time and these original Gustav Stickley circa 1900-1910 Ladderbacks are so lovely (and often poorly conserved and restored) that it is a good way to begin again! We will chronicle our process … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, chair, conservation techniques, Interim Report, process, reparation, restoration techniques, traditional varnishes, upholstery, waxes, wooden objects
Tagged 1900, 1910, arts and crafts, Furniture Conservation, Furniture Restoration, Gustav Stickley, Ladderback Arm Chair, MPF Conservation, Pacific Northwest, Portland, Upholstery Portland Oregon
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Taking Care of Your Antique Quilt
We are redirecting you to our new and improved article: Antique Quilts: Care and Repair And further reading on: Textiles + Quilts + Beaded Objects ©MPF Conservation. May be printed for your own use. May be reposted … Continue reading
Posted in CAUTIONS, conservation techniques, mold, reparation, restoration techniques, textiles
Tagged #antiquequiltrepair, #cigarquilt, #crazyquilt, #crewel, #crewelwork, #hand-sewn, #handsewn, #handstitched, #needlework, #nwportland, #pacificnorthwest, #portlandoregon, #quilt, #quiltcare, #quiltconservation, #quiltrepair, #quiltrestoration, #repairquilt, #textileconservation, #textilepreservation, #textilerestoration, #traditionalneedlework, #visiblemending, embroidery, foxing, humidity, mold, pests
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Quilts as a Microcosm of History
I am sure that more eloquent history writers than I have written on the role of quilts as historical objects. I want to share my perspective on the single object that we: see the most distress over condition issues, even … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, CAUTIONS, decorative motifs, history, musings, preservation, textiles
Tagged #antiquequiltrepair, #cigarquilt, #crazyquilt, #crewel, #crewelwork, #familyheirloom, #hand-sewn, #handsewn, #handstitched, #needlework, #nwportland, #pacificnorthwest, #portlandoregon, #quilt, #quiltcare, #quiltconservation, #quiltrepair, #quiltrestoration, #repairquilt, #textileconservation, #textilepreservation, #textilerestoration, #traditionalneedlework, #visiblemending
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Repairing Veneer on a Bombe in the Style of Louis XV
Before Repair, Above, and After, Below. This is a lovely bombe which had cracked veneer across the curved door faces. Someone had previously repaired it long before our current owners took possession. MPFC treated several areas, but I am posting … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, Interim Report, pigments, preservation, process, reparation, restoration techniques, shellac, wooden objects
Tagged Bombe, damaged veneer, finish, Louis XV, restoration, shellac
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Z is for Zzzz: A-to-Z Challenge
Yes, that’s it, I’m tired and really can’t find the time to write about zigzag stitches or zippers or zardozi or zafus (these are from Dharmacraft!) I just need to sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZ….. ©MPF Conservation. May be printed for your own … Continue reading
Posted in funny funny
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Y is for Y?: A-to-Z Challenge
Y? We get asked a lot of questions that are subjective, and hard or even unethical to answer. Y do you cost more than Sally’s Upholstery shop or a national chain? First of all, it is unethical to badmouth other … Continue reading
Posted in conservation techniques, preservation, reparation, restoration techniques
Tagged DIY, questions
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X is for X-Chair: A-to-Z Challenge
An “X-chair” is one of my personal favorites, a chair with an “X” frame, usually folding but not always, also known as a Dante Chair, Savonarola chair (both Italian), Luthor chair (Germany), or scissors chair. It is one of our … Continue reading
W is for Windsor: A-to-Z Challenge
One of my favorite chairs, this often overlooked Windsors may have originated in Wales, Ireland and England, where wheelwrights creating chairs as they made wheel spokes, which were chairs using compression tension joints, with no hide glue holding the spokes … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, chair, decorative motifs, history, painted furniture, shellac, wooden objects
Tagged 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Mid-Century Modern, modern, windsor chair
4 Comments
V is for Virus: A-to-Z Challenge
Working as we do with old items often stored in attics and basements and barns and storage units, we are potentially exposed to many problematic situations, such as finding black mold in upholstered items (quite common) and various insects. By … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, mold, pest infestation, virus
Tagged hantavirus, mice, protection, rat, rodents
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U is for Real Upholsterers: A-to-Z-Challenge
Real upholsterer’s know things. Real upholsterers can upholster anything: walls, chairs, chests, sofas, hide-a-beds, padded beds. Real upholsters might upholster you if you hold still long enough. Real upholsterers know how to make an edge-roll from scratch. Real upholsterers know … Continue reading
T is for Textile: A-to-Z Challenge
©MPF Conservation. May be printed for your own use. May be reposted if our url +copyright is used as reference.
Posted in antiques, decorative motifs, preservation, textiles, upholstery
Tagged needlepoint, petitpoint, textile
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R is for Récamier: A-to-Z Challenge
Récamier is the proper name for the chaise lounge or fainting couch. It was named after the famous painting, below, of Jeanne-Françoise Julie Adélaïde Bernard, aka Juliette Récamier (1777–1849), a French society woman who led a salon in the early … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, history, upholstery
Tagged chaise lounge, fainting couch, Francoise Boucher, Ganesha, Goya, Jacques Louis David, Juliette Récamier, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir
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Q is for Q-tips: A-to-Z Challenge
Okay, I am giving it away. My super secret cleaning tool. Q-tips Brand Cotton swabs and elbow grease. Sometimes, a bit of distilled water. That’s it. I cleaned the entire Marguerite McLoughlin Chinese Lacquer Sewing Cabinet using 10,000 Q-tips. Why … Continue reading
P is for Pest Infestation: A-to-Z Challenge
What can I say? Pests enter your home through cracks and come in on other furniture, like that great find at the yard sale down the street! Before long you have a pest infestation. Keeping a clean home is helpful, … Continue reading
Posted in conservation techniques
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O is for Ode to the Upholsterer: A-to-Z Challenge
He’s stuffed a chair on every street, or hassocks on which to put your feet. A fainting couch for Ms Récamier, looking Grecian but really fey. A modern Egg for Madmen there, Took ten thousand hand stitches to be fair; … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, funny funny, musings, preservation, reparation, textiles, upholstery
Tagged Eastlake, egg, ode, passementerie, poem, traditional upholstery
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N is for Nails, as in the History of: A-to-Z-Challenge
A client had this wonderful old nail display from the Tremont Nail Factory in Massachusetts. We took pictures of it. This is the writing underneath the nails: “From Pennyweight to Penny (a small “d” indicates a penny) — Originally the … Continue reading
Posted in conservation techniques, preservation, restoration techniques
Tagged nails, pennyweight, Tremont Nail Factory
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M is for McLoughlin’s Melodeon: A-to-Z Challenge
John McLoughlin was the Father of Oregon, and his history is celebrated at the McLoughlin House in Oregon City. We conserved the Prince & Co. Melodeon he gave to his granddaughter, part of a larger collection housed at his home, … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, house museums, preservation, restoration techniques, shellac, traditional varnishes, wooden objects
Tagged #columbiariver, #conservationtechniques, #drfrasertolmie, #fatheroforegon, #giltbutterflies, #johnmcloughlin, #lacquercabinet, #margueritemcloughlin, #mcloughlinhouse, #melodeon, #musicalinstrument, #nps, #oregonhistory, #pacificnorthwest, #portlandoregon, #prince&comelodeon, #prince&company, #sewingcabinet, #woodenobjectconservation, piano
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L is for Lead: A-to-Z-Challenge
Let’s talk about lead as in lead paint, shown right in a Mason Monterey Horseshoe-back Chair, especially in the cream, yellow, and greens. While we are at it, let’s talk about toxic pigments in antique or vintage paints. We love … Continue reading
K is for Ken Ellis’s Embroidered Textile Art: A-to-Z Challenge
We had the pleasure to conserve two pieces of Ken Ellis’ textile art for a private collector: the Shore Family, above, and Elizi Danto, bottom. It was a simple treatment, to clean as best we could some staining from a … Continue reading
J is for Jig: A-to-Z Challenge
Have you or your partner ever decided to fix a piece of furniture, thinking you could just glue it together? You glue it, maybe even clamp it, and it appears fine, but then you come back hours later to take … Continue reading
H is for Hemp: A-to-Z Challenge
Today I will find out how many people look for articles on hemp! Of course, I’m not talking smoking it, medicinally or otherwise. We use it all the time in our business: hemp webbing, tapes, muslins, and the occasional stretchy … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, preservation, restoration techniques, textiles, upholstery
Tagged fiber, hemp, marijuana, maryjane, textiles, weed
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G is for Gadrooning: A-to-Z Challenge
Gadrooning is a decorative motif which reminds me of flower petals lined up in one direction. On furniture, they are often an ornamental motif of uniform or tapering concave or convex shapes that often flank both sides of a central … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, decorative motifs, history, wooden objects
Tagged Berkey & Gay, carved, decorative motif, gadroon, Hahn House, Italian Renaissance
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F is for Fabric Stores and Sexism: A-to-Z-Challenge
by DKP Women think sexism is only about the fairer sex, but I am married to an upholsterer. Let me tell you about sexism and fabric stores, since the whole purpose of this blog is to give you an insight … Continue reading
D is for Dragon’s Blood: A-to-Z Challenge
Dragon’s Blood is a pigment that was widely used in furniture finishes before and in the early 19th century. Synthetic dyes and a shift to different preferences in wood species moved makers away from this very popular finish, and of … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, pigments, restoration techniques, shellac, traditional varnishes
Tagged blood, dragon, dragonsblood, John McLoughlin, pigment, pigmentation, red, shellac, varnish
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C is for Carnauba: A-to-Z Challenge
Carnauba is loved by car aficionados because it is a great wax that makes their cars shiny in the hot sun! The special properties in carnauba allow it to buff to a high sheen and stay put even in hot … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, preservation, restoration techniques, waxes, wooden objects
Tagged carnauba wax, furniture finishes, wax
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B is for Blacksmithing: A-to-Z Challenge
In our business we work with many specialty trades, and one of my favorites is blacksmithing. It is a macho cool thing to take steel and heat it and fashion it into usable parts, and a special talent to be … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, preservation, process, restoration techniques, Spanish Furniture
Tagged blacksmith, nails, restoration
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A is for Algerian: A-to-Z Challenge
Most modern upholsterers create their cushions and backs and arms using limited materials: various foams, and Dacron® or cotton batting. Occasionally they will use feathers and downs. Traditional upholstery uses many different kinds of stuffing: Palm: algerian (palm leaf fiber) … Continue reading
Posted in conservation techniques, preservation, restoration techniques, upholstery
Tagged algerian, coir, down, feathers, flax, hemp, linen, organic cotton, spanish moss, stuffings, traditional upholstery
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A-to-Z Reveal: Conserving and Restoring Antiques!
It is hard for me to categorize our blog posts during this challenge. Lifestyle? Not craft, for we are a bit beyond what a crafty person can do as conservationists. We’ll be writing about the behind the scenes look at … Continue reading
Mixing Rhoplex™ and Micro-crystalline Balloons Teaches Patience!
Just a short post of the wonder of mixing micro-crystalline balloons into Rhoplex™. Whenever I do this I have to slow way down, and practice patience, which is not one of my virtues. Currently we have this lovely Louis XIV … Continue reading
Introducing PastCast: A New Podcast for People Who Save Places
An exciting new blog is starting: PastCast, for people who save places: “We’re excited to announce the debut episode of PastCast, a show for the people who save places! (Hint: That’s you.) Our mission is to bring you great stories … Continue reading
Pins and Needles: Moving the Berkey & Gay Buffet
by DKP This one piece has nearly given me ulcers worrying about the move. It weighs as much as an elephant, and while the backsplash comes off, it is still HUGE, bulky, and unwieldy. The men who moved her are … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, musings, News, preservation, process, restoration techniques
Tagged American furniture, Berkey & Gay, Buffet, cupid, Dutch, Dutch Blue Guard, Germanic, Grand Rapids Furniture, High relief carved, High Renaissance Revival, lamb, moving day, sheep
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Process: German Gothic Revival Fauteuil ca. 1860
by DKP A family heirloom, this piece made it from Germany to the USA intact, but did not fare well from Oklahoma to Oregon, and was damaged by movers who did not pack nor handle the chair properly. This was … Continue reading
Process: Chippendale Camelback Settee Upholstery
by DKP This came to us a badly damaged sentimental family heirloom. The settee buildup was carefully excavated, the frame disassembled, the broken parts (arm, shoulder) were repaired and replaced. The original innards were cleaned and used to rebuild the … Continue reading
East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #4C: Mattress Buildup Continued
by DKP We had the opportunity to conserve the wonderful Eastlake style sofa-bed by A. Hansen Co., Chicago, Ill., below. Our client restored a Victorian in NE Portland, and this sofa-bed will grace her office. This is the seventh post … Continue reading
Posted in antiques, conservation techniques, preservation, process, restoration techniques, upholstery
Tagged A. Hansen 1878 Chicago, arts and crafts, convertible sofa, East Lake, Eastlake, Furniture Conservation, Furniture Restoration, parlor furniture, Sofa-bed, Sofabed, Upholstery Portland Oregon, Victorian furniture
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Process: Tapestry Conservation, Correcting Previous Repairs
by DKP I love needlework, and repairing problematic tapestries. It is a meditation, hundreds of small stitches, and these days as I work I listen to Craig Johnson (Longmire Mysteries) or Pema Chodron (Buddhism) Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs) or … Continue reading
Buying Antique Furniture: The Ins and Outs of the Game!
by DKP What is an antique? Most define it as an object over a century old. Mid-century modern is beginning to come into its own both as a style or genre and also being very collectible. Vintage as defined by … Continue reading
East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #3: Finish Reparation
by DKP This is the fourth post in a series on this project. This post continues from the previous post: East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #2B: Repair. To begin at the beginning go to Eastlake Sofa-Bed Upholstery Conservation #1: Excavation. We made … Continue reading
East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #2B: Repair
by DKP This is the third post in a series on this project. This post continues from the previous post: East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #2A: Repair. To begin at the beginning return to Eastlake Sofa-Bed Upholstery Conservation #1: Excavation. The front … Continue reading
Chinese General Guard Statue Conservation Treatment
by DKP “Chinese General Guard’s Treatment” is a slide show of MPF Conservation’s treatment of a pair of Chinese statues meant to be door guards. The treatment is a mixture of conservation techniques and restoration techniques. Both statues were dirty … Continue reading
Traditional Shellac Varnish: Mixing and Tips For the Best Coat
We make our own shellac, using traditional recipes. We use only the freshest shellac flakes, and use lab grade isopropyl alcohol as the carrier to support our interest in having a green studio. Continue reading
Tabletop Restoration: Impurities in Shellac and other Woes
There really is a Shellac God. He is a fickle god, a prankster, and loves to keep conservators up at night biting their nails. Sometimes the impurities buried deep in historic layers of shellac varnishes are like pranksters. You think you have them under control then they raise up and cause you all kinds of problems. Here is my story, one conservator against 200 years of impurities. Continue reading
