New Year, New Props!

Victorian Fainting Couch

This small couch really needed a loving home.  The back was completely broken from the base, and the ornate frame was cracked apart in two visible spots. When I received restoration estimates ranging from $300 to $500, I nearly fainted upon it which surely would have led to its total demise.  Instead I set to work reconnecting the pieces with internal wooden dowels and glue, molding wood filler into cracks and crevices, and staining and varnishing.  The trim had been removed from the upholstery, leaving behind old tacks and dried glue.  Of course, this required a trip to Sir's Fabrics in Fayetteville, TN, in search of gimp.  Predictably, Sir's had the right color, size and price.  Nothing will ever again remove the trim which I sewed by hand a few stitches at each setting.  Now, the only thing missing is the warmth of a sweet new baby!          

Cast Iron Salesman Sample Bed - Vintage Hexagon Quilt

From Collectors Weekly:  "Salesmans samples were a common item in the early 20th century, as salesmen needed a smaller version of their product to show off to retailers, and retailers in turn needed a way to demonstrate the features of larger items, which might need to be ordered from the manufacturer, to their customers." 

Built exactly like their full-size counterparts, salesman sample beds just happen to be the perfect size for newborns!  I rescued and repaired the patchwork quilt.  Of course, we always mix and match and change up accessories to get just the right combination for each new baby.