For My Grandmother

I never knew my mother's mother; she died long before I was born.  My father's mother was a familiar presence in my life as a young girl.

Grandmommy was Bessie Isabel Daniels Brinson.  She was a typical Southern belle.  I always remember her wearing beautiful georgette or crepe de Chine dresses, and she smelled like Elizabeth Arden's "Blue Grass".  She and Papa (my grandfather) lived in North Carolina and we would often take the train up there from Florida to visit with them.  She always had a cookie jar full of homemade molasses cookies, and when you'd take a nap on her big four poster bed, you'd wake up with the imprint of the hobnail bedspread on your cheeks.

This chair was in her house.  Over the years, what I am certain must have been a lovely tan or cream background to the faux petit point upholstery had turned a distinctly unappealing shade of tobacco brownish/green.  The upholstery itself is in good shape as is the guimp trim.

Today I received 3 samples of Annie Sloan Chalk paint in Paris Grey, Antoinette and Old White.  I have been eager to try the paint, but budgetary reasons have kept me from investing in full quarts.  I was excited to have the samples, and I got one of my legendary "wild hairs" while sitting in my living room looking at the paints with my grandmother's chair staring at me across the room.

So...in about 4 hours time, we went from ^^^^^that, and 

this...

to 

this, and 

this.

The frame is Paris Grey with Antoinette for the rose detail and to highlight the other carved details.  The awful tobacco upholstery was painted with half Paris Grey and half Old White.  I thinned it with some water and used several light coats to get the desired color.

The welting on the sides and back was painted with Antoinette.  

As usual, my photos stink, but the back really looks like fine pale grey linen now.  Those aren't splotches, it's the lighting, and I gracefully forgot to remove a piece of painters' tape from the left part of the seat before I took this photo.

I'm pleased with how it turned out.  I am not sure if I'm finished yet; I'd like to do some silvering, I think.

I'm calling her "Bessie" in honor of my grandmother.