Dissecting an antique chair for the first time

First of all, I just want to say that I am in no way an expert in furniture projects, nor am I trying to tell everyone the best way to do anything.  In fact, I am a complete amateur and I just like to share my own experiences and take you all along on the journey with me.  If you have a better or easier way to do something or any advice because you have more experience, then I would LOVE to hear it!  This blogging thing to me is all about sharing, and helping each other.  That being said, I would just like to share this experience with you- my first try at re-doing anything antique.  It all started with a trip to the Salvation Army thrift store (of course)...

This chair was $10 at the thrift store.  I could tell it was old just by looking at it- it had years of different owner's wood stains built up on the wood and I saw that it had nails in places you just don't see anymore.  When I popped the seat off I knew for sure.  It was by itself in a sea of 1980's junk, so I had to rescue it.

This is the seat cover that was on it.  Someone put this on it in the 80's or 90's and it was just hideously ugly so I had to change it.  Seriously, it felt like someone's old basement rec room carpet.

When I took the fabric off, which had been stapled on, I found this awesome old raw cotton felt padding.  It was unbleached, with bits of husk and leaves in it.  It looked extremely old to me, so I had to be really careful with it.  I saw the original nails still in the wood from the first seat fabric that was ever used.  I also noticed these hand-cut dovetails in the joints of the square seat that let me know immediately that this was an old seat. Learn about hand cut dovetail joints here.

I pried these nails out (with pliers.)  It was easier than I expected, considering that those things had been in that wood for a LONG time.  I could tell immediately that they were hand cut because each one was different and you could see the cut marks on them.  They look like really old upholsterers gimp pins, which are falling out of use due to the popular usage of *cringe* staples.

This is the cotton seat about to get recovered:

I found this fabric, also at the thrift store, for $3.  I think it was an old pillowcase.

I reused the nails when I nailed it on.

Et voila!!  Fin!!  I thought the dark stain, though it had many flaws in it, looked cool and kind of rustic the way it was, so I left it.  I believe it is referred to as "patina."  Ha ha.  Read a fun article about patina here.