I inherited several chairs from each side of the family. I cherish them all because each one holds special memories for me.
True story. I ended up with two matching chairs. One belonged to my maternal grandmother and is actually a rocker. The other belonged to my paternal grandmother.
My Aunt E always called them cricket chairs. I did a little research to learn about cricket chairs. She was correct. I found a very similar chair to my grandmother’s chair on houzz.com for $295. Fully restored, painted and recovered, it really was a cute chair. According to the vendor, WingBack LLC, that has the chair for sale, “This well known chair style is called the “Cricket Chair” made in the l940’s.”
Merriam-Webster defines a cricket chair as “a small armchair or rocker usually of maple with turned legs and posts, a padded seat and a back cushion, and usually a cloth skirt dropping down from the seat cushion.”
I have decided to paint mine white and recover them with matching fabric. My Grandmother Lawrence’s rocker still has the original fabric on it. I had had my Grandmother Price’s chair refinished and recovered in a white and red dotted fabric that matched a guest bedroom several years ago.
Aunt E always said the cricket chair was great for hand sewing, so these two will fit right in in my craft/blog room. I love having that connection to my grandmothers, each of whom enjoyed sewing for their families. I wish I could have spent some time quilting with these ladies. I have some of my Grandmother Lawrence’s quilts, but I do not have any of Grandmother Price’s work. What I enjoy most about seeing Grandmother Lawrence’s quilts is the hand stitching. The length of the stitch, the evenness and spacing…it all comes together to tell a story of her life and her hands. The fabric she chose also tells about the circumstances surrounding the need for the quilt. I have a worn out muslin one that was totally utilitarian, as opposed to a wedding quilt she made for my aunt, which has pretty, bright fabrics in each square. But, I have gotten wayyy off subject (squirrel)!
Have you ever heard of a cricket chair? Did you inherit fun family treasurers? Maybe a few quilts from your grandmom?
I have a cricket rocker from my grandmother and I need new cushions. Do you have any idea where I can purchase new cushions for it? It seems nobody makes them anymore.
Sadly, I do not know where to purchase new cushions for them. I had the chair reupholstered about twenty years ago and the person who recovered it made a new cushion. He did not put the buttons in the seat cushion nor the back cushion. You might try to make one yourself with the help of Youtube videos, or you might find an upholsterer to make one for you. Good luck!
I. Wish to purchase cricket chair cover.
You might check with a local seamstress to see if they could make you one. I am not sure where one can be purchased. Good luck!
Do you know more history about the cricket chair. I do make replacement cushions and skirting and trying to get more facts on this popular chair that are being passed down to family and have great memories.
Hi Susan! I do not know anything more about the chairs, but I wish I did! I noticed someone had asked about it on Kovels and the website stated no one knows why it is called a cricket chair. If you learn more, please let me know!