Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch.

Unknown

Foreword

I’ve been known to say that if I ever won the lottery, the first thing I would do is have all of my furniture upholstered in beautiful patterned fabric. And if I had my first choice of upholsterers, that person would be Amanda Brown.

When I was younger, I thought of upholstery as something only fancy or stuffy people had done. I remembered all of the scratchy formal couches my grandparents had and couldn’t imagine ever being interested in such a thing. But in 2003, everything changed. I moved to Brooklyn, started immersing myself in the design world, and was blown away by all of the beautiful textile designs coming out from younger artists. Their fabrics were affordable, fun, and the opposite of stuffy. But unfortunately, no one seemed to be doing anything with them other than making pillow after pillow. Then I discovered Spruce.

Amanda Brown led the wave of upholsterers who started looking at found and vintage furniture and reimagining it with bold, contemporary fabrics. In Amanda’s skillful hands, old sofas, chairs, and ottomans were transformed into hip new furniture for younger families, and the community noticed. Spruce may have started as a local Austin business, but the influence of Amanda’s work and taste has spread across the country.

Whether you’re looking to reupholster your very first thrift store score or want to tackle every piece of furniture in your home, Amanda can teach you how. But she doesn’t stop there. Her ideas for combining different fabrics and using found materials like vintage embroideries will open your eyes to all of the incredible ways you can give your old or used furniture new life. Trust Amanda. She’s been teaching students to reupholster for years now and you’re all about to get a master class from a seriously talented — and tastemaking — master.

— Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge

Introduction

Several years ago, I lived in the quaintest garage apartment behind an old historic home in Austin, Texas. It had dormers, parquet floors, and just enough space for me, my cat, and the collection of treasures, new and old, I had accumulated over the years. One weekend, while I was away visiting family, an electrical spark caused a fire and burned it to the ground. I was devastated.

According to my insurance coverage, I could replace my treasures and furniture but had only a year. I tried to recreate my old space, with its vintage lamps, artwork, and furniture, all of which had been purchased on a shoestring budget from every hole-in-the-wall store between Austin and Lubbock. I quickly ran out of time and was forced into the big-box store. I purchased a chair, ottoman, sofa, and coffee table in a single day. White, beige, and blue. They didn’t last long, and I don’t mean they broke or wore out. Instead, I traded out, one by one, new for old, shapeless for shapely, until I had collected a living room of old furniture desperate for a makeover, but budding with potential.

I had “upholstered” a sofa once in college. It was $10.81 + tax from the Thrift Store for the Blind. My sister and two other roommates dragged it to our dorm room and used a cheap blue and beige plaid fabric to cover its stained exterior. Every piece of fabric was attached with safety pins, and we kept the sofa pushed against the wall to hide the abrupt termination of our upholstery job. After the fire, I had moved into a real house, was working my first real job, and didn’t want to push every piece of furniture against the wall, so I saved up the money to have a professional upholsterer do the deed.

After the transformation of the first few pieces, my living room redo turned into an obsession. Each new piece prompted my search for another diamond in the rough and the next best fabric. The Spruce seed had sprouted. I could do this every day! I could be my own boss, sell rejuvenated vintage furniture, and quit the job that was leaving my creative bones dissatisfied.

I enrolled in three upholstery classes at the local community college and learned how to upholster the professional way (without safety pins). Before the end of the third class, I was taking clients and working graveyard shifts after my day job. I learned enough from my classes to get by, but I still felt unprepared for some projects. I searched high and low for videos, books, and any instruction to help me make my way into the upholstery profession. I found books, but as a beginner I was too new to understand the lingo, and the books I could understand were not thorough enough to help me with the nitty-gritty. I found a series of videos, which I watched only to discover unprofessional methods and lingering moments watching the wall. (Apparently the cameraman fell asleep, too!)

There was nothing to it but to do it. And I did. I quit my job and spent the next few years filling in the holes the hard way. It was the boot camp of upholstery. Twelve-hour days, six to seven days a week, fussing over padding, puckers, and pleats. I’m not going to lie: there were moments of tears, cussing, and breakdowns, but they were always followed by triumph and the euphoria that comes with making something beautiful with your own hands. And my projects comforted me after each battle. It was laborious, but it was love.

For every piece I recreated, I had a new set of skills, a new happy customer, a new design, and a new space. Through upholstery, I could make any design — traditional, modern, or eclectic — and I quickly realized that upholstered furniture is the root of an interior. Not only can a sofa encourage midday naps, movie marathons, and all-night shindigs with friends, it also sets the mood of a room. An antique settee with a silk damask fabric may persuade you to sit up straight and be on your best behavior, but a plush, slipcovered sectional lets your guard down. Restyling Grandma’s old chair with your favorite fabric preserves the memories and transforms the “I would never put that in my house” chair into your favorite reading spot. You can hire the local upholsterer to redo the chair for you, but you can’t begin to understand the design choices at your disposal without understanding the skills of the trade. Through every upholstered piece you complete comes this understanding and the sense of how upholstery changes the look and feel of a room.

Whether you have one piece you want to redo, you’re opening your own upholstery shop, or you’re an interior designer looking for ways to spruce up and incorporate a client’s old piece, with this book you can dive into five advanced projects that between them teach all the skills you need to tackle any modern-day upholstery project — from spring-tying to channel-making, from cushion-sewing to diamond-tufting. And we’ll top it off by sewing a variety of throw pillows! If you have a particular piece you don’t see in the lineup, don’t worry. Turn the page to check out Mix ’n’ Match Upholstery for guidance that will help you redo any piece.

Today, we’re surrounded by mass-produced furniture with no consideration for our personal tastes and needs. I’m not the same person as 1,000 other people with the same sofa, so why should my furniture be? Step outside the box. Search through Grandpa’s garage. Take a stroll through the local thrift store. Find that piece that encourages you to make a change.

Note: The first appearance of each word that may be unfamiliar to you is bold. Tap these links to find them in the glossary.

Mix ’n’ Match Upholstery

Mix and match instructions to help you redo any piece. To get your wheels turning, check out the projects below, which we’ve color coded to guide you straight to the instructions you need for a particular component of your furniture. Bon voyage!

Ch. 21–23, pages 233–257

Ch. 16, pages 175–186

Ch. 18, pages 194–199

Ch. 27, pages 294–305

Ch. 3–4, pages 28–54

Ch. 23, pages 258–261

Ch. 17, pages 187–192

Ch. 21–23, pages 233–257

Ch. 27, pages 294–305

Ch. 23, pages 258–261

Ch. 26, pages 284–288

Ch. 17, pages 187–192;
Ch. 29, pages 318–329

Ch. 11, pages 133–135

Ch. 16, pages 175–186

Ch. 18, pages 194–199

Ch. 13–15, pages 148–174

Ch. 5, pages 55–57, 63–67

Ch. 19, pages 205–217

Ch. 21–23, pages 233–257

Ch. 27, pages 294–305

Ch. 17, pages 187–192

Ch. 26, pages 284–288

Ch. 9, pages 102–117

Ch. 17, pages 187–192

Ch. 26, pages 284–288

Ch. 11, pages 133–135

Ch. 13–15, pages 148–174

Ch. 19, pages 205–217

Ch. 11, pages 126–132

Ch. 16, pages 175–186

Ch. 18, pages 194–199

Ch. 3–4, pages 28–54

Ch. 23, pages 258–261

Ch. 7–8, pages 82–101

Ch. 29, pages 318–329

Chapter 1

Getting Inspired and Designing the Space

In October 2010, I made a house call to repair a button that had popped off a sofa. My customer, Jack, had a charming one-acre, off-the-beaten-path abode with a spring-fed pond and big trees, all within ten minutes of downtown Austin. I gushed over the natural beauty of the area and its proximity to downtown, so after repairing the button, he took me on a walk through the neighborhood, all eleven houses. At the other end of the street, a house was foreclosed. Jack said, “I can’t recommend the house, but it would at least get you into the neighborhood until someone dies.” While listening to him tell the stories of the past 35 years and chuckling at his sense of humor, we trudged through the overgrown lawn and peeped in the windows of 4203 Afton Lane.

I’m not being modest when I say it was a dump. In fact, that may not even do it justice. Broken windows, cracked slab, and an abandoned pool (or should I say frog pond?) were only a few of its better qualities. Yet somehow, I could see through its defects. The next day, I got a call from Jack. Another button had popped off the sofa, so I bartered on-site upholstery repair for dinner and another tour of the neighborhood, this time with my hubby.

Let’s just say it was meant to be. The next night, Keith and I met Lee, Jack’s B.F.F. and our future across-the-street neighbor. We had dinner, drank wine, and stayed up way too late. Over the course of the next several months, we watched and waited for 4203 to go on the market, and in March 2011, we closed on the house. The next eleven months were a blur of bids, demo, and reconstruction.

The living room was part of a 20-year-old add-on with an unrepairable cracked slab, so we knocked it off and worked with our architect to make a new space with tall ceilings, skylights, and a 12' tall fireplace. A Craigslist search for Mexican brick led me to a gentleman specializing in reclaimed architectural stone who had recently removed the travertine from the courtyard of the LBJ Presidential Library. In the back of his pickup was a large slab of the stone with hairline cracks, small holes, and natural imperfections. It was exactly what we needed to make a large statement in a subtle and modern way.

Jemima Dawson, a fellow designer and friend, inspired the blue walls and the floors. She whisked into the construction site one day with her cup of tea and bag full of color fans and samples, and pulled out this amazing hardwood floor with incredible grain and a wide variety of colors. It’s also made of recycled furniture — a bit of an omen? The blue is a copy of Jemima’s living room walls, which makes me feel light and relaxed every time I go to her house (or is it the wine?). And the black wallpaper was a discovery we made on one of our many Afton Lane rendezvous, the perfect dichotomy of light and dark. We had begun to lay the groundwork for a completely personal space.

So this is where we begin. An empty room can be a large hurdle . . . or an opportunity to create a completely original space. Rooms have a way of falling into place when you listen to your gut. It may seem less daunting to start with the small decisions first and work your way up, but I find it’s best to dive in headfirst and let the details float to the top. Just like the color of my room. I knew I loved it, so I pulled the trigger without considering any other factors. If you’re drawn to a color, paint it. If you have a favorite chair or piece of furniture with sentimental value, focus on it first.

Start with the pieces that are sure bets, like the corner pieces of a puzzle.

When I moved into the house, I had an old sofa I had found at an antique mall. It had become my favorite hangout, so I made it my first and only focus. As I was browsing through fabric samples one day, an orange velvet jumped out of the stack. I wanted to start with a bold stroke, but not one that would railroad every other decision. I brought the fabric home, held it next to the sofa, floors, and wall color to make sure it was good fit, and ordered it the next day.

My other nonnegotiable was the dragon fabric. I’ve never considered myself a dragon lover, but as I look around my house, I realize that there are several dragons to be found. Then it’s no surprise that Jim Thompson’s Enter the Dragons fabric knocks my socks off. I had been trying to find a place for this fabric for a while, so when the opportunity arose to redo my own space, it was a no-brainer; I had to use it. The scale of this pattern is best suited for larger furniture, so I searched high and low and found a curvy wingback with just the right dimensions to solidify my second decision.

The sure bets

After your first few unrestricted decisions, make a practical one.

Since I’m a bona fide furniture addict, minimalism has never been an option for me. I was far from finished with the new living room. I had blue walls, black wallpaper, an orange sofa, and to top it all off, a fire-breathing dragon. With my absolute must-haves on the table, it was time for a calculated move, one that could bring order to chaos, and more importantly, give me just enough leeway to add in a few more whimsical pieces before calling it a day.

Practical decisions come in all shapes and sizes. For most, it has more to do with being “reasonable” — like buying something that lasts a long time or is washable or comfortable. In design, aesthetics always play a role in practicality. It’s about creating a visual balance with color, pattern, and proportions that is pleasing to the eye. It has less to do with the amazing stand-alone piece and more to do with what is needed to create harmony in the room.

With symmetry, you can create order without compromising personality. All you need is two of the same thing. It can be a pair of beige armchairs or a pair of floral armchairs, and either way, it creates a visual balance. To make my haphazard lineup look thoughtful and planned, I found a pair of slipper chairs on eBay to counter the weight of the sofa. But just adding a pair of chairs to the room was not quite enough to do the trick. I went one step further and chose black and white fabric to dilute the color in the room while adding a playful speckled pattern to support the sprightly scene I’d created so far.

The practical choice

Don’t forget functionality.

Clearly, I was still missing an essential component in the living room: the coffee table. Acrylic, glass, metal, wood — I had thought of every possibility, then remembered the run-in with my last coffee table. It was wooden, sleek, and stylish, but we were constantly covering it with throw pillows to soften the top. The first thing Keith and I do when we get home is plop down in the living room, kick up our feet, and relax. The coffee table plays a big part in this daily routine, so it had to be sturdy, cleanable, and soft. I found an old coffee table whose base I liked and made a new top to suit our needs.

In a living room, what good is the visual appeal if it’s not usable? Functionality is different for every homemaker. I’m not suggesting that all coffee tables should be replaced with ottomans. I’m just saying, think about what you consider comfortable and what you plan to do in your space. Do you entertain frequently? Do you watch television? Do you take naps in your living room? Your furniture should work for you and help facilitate your daily activities.

functionality

Tie up the loose ends.

Stuff. noun, 1. property, as personal belongings or equipment.

We all have it; we all use it. It may require additional dusting, but it’s essential for making a room personal and lived in. It’s that bit of dissonance in a “perfect” space that encourages people to let their guards down. Nothing breaks the boundaries of rigid formality like a homeless piece of furniture, or as I call it, the floating chair. At a moment’s notice, my Louis chair can be pulled up to the sofa, fireplace, or ottoman, and its multilingual stripe enables it to join in every conversation. With its inherent flexibility, it encourages guests to move around, get comfortable, and personalize the space. There’s always that one place you want to sit but can’t or that one conversation that’s one seat too short, and the floating chair effortlessly saves the day.

As for the rest of the stuff, I had linen curtains with a black border made to tie in the wallpaper from the adjoining room and designed a dragon rug in neutral tones to soften the hard floors and add an element of surprise (and dragons of course!). The pillows join in the ensemble to harmonize the overall design, connecting colors, patterns, and textures from across the room, and the knickknacks are an accumulation of objects that entertain me, make me smile, or remind me of a moment in time. When it comes down to the tiniest details, don’t force it. You don’t have to go from nothing to something overnight. And always make sure you leave real estate open for adding to the collection of treasures.

Flexibility

Accents and accessories

Project 1

An American in Paris: Upholstering a Louis Chair

Chapter 2

Design Plan and Yardage Estimate

From the squarish, tall back chairs of Louis XIV to the curvaceous lines of Louis XV, no sitting room is complete without a touch of French classic style. With the lineup planned for the living room, I knew I needed a small stand-alone piece that could be moved around to fulfill any task, whether it be a Sunday afternoon reading in my mini library or joining in a card game around the cocktail ottoman. I snatched up this Neoclassical knock-off at a local consignment shop and headed back to the house to test it out.

No disrespect to Louis XIII to XV, but Louis XVI got it right when it comes to my living room needs. In a space accommodating four other sizes, shapes, and styles of upholstered furniture, the chair needed to be on the smaller side but not too small, decorative without being ornate, and comfortable enough to allow me to enjoy the better part of a New York Times bestseller. With exposed wood, the chair balances the large swaths of fabric found on every other piece while still having enough surface area to display color and texture. The shapely back and seat complement the roundness of the slipper chairs and contrast nicely with the rectangular shapes of the sofa and cocktail ottoman. This piece fills the position quite well.

Louis chair: Before

I spent an afternoon with Louis catching up on the latest issues of Elle Décor and House Beautiful and decided that the seat was too puny to become a regular hangout for my derrière. As it was purchased, the seat was constructed of webbing and foam. Not a terrible combination, but an extra layer of coil springs beneath the padding will drastically improve the comfort of the seat. I’ll also change the color of the wood by refinishing the chair in a dark chocolate brown to coordinate with the other furniture in the room.

Trasimeno in Zinnia by Designers Guild

If we were upholstering this piece for Louis XVI himself, we’d find the rarest and most intricately woven silk damask available, but since our tastes and selections are no longer shaped by those of the French monarchy, I’ll break tradition and upholster with a punchy neon velvet stripe by Designers Guild. The durability of velvet makes it a smart choice for a piece that gets its fair share of activity, and the weight of the material makes the chair seem more substantial, even though it’s the smallest piece in the room. Orange, green, and yellow connect to the sofa and cocktail ottoman and bring out the vivid accents of chartreuse and neon green highlighting the dragon on the wingback. The vibrancy of colors also makes the chair a striking stand-alone piece.

Design Inspiration from the Spruce Archives

Take a stroll through your local fabric store or surf the web for your next inspired textile. Online merchants such as eBay and Etsy have vintage fabrics in the form of curtains, tablecloths, and blankets eager to create the next showstopper.

I love how this herd adds movement to an otherwise humdrum rocking chair.

To greet guests as they enter the dining room, our client put her favorite fabric on the backs of her dining chairs and a practical solid on areas needing more stain resistance.

This antique chair was rescued from the rubble of Hurricane Katrina and jolted back to life with a vibrant pattern.

Add texture and dimension to a plain inside back with diamond tufting (see chapter 29).

Pair a bold, modern pattern with an antique piece to add an element of surprise to your space.

Parts of the Louis Chair

A chair of this size typically requires 2 to 3 yards of fabric, but it’s always a good idea to measure each part, especially when working with a patterned fabric.

1. Start by writing down the parts of the chair:

Seat

Inside back (ISB)

Outside back (OSB)

Arm pads

2. Always measure the largest dimensions of each piece. On the seat, extend the measuring tape from one side to the other to determine the width (29¹⁄₂").

3. The depth of the seat begins at the back of the chair and ends at the front (26").

4. Measure the width across the plumpest part of the inside back (19").

5. Measure from the top to the bottom of the inside back for the height (20").

6. Record the width (17") and height (19") of the outside back.

7. The arm pads on this chair are so small we’ll skip measurements and use scraps of fabric to upholster them.

8. The highlighted columns list the total widths and heights/depths of fabric needed for pulling and stapling. Since we’re using coil springs, I’ve added an additional 2" to each seat measurement to accommodate the extra plumpness.

Louis Chair Measurements

Calculating Yardage

Although stripes can be oriented vertically or horizontally, velvet has nap, which determines its direction. Run your hand across the velvet from top to bottom and side to side to determine the most obvious difference in the feel of the velvet. In most cases, the nap of the velvets runs off the roll as opposed to railroaded (see page 229), and this is true for this velvet stripe. This fabric is softest and smoothest when I run my hand from the top near the roll toward the cut edge of the fabric. In this scenario, the fabric should be oriented with the stripes running vertically and the top edge of each piece closest to the fabric roll.

For the most contrast and striking positioning of the stripes, I will center two chocolate brown stripes down the chair inside back and seat.

9. When determining yardage, the first step is determining which pieces can be placed side by side for the most efficient use of fabric and appropriate pattern placement. This fabric is 54" wide with a horizontal repeat of 9", so I will place the seat on its own width of fabric with the two back pieces side by side and directly beneath.

10. Add the final height of the seat to the final height of the inside back (30" + 22" = 52").

11. Divide the total from step 10 by 36" (1 yard) to calculate the total number of yards needed (1.44).

12. Since we still need arm pads and double welt cord to cover the exposed staples around the seat, inside back, and arms, we’ll round up to finalize our yardage estimate at 2 yards of fabric.

Overview

Supplies for the Louis Chair

Basic Supplies

³⁄₈" staples

¹⁄₂" staples

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Button twine

Paper

Pencil

Permanent marker

Spray adhesive

Spring twine

Thread

White or yellow chalk

Tools & Equipment

Air blower

Button needle

Double-welt cord foot attachment

Electric carving knife

Goggles

High-heat glue gun and glue

Klinch-It with Klinch-It staples (optional)

Magnetic tack hammer

Measuring tape

Pliers

Regulator

Scissors

Sewing machine

Square

Square-point upholstery knife

Staple gun

Staple remover

Utility knife

Webbing stretcher

Welt cord stick (optional)

Yardstick

Materials

12 yards ⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

2 yards fabric

¹⁄₂ slab 2"-thick high-density foam

¹⁄₄ slab 2"-thick low-density foam

1¹⁄₂ yards burlap

1 yard cardboard tack strip

9 coil springs

2 yards cotton batting

1¹⁄₂ yards 27"-wide Dacron

1 yard dustcover

1 yard ³⁄₄" edge roll

8 yards jute webbing

For more information on tools and materials, visit the glossary (page 369).

Chapter 3

Tying Coil Springs for a Tight Seat

Before springs, seats were padded with natural materials such as horsehair, cotton, and hay. It wasn’t until the 1800s that coils were used to pad upholstered furniture. Initially, soft iron and poor tying techniques caused springs to lose resiliency and shift around with use, resulting in a lumpy and uncomfortable seat. Two centuries later, we’ve learned how to manipulate springs with an eight-way tie that anchors them in place, so they provide maximum support and comfort for many years.

As I did with this Louis chair, you can add coil springs to any piece of furniture. If you’re content with your furniture as is, it’s not necessary to add coil springs, but keep them in mind for those pieces requiring a little more cush for your tush. If you donʼt have or want coil springs, see page 39.

Louis chair: Stripped to the frame

Attaching Webbing

Supplies

Goggles

Jute webbing

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Safety Tip: When stapling or hammering tacks, always protect those baby blues with a pair of goggles or prescription glasses. Otherwise, deflected staples and tacks can be a total eyesore.

1. Jute webbing provides the foundation for the springs and all the padding on the seat, not to mention the sitter. With the chair flipped over, determine the maximum number of strips, without overlap, that will fit horizontally and vertically on the bottom edges of the chair. My hand is the same width as the webbing, so I use it as a measuring device.

2. Evenly space the strips of webbing on each side of the frame. With the webbing connected to the roll, attach the cut end with 4 or 5 staples to the center of the wooden bar where it’s strongest. Leave a few extra inches of webbing beyond the staples.

3. Fold back the excess webbing and staple again.

4. Pull the webbing across the frame and over the opposite side. Hold the webbing stretcher against the edge of the chair with the handle up at a slight angle. Bring the webbing over and through the teeth of the webbing stretcher, then pull the handle down until the webbing is tight.

5. When the webbing is tight enough to resist movement with pressure, secure it in place with 4 or 5 staples.

6. Cut the webbing from the roll a few inches beyond the staples. Fold back the excess and staple again.

7. Repeat steps 2–6 until all vertical strips of webbing are attached.

8. For the horizontal strips, weave the cut end over and under each vertical strip until it reaches the side. Staple, fold back the excess, and staple again. Repeat steps 4–6 to attach the opposite end. If you started by weaving over, under, over the vertical strips, weave the adjacent strip under, over, under. Continue alternating the weaving pattern and attaching the webbing until all the horizontal strips are in place.

9. When the webbing is attached to all four sides, hammer three upholstery tacks on top of every end of webbing. Use 10-ounce tacks for pieces with petite frames and 12-ounce tacks for bigger pieces, such as large armchairs and sofas. Tap the tack in place with the magnetic side of the magnetic tack hammer, then flip the head around to hammer it in the rest of the way.

³⁄₈" v. ¹⁄₂" Staples

As you work through the projects, you’ll notice a change in the length of staples used for different parts. The longer ¹⁄₂" staples are used for layers that are structural or receive a lot of pressure, such as seat webbing and spring twine. They’re also better for attaching exterior layers that have multiple layers of webbing, fabric, and other materials beneath them.

If they’re stronger, why wouldn’t we use ¹⁄₂" staples all the time? On some furniture, ¹⁄₂" staples are too long, going all the way through or splintering the wood. Also, ¹⁄₂" staples are more expensive. It may seem negligible, but over the lifetime of your upholstering, you’ll use millions of staples, and it adds up.

Hand-Sewing Coil Springs to Webbing

For a small project like this, hand sewing is a relatively quick and easy way to attach springs to webbing, but for larger projects like the sofa, it can add hours of time. Visit page 237 to see how easily springs are attached with the Klinch-It, a tool made specifically for stapling springs to webbing.

Supplies

Coil springs

Button twine

Scissors

Button needle

10. Turn the chair right side up and evenly space the coil springs on top of the webbing. You may notice that one end is bent down or bound to the spring. This end should be at the top and oriented to the same position on every spring. In other words, if the end is toward two o’clock, all the ends should be pointed toward two o’clock.

11. Attach each spring to the webbing at three evenly spaced points around the bottom rung. To do this, cut a 20-inch length of button twine and thread the end through the eye of the button needle. Tie a knot around the eye to keep the twine from slipping out.

12. Insert the button needle right next to one of the springs. Pull through the twine until there’s approximately 4" of twine left above the webbing.

13. Pull the needle and twine up through the webbing on the other side of the spring.

14. Tie a double-knot around the spring to anchor the end of twine in place.

15. Insert the needle next to the spring and pull the twine through. Bring the needle and twine up through the webbing on the other side of the spring. Repeat this step until you have made three loops around that part of the spring. After the third loop, pull the twine through the webbing and bring it up at the next attachment point at the bottom rung of the spring.

16. Repeat step 15 to stitch the other two points of the spring to the webbing. After the third point is sewn, bring the needle and twine up through the webbing where you started on step 12. Tie off the ends with a double-knot to complete the attachment of the spring.

17. Repeat steps 11–16 to attach all other springs. When they’re anchored in place, they should be firm to the webbing and resist movement. From the underside of the webbing, there should be a triangle of button twine beneath every spring where you attached the spring across three locations.

Tying the Springs

Supplies

Goggles

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Spring twine

Scissors

¹⁄₂" staples

Staple gun

18. Hammer in halfway two tacks at the ends of every horizontal and vertical row of springs. The tacks should be on the topside of the frame near the center of the wooden bar.

19. Measure and cut a length of doubled-over spring twine for each vertical and horizontal row of springs. The doubled twine should be long enough to reach from one set of tacks to the other with an extra 4" per spring in the row. (I added 12" to every row of three springs.)

20. Place the middle loop of the doubled twine in between a pair of tacks on the backside of the chair.

21. Fold the loop back and around each tack.

22. Pull the ends of twine tightly toward the center of the chair to cinch the loops around the tacks and hammer them down to hold the twine in place.

23. Repeat steps 20–22 for all pairs of tacks on the back and one side of the frame.

Tying Vertical Rows

With spring tying for a tight seat, our goals are to compress the springs as tightly as we can, make a slightly domed shape to the seat, and keep each spring centered on its vertical axis for maximum support. To accomplish this, the middle spring will be slightly higher and the outside edges of the outer springs lower. When we start and finish the second strand of twine in the row, we’ll tie a knot around the top and second rungs to bring down the height of the outside edges.

Always tie vertical rows of springs from the back to the front. When tying horizontally, make life easier by working in the direction of your dominant hand.

24. Start with the back middle spring. From the back of the chair, bring the left strand of twine under the second rung from the top and up through the middle of the spring.

25. Make a loose knot around the backside of the second rung from the top.

26. To tighten the knot while the spring is compressed in place, tightly pull the twine straight from the tack with your dominant hand while the index finger of your nondominant hand holds the twine against the bottom of the second rung.

27. When the spring is in the correct position, release your dominant hand and pull the end of twine to tighten the knot. If you’re having a hard time compressing the spring, tighten the knot while the spring is leaning slightly toward the back of the chair. When you pull the twine forward, the spring will have to compress lower to be centered on its vertical axis.

28. From the second rung, move to the top rung of the opposite side and repeat steps 25–27 to tie the knot.

29. Continue tying knots to both sides of the top rung of every spring until you reach the last side of the last spring, where you’ll skip down to the second rung and tie a knot. When the last knot is tied, loop the twine around the left tack and leverage your hand against the frame to pull the springs down. Pull out the slack in the twine as you lower the springs to the desired height. Then hammer down the tack to hold the springs in place.

30. Repeat steps 24–27 to make a knot around both the second and top rungs with the right strand of twine. It should be easier to tie knots with the second strand of twine since the springs are already held in place.

31. Repeat steps 28 and 29 to tie knots to both sides of every spring. On the last side of the last spring, tie the knot around both the second and top rungs. Then wrap the end of twine around the right tack and hammer it down.

32. The first row is really important in determining the overall height of the springs. Are the springs centered over themselves from back to front? Do they compress no more than 1"–2" with strong pressure? If the answer is “No” to either question, go back and make adjustments to correct the positioning. To finish the row of springs, add a few staples to the ends of twine to hold them in place, in case a tack should pop out, and cut off the excess twine.

33. Repeat steps 24–32 to tie the other vertical rows of springs. As you compress the springs, match the height to the adjacent rows.

Tying Horizontal Rows

With horizontal rows, we need to compress the springs even more, and tie the springs so they rest in an upright position with the top rungs centered over the bottom rungs.

34. Repeat steps 24–33 to tie the horizontal rows. After the springs are tied, inspect them to make sure they’re upright. Go back and retie any springs that are leaning.

What if I don’t have coil springs in my tight seat?

With a tight seat like the Louis chair, you may come across a few other constructions that require a slightly different order of operations. As discussed in the previous chapter, this chair originally came with a layer of webbing topped by the padding. If this is the type of chair you have, follow the instructions for attaching webbing but attach it to the topside of the frame instead of the bottom. Then skip to the next chapter for padding and upholstering the seat.

If you found zigzag or sinuous springs when you stripped your piece, follow steps 1–9 (pages 83–85) to tie the sinuous springs. Continue your process with the following chapter.

Tying Diagonal Rows

At this point, we have completed a four-way tie, but we’ll tie the springs diagonally in both directions to add even more stability and help shape the dome of the seat. Diagonal rows are the easiest of all since we’ve already secured the springs in place with the vertical and horizontal rows. I recommend completing the diagonal rows in one direction before setting the tacks and twine for the other direction. It can get very confusing remembering which tacks go with which row.

35. Use your arm to envision the line the twine will make when the springs are tied diagonally, and hammer in halfway a pair of tacks at both ends of the diagonal rows. It may be difficult to place the tacks in the perfect location. Just get as close as you can to the ideal spot. Repeat steps 19–23 to attach the twine and tie the diagonal rows toward the front of the chair.

36. Repeat steps 24–33 to tie the diagonal rows in one direction.

37. Repeat steps 35 and 36 to tie the rest of the diagonal rows and complete the eight-way tie.

Chapter 4

Padding and Upholstering a Tight Seat

Padding comes in all shapes and sizes. From horsehair to foam, each padding material has a unique set of characteristics that makes it good for specific applications. Check out the table below for a rundown of the most common padding materials used for seats and backs. (See “What’s in the fluff?” on page 335 for more information on materials used in throw pillows.)

Because foam comes in a variety of densities and thicknesses, it is an ideal padding material for modern upholstery where comfort is key. Although lesser quality foams can have a limited lifespan of five years, higher quality foams can have three times the resiliency. For small chairs with coil springs, I typically use 2"-thick, high-quality foam with a firm density to pad the springs. You should never feel the springs through the padding, so the key is choosing a thickness that’s comfortable without ruining the proportions of the piece. And you might want to think about your environmentally friendly options, too (see page 193).

Common Padding Materials for Seats and Inside Backs

Attaching Burlap

1. Measure the depth and width of the seat and cut out a piece of burlap large enough to cover the surface, with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling.

Supplies

Measuring tape

Burlap

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Permanent marker

2. Center the burlap over the seat and staple the back middle of the burlap to the top of the frame. Work around the tacks from spring tying, as these will deflect the staples.

3. Pull the burlap tightly toward the front of the chair and staple the center of the front edge.

4. Pull and staple the middles of both sides.

5. To release the burlap around the leg posts, you’ll need to make cuts at every corner. Smooth the excess burlap from the center of the seat to the back right post and fold back the excess burlap at a 45-degree angle. Make a cut in the excess burlap from the center of the seat to the inside corner of the post. This is also known as a T-cut.

6. Fold under the excess burlap on either side of the post and staple it down.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the other three leg posts.

8. Fold back the excess burlap and staple it down on all sides.

Release Cuts 101

Depending on the construction of your chair, you’ll need to make release cuts to work around certain parts of the furniture frame. With open armchairs, like the Louis chair, release cuts in fabric must be perfectly made to neatly tuck fabric under on either side of the arms and legs. Figure 1 illustrates the release cuts necessary for this chair, involving a T-cut straight to the inside corner of the post. In many cases, you’ll need to make a Y-cut to release fabric around the flat side of a post (see figure 2). Use these steps to determine which type of cut works best for your situation.

Figure 1: T-cut

Figure 2: Y-cut

Figure 3: Extending a Y-cut

1.Smooth the material from the middle of your piece toward the post.

2.If the first part of the post you touch is the inside corner, perform a T-cut.

3.If the first part of the post you touch is a flat side, perform a Y-cut.

Tips for Successful Release Cuts

1.Use chalk to mark the release cut on fabric and double-check yourself before getting out the scissors. For hidden layers, like burlap and Dacron, use a permanent marker to draw cuts.

2.Make baby cuts until you reach the right depth to prevent yourself from going too far.

3.The edges of the Y should never extend beyond the edges of the post. If the Y-cut is the correct width but the fabric still puckers as you fold it around the post (indicating it needs to be a deeper cut), extend the ends of the Y straight back instead of making the Y wider (see figure 2).

4.When in doubt, use a scrap piece of fabric before cutting the real fabric.

5.Only perform one release cut at a time. Stabilize the material as much as possible before making a release cut and secure it in place by stapling on either side before moving on to the next one.

6.The point of a release cut is to release the fabric around obstacles while leaving enough fabric to fold under and hide raw edges. When the release cut is made, will you have enough fabric to cover the padding and fold under and hide the cut edge?

Attaching Edge Roll

We attach edge roll to soften hard wooden edges where foam and padding wear out and disintegrate quickly. Although it’s most commonly used on the front and side edges of seats, smaller edge roll may also be placed around the front scrolls of chairs. For an open armchair, like the Louis chair, we’ll only place edge roll on the front edge since the sitter is prevented from crossing the sides of the seat due to the arms. Edge roll comes in a variety of sizes. Use ³⁄₄"-diameter edge roll for small pieces and 1" or larger for big armchairs and sofas.

Supplies

³⁄₄" edge roll

Permanent marker

Square-point upholstery knife

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

9. Position the edge roll with the tail on the bottom going in toward the middle of the chair. The cut end should begin ¹⁄₂" from arm or leg posts. Line up the edge roll with the front edge of the chair and staple through the tail into the wooden frame (see figure 1).

Figure 1

10. Before you reach the other end, use the square-point upholstery knife to remove the excess edge roll ¹⁄₂" shy of the post. Continue stapling to the end.

11. Stabilize the front side of the edge roll by pinching off and stapling small sections to the front of the wooden beam. See pages 87 and 157 for more examples of attaching edge roll to the slipper chair and wingback.

To stabilize the front of the edge roll, firmly push the edge roll against the frame while pinching off and stapling small sections.

Attaching Padding to the Tight Seat

In the last chapter, we created a slightly domed shape with our springs. With the padding, we’ll place multiple layers of cotton in a mound and cover them with foam and Dacron to accentuate the dome.

Supplies

2"-thick high-density foam

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife

Burlap or scrap fabric

Scissors

Spray adhesive

Cotton batting

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Utility knife

Dacron

12. Place a piece of foam on top of the seat. Push down the edges and use the permanent marker to draw the shape of the seat on the underside of the foam.

13. Make a mark where the foam meets every leg post.

14. Remove the foam from the chair and use the marks from the last step to draw the outline of the leg posts. With the carving knife, cut out the shape of the seat just beyond the marked line.

15. Place the foam on the chair and check the fit. The foam should extend slightly beyond the edges of the frame and meet the arm and leg posts without being squished in place. Make adjustments to the shape of the foam, if necessary.

16. To attach the foam to the chair, you’ll glue strips of burlap or scrap fabric (also known as pulls) to each edge of the foam, and then staple the pulls to the frame. Cut out a piece of burlap wide enough to cover the front edge of the foam and approximately 6" tall. Lay the burlap on top of the foam, 2" behind the front edge. Spray adhesive on the bottom 2" of the burlap and front 2" of the foam.

17. Wait one minute for the spray adhesive to get tacky. Then flip the burlap forward and press it to the foam to stick the surfaces together. Repeat for the other four sides, avoiding the notches cut out of the foam for the leg posts. Place the foam to the side to allow the spray adhesive to dry completely.

18. Feel the surface of the seat to find any low spots created by the gaps between springs. Use small pieces of cotton batting to fill in these dips.

19. Build up the area behind the edge roll and around the perimeter of the seat with two layers of cotton batting.

20. Cover the surface of the seat with a full layer of cotton. Add two additional layers of cotton, and with each new layer, decrease the size by approximately 2" on every side. This will create a domed shape on the seat.

21. Center the foam on the seat and staple the middle of the back pull to the frame of the chair. The burlap should be pulled tightly enough to compress the square edge of the foam, making a smooth, round shape. Place staples just above the finished edge of the wood.

22. Pull the foam toward the front and staple the front middle. Make sure the foam extends to, or just beyond, the front of the edge roll.

23. Pull and staple the middle of both sides. When the centers of all four sides are secure, go back and staple the rest of the pulls all the way around the chair.

You may be tempted to take a break at this point, but it’s best to carry on until you have the rest of the padding attached. When left uncovered for an extended amount of time, pulls may become detached from the foam, especially in high humidity.

24. To minimize bulk on the staple line, remove the excess burlap just beyond the staples with a utility knife.

25. Before attaching fabric, smooth over padding imperfections with a single layer of bonded Dacron. Cut out a piece of Dacron large enough to cover the surface of the seat down to the finished wood or to the bottom edge of the seat if your fabric attaches to the underside of the frame. Anchor the center of the Dacron by spraying adhesive on it and the center of the foam and sticking them together.

26. Smooth the Dacron over the seat and repeat steps 21–23 to secure the middle of all four sides. When stapling, split the Dacron layers in half and staple only the bottom half to the chair. The top half will cover the indentations made by the staples. If possible, keep staples at least ¹⁄₂" from the finished wood.

27. Repeat step 5 to perform a release cut at the back right leg post.

28. Instead of folding under the excess Dacron from the release cut, cut it off flush to the legs. Repeat steps 27 and 28 to release the Dacron around the other three legs.

29. Work out from the middle on every side to attach the Dacron all the way around the seat. Leave 1" from every leg unstapled then trim off the excess Dacron just past the staples.

Attaching Fabric to the Tight Seat

This is always my favorite part, attaching the first piece of fabric and seeing the chair come back to life. Securing fabric is no different than securing Dacron, except that it’s less forgiving. Here are a few tricks for getting that perfectly smooth look.

Supplies

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

White or yellow chalk

Air blower

Square

Yardstick

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Pliers

Staple remover

Utility knife

30. Measure the seat at its widest and deepest points. Before you get started, do a chalk test by making small marks on the fabric, one in white and one in yellow chalk; then use the air blower to determine which color comes out easiest. Use the square and yardstick to draw the edges of the seat fabric a few inches bigger than the measurements. As you draw, be mindful of how you’d like the pattern placed on the chair and remember that the nap of the velvet should feel smooth as your hand moves from the back to the front and top to bottom of the chair.

Pucker-Free Fabric

Palms, not fingertips. When pulling fabric to the appropriate tightness, smooth out the excess with the palm of your dominant hand while pulling the edge of the fabric with the palm of your nondominant hand. Avoid pulling fabric with fingertips, which creates dimples from uneven tightness.

Stapling tips. Fabric that staples directly to the wood is less likely to pucker, so keep the area where the fabric attaches clear of padding and other staples when possible. Also, keep permanent staples close together so fabric is attached evenly across edges.

Good vantage point. In certain lighting, dimples and puckers may be invisible even though they are present. Move your piece around as you work so you can easily see the tightness and smoothness of the fabric as you staple. When I staple the front edge of a chair, I lay the chair on its back so the front edge is at eye-level.

Sub-Stapling

To give ourselves some flexibility with fabric placement, we’ll use sub-staples when attaching fabric. To make the gun shoot a sub-staple, place one side of the nose against the wood while the other side is slightly up in the air. When you pull the trigger, one prong of the staple will go all the way into the wood while the other prong only goes in halfway. Sub-stapling allows us to easily remove staples and make adjustments without damaging the fabric.

31. Mark the middle front and back of the seat and fabric so you can easily position the fabric on the chair. Align the fabric with the front middle of the chair and sub-staple it next to the finished wood or to the underside of the frame if your piece doesn’t have exposed finished wood. Smooth and sub-staple the back middle and center of the sides, respectively.

32. Repeat steps 5–7 to release the fabric around one leg post. Smooth and sub-staple the fabric from the middle of an adjacent side toward the cut. As you approach the cut, fold under the excess fabric around the Dacron we left unstapled in step 29 and sub-staple the fabric in place. If you’re having trouble managing the excess fabric, try cutting some off to minimize the amount that must fold under. Repeat this step to attach the fabric and make release cuts on all four sides of the seat.

33. When you’re happy with the placement, tightness, and smoothness of the fabric, use the pliers to remove a few inches of sub-staples at a time and replace them with permanent staples. Permanent staples should be as close to the finished wood as possible so they’re easily hidden by decorative trim.

34. Use the utility knife to trim off the excess fabric right above the finished wood.

Seat finished: Louis chair

Chapter 5

Upholstering Arm Pads, a Picture Back, and Finishing the Chair

Between stripping, tying springs, padding, and upholstering the seat, the Louis chair may have been more time-consuming than you expected, but you’ll be happy to know that the arms and the inside and outside backs are swift parts of the process. As we did with the seat, we’ll staple the fabric near the finished edge of wood and cover the exposed staples with double welt cord (or decorative trim of your choice) at the end of the project.

Since arms and backs receive less pressure than seats, we’ll pad them with soft, low-density foam supplemented with cotton. For arm pads, I typically use 1"–2"-thick foam, while backs look best with 2"–3" of foam over a few cotton layers to make a round, plump shape.

Padding and Upholstering the Arm Pads

Supplies

1"–2" thick low-density foam

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Cotton batting

Dacron

Scissors

Fabric

Pliers

Staple remover

Utility knife

1. Place a small piece of foam over one of the arms and use a permanent marker to trace its shape along the edge of the finished wood. Cut out the shape with a carving knife and use it to trace and cut out a second piece of foam for the other arm.

2. Since you staple the foam directly to the wood, you don’t need to attach pulls as you did with the seat. Hold the foam in place and staple through its side, between the top and bottom surfaces and into the wood. Keep the foam at least ¹⁄₄" from the finished wood. When you pull the fabric tightly over the padding, the top surface of the foam will squish down to cover the indentations made by the staples. Repeat for the other arm.

3. Cover each piece of foam with two or three layers of cotton batting.

4. To hold the cotton in place, cover it with a layer of Dacron that staples around the edge of the arm padding. Split and staple the Dacron as we did with the seat (see page 50), then cut off the excess just past the staples.

5. Cut out a piece of fabric large enough to cover the arm with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling. It’s best to avoid light-colored fabric on arm pads since it’s a high-traffic area. Remember to orient the pattern and nap correctly: top toward the back of the chair, bottom to the front.

6. Sub-staple the back and front of the arm with the pattern straight and centered. Smooth the fabric to the sides and staple the middles. Continue sub-stapling around the perimeter of the arm. In some cases, you may need to put pleats at the front and back of the arm to neatly fold under excess fabric (see page 110 for pleating).

7. When the fabric is in the desired position, remove the sub-staples with pliers and a staple remover and replace with permanent staples. Remove the excess fabric with a utility knife.

Louis Chair: Arms finished

Padding and Upholstering a Picture Back

When the outside back of a chair peeks through a finished frame and the staples are hidden behind the wood, you have a picture back. We begin in reverse order with picture backs, attaching the outside back fabric first, then padding and upholstering the inside back. We essentially upholster the outside back and inside back together, eliminating a lot of extra steps and time.

Create an heirloom piece by incorporating a special textile into your chair, such as this crewel art made by my mother.

Because the outside back is protected by the chair frame and gets very little wear and tear, picture backs are a great opportunity to think outside the box and showcase special materials, such as artwork on canvas or a vibrant coordinating fabric that’s too delicate or expensive to use on the whole chair. I’ve collected a stack of vintage needlepoints to spruce up my picture-back dining room chairs. On the other hand, picture backs can be an opportunity to save money by using a less expensive fabric if the back of your pieces are against a wall or not easily visible.

Supplies

2"-thick low-density foam

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife

Burlap

Scissors

Dacron

Spray adhesive

Fabric

White or yellow chalk

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Pliers

Staple remover

Utility knife

Jute webbing

Webbing stretcher

Cotton batting

8. Hold a piece of foam against the inside back and use the permanent marker to trace the shape of the frame on the foam. Use the carving knife to cut out the shape.

9. Use the foam to trace the shape of the inside back on the burlap. Cut out the burlap a few inches bigger than the foam.

10. Trace and cut out a piece of Dacron the same size as the foam.

11. Attach another piece of Dacron to the front face of the foam with spray adhesive.

12. Trim off the excess Dacron even with the edge of the foam.

13. Repeat step 9 to trace in chalk and cut out two pieces of fabric a few inches bigger than the foam. Be mindful of nap and pattern placement as you trace.

14. Lay the chair on its back and mark the middles of the top and bottom on the inside back and fabric. Center the fabric on the chair with the good side facing the back and sub-staple the middle of every side. Continue sub-stapling around the edge of the back. As you staple, use extra caution to be sure that the staples are going into the unfinished wood and that no staples are visible from the back of the chair.

15. Before replacing sub- with permanent staples, raise up the chair and spot-check the fabric for straightness and for any protruding staples. Make adjustments, if necessary. When the fabric is in position, replace sub-staples with permanent staples.

16. Trim off excess fabric just past the staples with a utility knife.

17. Center the piece of Dacron from step 10 over the fabric.

18. Staple the piece of burlap over the Dacron. Remember to staple on the unfinished wood and spot-check for staples that protrude through the back of the chair. Repeat step 16 to trim the burlap.

19. Staple and stretch two vertical pieces of webbing across the inside back (see steps 2–6 from chapter 3). Since the back does not hold much weight, we only need a few strips of webbing to reinforce the space.

20. Place two layers of cotton batting on the back. The first layer should be approximately 2" smaller on all sides than the frame, and the second layer should be 2" smaller on all sides than the first layer.

21. Spray adhesive on the side of the foam without Dacron and center and stick it to the inside back. Spray the adhesive away from the chair so you don’t get glue on the frame or fabric.

22. Repeat steps 14–16 to attach the inside back fabric. See Pucker-Free Fabric on page 52 for tips on getting a smooth inside back.

Ta-dah!

Making and Attaching Double Welt Cord

With the other furniture in the book, we use techniques to hide staples on the underside of the frame or behind outer layers of fabric. Furniture with decorative wood may require trim to cover exposed staples, giving the piece a clean and finished look. For the Louis chair, we’ll make double welt cord out of the fabric and use the hot glue gun to attach it over the staples. If you prefer more contrast, use a different fabric for the cording or a decorative trim such as gimp. Decorative nailhead is yet another option for covering staples and adding a touch of hardware and glimmer to your piece (see page 203).

Supplies

Measuring tape

Fabric

Welt cord stick or yardstick

White or yellow chalk

Scissors

Sewing machine

Thread

Double-welt cord foot attachment

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

High-heat glue gun and glue

Regulator

23. Measure the length of cording needed to cover all visible staples. Fabric strips for cording must be drawn on the bias, with a 45-degree angle being ideal. For double welt cord, draw straight lines across the fabric that are twice the width of the welt cord stick or 3" wide. The length of each piece may vary, but try to get the needed length in as few pieces as possible to prevent an abundance of seams. Continue drawing until you have the necessary length with several extra inches for finishing off the ends. To keep the nap and pattern oriented in the same direction for the entire length of the welt cord fabric, mark each strip at the end closest to the top of the fabric. Then cut out the pieces.

Make a Welt Cord Stick

Instead of measuring the width of each piece of welt cord, make a welt cord stick to save time. A 1¹⁄₂"-wide strip of fabric is the perfect width to wrap around small welt cord and leave a ¹⁄₂" seam allowance, so I had my local hardware store cut a 1¹⁄₂"-wide × 48"-long strip of Masonite to make an inexpensive, lightweight, and durable welt cord stick. Don’t have a welt cord stick? Use a yardstick to measure and draw strips of cording on fabric.

24. On the way to the sewing machine, plug in the glue gun so it’s nice and hot when you’re ready for it. Lay an unmarked end next to a marked end and cut them at complementary 45-degree angles.

25. With good sides together, align the edges cut in step 24. Shift the fabric on top toward the fabric on bottom until points A and B are ¹⁄₂" below the aligned edges. This should form the shape of a teepee.

26. Stitch from point A to B to attach the ends of welt cord together. Repeat steps 24–26 until all strips of fabric are seamed end to end and there is one long piece of cording fabric.

27. Measure and cut two lengths of cord the same length as the fabric. Place the first cording in the middle of the fabric on the wrong side.

If you’re working with thick fabric, consider using spring twine in place of fiberflex cording to reduce bulk and increase flexibility in finished double welt.

28. Fold the fabric over the cording so the edges meet. Place the second piece of cording on top of the fabric and next to the first piece of cording.

29. Flip the cords to the right so the fabric envelops both.

30. Hold the double welt cord tightly together and place it under the double-welt cord foot with the grooves in the foot aligned with the cording inside the fabric. Lower the foot and stitch from one end of the fabric to the other. As you sew, stop and repeat steps 28 and 29 to adjust the cording and get it ready for feeding through the sewing machine. Also, lay seams open and flat to minimize bulk.

31. When the double welt cord is sewn from one end to the other, remove it from the sewing machine and trim off the fabric tail on the backside. Trim as closely as possible without cutting the double welt cord.

32. Since the ends of the double welt cord are visible, fold under and hide the raw fabric at the beginning and end of every piece of welt cord. Open up the fabric on one end of the welt cord and cut out an inch of both pieces of cording.

33. Place a bead of hot glue inside the fabric and fold the end back together to seal it shut.

34. To keep the corners of the excess fabric from showing when it’s folded under, snip them off to make a pointed end.

35. Put glue on the back of the excess fabric and fold it to the backside of the double welt cord to complete the finished end.

36. Apply glue to the first 4" of welt cord and stick it to the bottom of the inside back. The finished end should be lined up with the bottom middle of the inside back, and the cording should be covering the staples and adjacent to the finished edge of the wood. As you approach the corner, pre-bend the cording so it goes easily into place after the glue is applied. Continue applying glue and sticking the cording to the staple line.

37. Inevitably, glue will squish out from under the cording. When this happens, use the regulator to squish it back into place.

38. When you get back to where you started, repeat steps 32–35 to finish off the cording so it meets the end we started with. Repeat steps 36 and 37 to apply double welt cord to all other exposed staples. Around the seat, start and stop at the leg posts. For the arm pads, begin and end the welt cord at the bottom middle of the inside of the arm.

Attaching Welt Cord with a Gimp Stapler

When I found out that decorative trim is attached with hot glue, I thought, “This can’t be right. Hot glue is for Girl Scouts and elementary craft projects, not professional upholsterers.” But it is true, and over the course of many years and hundreds of projects, it has proven to be a clean, quick, and sturdy way to attach trim — as long as you use a high-heat gun instead of your run-of-the-mill craft or mini glue gun. If you’re still not buying it, or have a fear of burning your fingers, try using a gimp stapler.

Gimp staplers shoot tiny staples that are relatively unnoticeable. For materials such as vinyl or leather, which will not stick with glue, gimp staplers are a good alternative. Hold the nose of the gun in the middle of the double welt and shoot the staple in between the two cords. For the cleanest look, use a measuring tape to regularly space the staples every 1"–2".

Attaching the Dustcover

Supplies

Measuring tape

Dustcover

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Cardboard tack strip

White or yellow chalk

Air blower

Blind Tacking Fabric

Blind tacking is a clean and easy way to attach straight edges and hide staples. Although it’s most common to blind-tack outside arms and backs, we frequently blind-tack the front edges of dustcovers and the top edges of tack bands.

39. To attach the dustcover, flip your chair upside down. Cut out a piece of dustcover large enough to cover the bottom of the chair, with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling. If the front edge of your chair is straight, center and staple the front edge of the dustcover to the front bottom of the chair. (Since the front of the Louis chair is curved, I attached the dustcover to the back of the chair first.) If all the edges of your piece are curved, see steps 21–23 (page 125) for dustcover instructions.

40. Reinforce the first stapled edge by stapling a piece of cardboard tack strip over it. The tack strip should be lined up with the edge of the chair.

41. Pull the dustcover toward the opposite side, fold under the excess, and staple the middle. You just performed a blind tack by attaching the first side and folding the material over it to hide the staples. The dustcover should be taut and wrinkle-free, but be careful not to stretch it out of shape. Continue stapling the opposite side of the dustcover.

42. Perform release cuts at all four legs, fold under the excess dustcover, and staple the sides (see steps 5 and 6, page 43).

43. Attach the blower to the air hose and dust off the finished piece.

Project 2

A New Pair of Slippers

Chapter 6

Determining Yardage for a Small Pattern

Symmetry is a design element I can’t live without. It’s not necessary to split a room down the middle and mirror the right and left sides, but symmetry, in even the smallest way, can help ground and create order in an eclectic space. If you’re a collector of treasures and home furnishings, like I am, try introducing a pair of side tables, lamps, or chairs to bring order to your accumulation of artifacts.

The Design Plan

I imagined holidays by the fire, and family and friends gathering in the living room, well before the house was complete, but entertaining requires seating, and plenty of it. With a variety of furniture already slated for the space, I came across this pair of slipper chairs. Admittedly, the fringe was a brief deterrent, but once I got over that, I realized they were the perfect balance of size and shape to complement the boxy shape of the sofa and ottoman. The height of the ceiling and fireplace won’t dwarf these substantial chairs, yet because they’re armless, they don’t overcrowd the room. And with two of them, I get my fix for symmetry.

Slipper Chair Restyling

The channels are comfortable and a nice break from the smooth, tight backs of the wingback and Louis chair, so we’ll keep the same styling on the inside back. More often than not, I’m removing skirts rather than keeping them, but the room is a little leggy and hard with exposed legs on every other piece and hardwood floors. A tailored, box-pleated skirt is a simple and modern solution for keeping the skirt without keeping the fringe. As for the rest of the fringe, we’ll replace it with self welt cord.

Slipper chair: Before

Rio in Black on White by Quadrille

The fabric on the slipper chairs makes a substantial contribution to the room. Since I don’t want them to be the center of attention, I’ve chosen this black-and-white dotted print by Quadrille to add a playful gesture without making a bold statement with pattern or color. Grouped with the sofa and cocktail ottoman, the medium-sized pattern contrasts nicely with the solid tones of the green and orange. The linen-cotton blend fabric lightens the heaviness of the leather and velvet, and achieves the crisp edges that are so important to a box-pleated skirt.

Design Inspiration from the Spruce Archives

Whether large or small, centering and aligning a fabric pattern gives it focus and helps the eye move properly around the piece.

To prevent visual overload, choose a solid fabric for pieces with elaborate styling details.

Contrasting piping adds definition to the lines of this chair.

Parts of the Slipper Chair

1. Write down each piece of the chair to help remember what needs to be measured:

Seat

Inside back (ISB)

Outside back (OSB)

Back scroll panels

Front skirt flap

Side skirt flaps

Back skirt flap

Boxing/tack band

2. To get an accurate yardage estimate, always measure largest dimensions of the fabric. With a boxed seat, measure from seam to seam across the width of the chair (34").

3. The depth of the seat is measured from the inside back to the front seam (22").

4. Measure from the left to the right side at the widest part of the inside back to determine the width (30").

5. When measuring the height, start at the seat and stretch the measuring tape all the way around the roll to the connection between the inside and outside back (28").

6. Measure from the left to the right side at the widest part of the outside back to determine the width (29").

7. Start just under the roll at the top of the outside back and measure to the bottom edge of the chair frame for the height (25").

8. On the back scroll panels, the fabric pattern should be parallel to the floor, so hold the measuring tape level and measure from the back edge of the back scroll to the point where the front of the panel meets the seat (6").

9. Hold the measuring tape perpendicular to the floor and measure the height from the seat to the top of the back scroll (17").

10. The skirt will split at each leg, creating four panels. Measure the distance between the front legs to get the width of the front skirt flap (31").

11. Measure the distance between the front and back legs on one side for the width of the side skirt flaps (19¹⁄₂").

12. The distance between the back two legs is the width of the back skirt flap (23").

13. Measure from the top to the bottom of the skirt to determine its height (6"). Sometimes, skirts are shorter in the back depending on the slant of the chair and frame. If there’s a noticeable difference between the height of the back and front flaps, record the tallest height.

14. For the width of the seat boxing, double the measurement from step 11 (39") and add it to the measurement from step 10 (70").

15. Measure across the boxing and tack band from the top seam to the bottom of the seat frame (11¹⁄₂"). Later, we’ll determine how to divide this space between the boxing and tack band.

16. The numbers in the columns to the right of width and height are added to the measurements from steps 2–15 for pulling, stapling, and ¹⁄₂" seam allowances. We’ll use the final numbers for calculating yardage.

Measurements of the Slipper Chair

Calculating Allowance for Channels

You may notice that the ISB has a large amount of allowance added to the original measurement. Every time the fabric dips into the chair, we need extra fabric. The channels on the slipper chair dip 1¹⁄₂" into the chair, so I added 4" per dip: 1¹⁄₂" of fabric going in, 1¹⁄₂" coming out, and 1" of seam allowance for sewing the channels together. We have 5 dips between the 6 channels, which equal 20" of allowance. We also need fabric for pulling and stapling on the right and left sides, so we’ll add 24" of fabric to our original width so the fabric will reach across the inside back.

Although the fabric is an abstract, allover pattern, there are faint vertical lines that we’ll line up horizontally across the chair. We’ll center the seat, ISB, OSB, front, and back skirt panels on the fabric and place the side skirt flaps and back scroll panels side by side. Since the dots are so small and have no dominant design, we won’t pattern-match vertically from piece to piece.

17. Add the final heights/depths of all pieces together. For the side skirt flaps and back scroll panels, add in only one height since the two pieces for each will be drawn next to each other across one width of fabric. When a piece is wider than the width of the fabric (48" in this case), double the number (28" + 68" + 28" + 19" + 8" + 8" + 8" + 29" = 196").

18. Divide the total number by 36" to calculate the number of yards (5.44).

19. I always round up to the nearest yard and give myself an additional yard for variances, welt cord, and error (7). For both slipper chairs, we’ll need 14 yards of fabric.

Fabric Fact

Did you know that 1 yard of fabric makes approximately 1,000" of single-welt cord? That may seem like a lot of inches, but even a piece with small amounts of welt cord, like this slipper chair, requires nearly 400".

Overview

Supplies for the Slipper Chair

Basic Supplies

¹⁄₂" staples

³⁄₈" staples

⁵⁄₃₂" or ¹⁄₄" staples

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Button twine

Painter’s or masking tape

Panel nails

Paper

Pencil

Permanent marker

Spray adhesive

Spring twine

Staples (optional)

Thread

T-pins

Water-soluble fabric marker (optional)

White or yellow chalk

Tools & Equipment

Air blower

Button machine

Button needle

Channel stuffer

Electric carving knife

Goggles

Hand-stapling plier (optional)

Inexpensive scissors

Iron

Magnetic tack hammer

Measuring tape

Pliers

Regulator

Rubber mallet

Ruler

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Small wooden dowel or pen

Square

Square-point upholstery knife

Staple gun

Staple remover

Two-piece dies and fabric cutter for the desired button size

Webbing stretcher

Welt cord stick (optional)

Yardstick

Materials

9 yards ⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

14 yards fabric

2 yards burlap

Button fronts and loop backs

4 yards cardboard tack strip

7 yards cotton batting

2 yards 27"-wide Dacron

3 yards decking material or scrap fabric

1 yard dustcover

2 yards edge roll

¹⁄₂ slab 2"–3"-thick high-density foam

9 yards jute webbing

Panelboard

2 yards Pli-Grip

3 yards skirt stiffener

Small piece of cardboard

White scrap fabric

For more information on tools and materials, visit the glossary (page 369).

Chapter 7

Prepping Sinuous Springs and Padding a Tight, Boxed Seat

Sinuous, or zigzag springs are commonly found in modern furniture, and although coil springs are preferable, sinuous springs do provide additional support and are long-lasting in seats and backs. Because sinuous springs are made of steel formed into continuous S-shaped lengths, we only need to tie the springs laterally to secure them. When stripping a piece with sinuous springs, leave the springs attached to the frame (see Stripping Furniture, page 353). Inspect the spring clips and hammer down or reinforce any ends that appear to be loose or insecure. If a spring has become detached from the chair, reattach a spring clip in the same area, stretch the spring back into place, and hammer the clip tightly around the end of the spring. Add a few upholstery tacks to the spring clip for added security. For coil-sprung seats, see chapter 3 and skip to step 10. For seats without springs, attach webbing to the top of the frame and, again, skip to step 10.

Slipper Chair: Stripped to the frame

Tying Sinuous Springs

Supplies

Goggles

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Spring twine

Scissors

¹⁄₂" staples

Staple gun

1. We’ll tie across the sinuous springs in two rows. Hammer in halfway two pairs of tacks on the right and left sides of the frame. Evenly space the pairs from the front to the back of the chair.

2. When the tacks are in place, stretch doubled-over spring twine across the springs. Cut the doubled twine 10" longer than the width of the seat.

3. Take the middle of the doubled-over twine and place it in between a pair of tacks. Make a loop around each tack and pull tight. Hammer down the tacks all the way to secure the twine in place. Repeat this step for the other pair of tacks on the same side of the chair.

4. Pull the left strand of twine from the front pair of tacks under the closest curve in the spring and make a loose knot around it. Just as we did with the Louis chair, position the spring so it’s leaning slightly toward the tacks, then tighten the knot (steps 25–27, pages 36–37).

5. On the next sinuous spring, find the curve directly across from the last knot and move one curve closer toward the back of the chair. Repeat step 4 to tie a knot around the curve. For the next springs, continue tying to the curve directly across from the previous knot. When you reach the last sinuous spring, tie the knot around the curve one step closer to the front of the chair.

As you secure the springs in place, attempt to create a slight dome with the profile of the springs. The middle spring(s) should be parallel to the floor, with the springs to the right and left tilting slightly toward the right and left sides, respectively.

6. Wrap the left strand of twine around the left tack. Pull the twine tightly, cinching down the springs, and hammer the tack to keep the twine in place.

7. Repeat steps 4–6 to tie the springs with the right strand of twine. Instead of skipping to the curve toward the back of the chair, move the opposite direction and tie to the curve one step closer to the front of the chair. On the last sinuous spring, skip to the curve closer to the back.

8. When both strands are tied, staple the ends of the twine to the frame and trim off the excess.

9. Repeat steps 4–8 to tie the back row. When the springs are tied, they should be stable and resist movement from side to side.

Attach Burlap and Webbing to the Seat

Supplies

Measuring tape

Burlap

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Jute webbing

Webbing stretcher

10. Just as we did with the Louis chair, cut a piece of burlap large enough to cover the seat with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling on all sides. Center the burlap and staple the middle of the front, back, and sides. Perform release cuts so the burlap lies flat around the back leg posts of the chair (Release Cuts 101, page 44).

11. Staple the burlap tightly around the perimeter of the seat, fold back the excess, and staple again.

12. Attach webbing and burlap around the edge of the seat to create a solid plane for padding and fabric. Attach the end of the webbing above the hole and leverage the webbing stretcher against the frame to stretch the webbing tightly toward the bottom of the chair. Staple the webbing below the open space, cut off the excess 1" past the staples, fold back, and staple again. Continue attaching webbing over the spaces with 2"–3" between strips.

13. To keep the padding from squishing through the frame between the strips of webbing, staple burlap over the holes to create a solid plane around the front and sides of the seat.

Attaching Edge Roll and Cutting the Foam

Supplies

³⁄₄" edge roll

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Permanent marker

Square-point upholstery knife

High-density foam (2"–3" thick)

Electric carving knife

14. Staple ³⁄₄" edge roll to the front edge of the seat to protect the padding from excessive wear and tear. Begin the edge roll ¹⁄₂" from the side of the back. Line it up with the front edge of the frame and staple through the tail to hold it in place.

15. Continue stapling around the seat. When you are 6" from the other side, draw a line in permanent marker ¹⁄₂" from the side of the back. Use the square-point upholstery knife to cut off the excess and staple down the end.

16. Pinch off and staple the front of the edge roll to the frame. These staples will prevent it from rocking back and forth as the sitter moves across the seat.

17. Place a piece of foam on top of the seat and squish it under the bar at the back. With the permanent marker, draw lines to indicate where the back leg posts intersect the padding.

18. Press down the foam on the front of the chair and trace the edge of the seat on the underside of the foam.

19. Use the carving knife to cut out the traced shape. To ensure the padding covers the edge of the seat and fills out the boxed seat fabric, cut just beyond the line.

20. Place the foam on the seat to check the fit. Make adjustments to the cuts so the foam fits snugly around the posts and extends just past the edges of the seat.

Cutting Out the Fabric for the Top of the Seat

Supplies

Fabric

White or yellow chalk

Air blower

Foam cut to size

Scissors

21. It may seem out of order to cut out fabric for the seat, but it’s easier to use the foam as a pattern before it’s attached to the chair. Do a chalk test (see glossary) with the air blower to determine which color chalk comes out of the fabric the easiest. Place the foam on the fabric with the bottom side down and trace ¹⁄₂" beyond the edge. As you trace, be sure the pattern is centered and straight on the seat.

22. Toward the back of the foam, you cut out two notches to go around the back posts. Trace the foam on the fabric as if the notches were not cut out, but make small marks to indicate where the notches begin. At the middle of the notches, draw 6" lines straight back. Connect the ends of these lines with one straight line across the back of the seat. This extra flap is for pulling through and stapling under the inside back.

Finishing the Padding on the Seat

Since we have edge roll on the seat, we’ll attach the foam to the chair with fabric pulls. Although we typically use scrap burlap, I prefer to use white pulls with white or light-colored fabric so it doesn’t show through on the finished chair.

Supplies

Scissors

White scrap fabric for pulls

Spray adhesive

Foam cut to size of the seat

Cotton batting

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Dacron

23. Cut out and glue pulls to the edges of the foam, avoiding the notches you cut out for the back posts. The pulls should be tall enough to reach over the foam and edge roll and staple to the wood below the top of the seat (about 6"). For the pull along the back edge, make it long enough to reach under the inside back and staple to the wood behind the seat. Allow the pulls to dry for 10 minutes before attaching the foam to the chair (steps 16 and 17, page 48).

24. While we’re waiting for the glue to dry, fill in the top of the seat with two layers of cotton batting. Tuck the edges of the cotton behind the edge roll to fill in the dip. Add another layer around the perimeter of the seat if there’s still a dip behind the edge roll.

25. Center the foam on the seat and staple the pull to the center back of the seat. When the pull is stapled, the top edge of the foam should be slightly rounded but still boxy.

26. Pull the foam toward the front of the chair with the front edge extending slightly beyond the edge roll and staple the pull to the front middle of the chair.

27. Continue stapling the pulls around the sides of the seat until the foam is attached all the way around. Cut off the excess fabric just past the staples.

28. Cut out a piece of Dacron large enough to cover the top of the seat and use spray adhesive to attach it.

29. Make cuts in the Dacron to release it around the sides of the back posts, then push the Dacron under the bar at the back of the seat. Trim off the excess Dacron even with the edge of the foam.

30. Cut out another piece of Dacron long and tall enough to cover the sides of the seat. Use spray adhesive to attach it all the way around, stopping where the sides of the seat meet the outside back.

31. Split the layers of Dacron in half and staple the bottom layer near the bottom edge of the seat. The top layer will cover the indentations made by the staples.

32. Spray a small amount of adhesive on the Dacron edges at the top edge of the seat and press them together. This will keep the Dacron in place as you pull the fabric over the seat.

Chapter 8

Sewing and Attaching Fabric to a Boxed Seat

White fabric is one of the most challenging materials to work with. Besides the obvious issue of keeping it clean, we also have to worry about things showing through it. In the last chapter, we used white fabric instead of burlap to make pulls around the edges of the seat. Although the density of foam I chose comes in white, it’s best to avoid colored foam such as pink, blue, green, or yellow so it doesn’t tint the fabric. If you must use colored foam, cover it with two layers of Dacron to minimize the visibility of the color. As we begin attaching fabric to the chair, keep these other tips in mind:

Avoid using permanent marker on the topside of padding when tracing shapes or making cuts. If marking on the topside is necessary, snip off the marks with scissors before attaching fabric.

Use yellow chalk sparingly, as it tends to discolor white fabric.

Check for strings, stray threads, and lint before stapling fabric. Even the smallest spec of dirt can show through white fabrics.

Wear disposable latex gloves to prevent oils from your hands from getting on the fabric.

Consider having fabric Teflon-treated for soil and stain resistance. It will substantially extend the life of a crisp, white upholstery job.

Introduced to me by my fellow Sprucette, Clar, this dry cleaning padis a lifesaver! When you accidentally get dirt on your fabric, gently sweep the bag across the soiled area to magically erase the problem.

Dry cleaning pad in action

Cutting Out the Rest of the Seat Fabric

Supplies

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Scissors

Welt cord stick (optional)

1. In the last chapter, we used the foam to trace the top piece of fabric for the seat, but we still need fabric for the boxing and tack band. Before we can determine the height of these pieces, we need to determine the height of the skirt. The skirt will attach 1" above the bottom edge of the chair. The distance from the floor to this point is 5¹⁄₂". However, we need at least ¹⁄₄" of clearance below the skirt so it doesn’t touch the floor, which means the finished height of the skirt is 5¹⁄₄".

2. In chapter 6, step 15, we measured the total height of the boxing and tack band together (11¹⁄₂"), but we already know the skirt attaches 1" above the bottom of the chair, which makes the visible height of the boxing and tack band 10¹⁄₂". If we split this between the two pieces, the visible height of each piece is 5¹⁄₄". When you replace padding, always cross-check your original measurements with the new ones to determine if there are variances.

3. We’ll seam multiple pieces together to make the width we need for the boxing and tack band, since they are wider than the width of the fabric. In chapter 6, we decided that the skirt would split at all four legs, so we’ll align the seams in the boxing and tack band with the splits in the skirt. The middle piece will be 31" wide plus ¹⁄₂" on either end for seam allowances (32").

4. From the measurements in chapter 6, we know that the width of the boxing and tack band is 70" (see chapter 6, step 14). If we subtract the width of the middle piece (31"), we get 39". Divide this number by 2 and add 1¹⁄₂" for seam allowance, pulling, and stapling (21"). This will be the width of each side piece.

5. Using a square and yardstick, draw the middle piece and two side pieces of boxing on the fabric. With 1" of seam allowances, the boxing pieces will be 6¹⁄₄" tall. When you draw the right and left sides, leave at least 1" of extra fabric on either side. In order to match the pattern from the boxing and tack band to the skirt, we’ll need this extra fabric since the overall width of the skirt is wider than that of the boxing and tack band.

6. Now draw three pieces for the tack band. Add ¹⁄₂" of seam allowance for sewing it to the boxing and 2" for pulling and stapling it to the bottom, so the overall tack band height will be 7³⁄₄".

7. Multiply the width of the boxing (70") by 2 and add 10" to determine the length of welt cord we need for the seat (150"). Follow the instructions in Sewing Tips and Tricks (page 364) to draw the welt cord strips and cut out all the fabric pieces.

Sewing the Seat Together

Supplies

Fabric pieces cut to size

Sewing machine

Thread

Single-welt cord foot

T-pins or hand-stapling plier and staples

Scissors

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

8. With good sides facing and edges aligned, stitch the right and left sides to the middle boxing piece. Repeat for the tack band fabric.

9. Follow the instructions in Sewing Tips and Tricks (page 364) to stitch the single welt cord, then stitch the welt cord to the fabric for the top of the seat. Start the cording at the corner, where the pull-through flap meets the curve on the right side of the seat (see illustration, page 90). Line up the seam allowance edge of the welt cord with the edge of the fabric and place the cord under the welt cord foot. Stitch all the way around the seat fabric to the corner on the left side. If you’re stitching around a sharp curve or corner, make release cuts in the tail of the cording to help it bend around the curved edge.

10. To prevent puckering in the seams, use the hand-stapling plier or T-pins to keep the fabrics together as you sew (see page 360). With the boxing facedown and the top edge lined up with the seam allowance edge of the welt cord, stitch from the front middle to the left corner. Go back to the middle, flip over the fabric, and stitch to the right corner. If you’re working around a sharp curve or corner, make small release cuts in the seam allowance of the boxing so the fabric lies flat.

If your seat only has boxing or a tack band that can staple to the frame, skip to step 13. See pages 258–261 for attaching a tack band with staples.

11. With its seam allowance edge lined up with the bottom edge of the boxing, attach welt cord to the bottom of the boxing.

12. Repeat step 10 to attach the tack band to the bottom of the boxing. Inspect all seams to make sure the sewing is tight and no threads are showing. Tighten problem areas by stitching over the seams again. Remove any staples.

Pattern-Matching on a Curve

The vertical lines in the pattern should be matched from the boxing to the tack band all the way around the chair. You may notice that the boxing matches the top of the seat at the front middle, but gets out of line as it attaches around the sides. When you sew a curved shape, pattern-matching is only possible at one point, so do your best to match the middle or most noticeable part of the curve.

Attaching the Fabric to the Seat

Supplies

Sewn fabric for the seat

Ruler

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Chalk

Scissors

Pliers

Staple remover

13. Center the fabric on the seat and pull through the back middle. Attach the fabric to the wood behind the seat with sub-staples (see Sub-Stapling, page 53).

14. Use the ruler to find the center between the front two legs, and mark the frame with chalk. Line up the center of the tack band with the chalk mark. Pull the fabric tightly while measuring the distance between the bottom edge of the chair and welt cord. When the distance measures 6¹⁄₄", sub-staple the tack band to the bottom of the chair.

15. Work from the middle out and around the sides. Pull the fabric down and to the side to get the smoothest surface. As you staple, reach behind the fabric and pull the seam allowances down behind the boxing to keep the cording straight around the curve.

16. When you reach the front legs, make release cuts so the fabric will lie flat on either side. By cutting from the outside into the side of the leg at a diagonal, also known as a straight cut, you create a flap that has wings. When you tuck the flap up into the tack band, the wings keep the fabric from slipping out.

17. After you’ve sub-stapled the fabric around the front of the seat, make a cut to release the fabric around the sides of the right back post (see page 44).

18. We’ll make a second release cut to wrap the fabric around to the outside back of the chair.

19. Before you can pull the fabric tight to the back, open up the welt cord and remove the cording even with the edge of the outside back. Pull the fabric tight and sub-staple to the outside back. Continue stapling down the side until you reach the welt cord between the boxing and tack band. Remove the excess cording and continue stapling until you reach the bottom.

20. Make a release cut at the back leg so the fabric folds under in front of the leg and staples to the bottom of the chair.

21. Repeat steps 17–20 for the left side of the chair, then sub-staple the rest of the fabric on the backside of the seat.

22. When the fabric is smooth and sub-stapled on all sides, use the pliers and staple remover to remove subs and replace them with permanent staples. Trim off the excess fabric to complete the seat.

Slipper chair: Seat and tack band complete

Chapter 9

Upholstering a Channel Back

You’re more likely to find a channel-back chair at Grandma’s house than you are in a department store. Because it’s more labor-intensive than a smooth inside back, it’s uncommon to find furniture with this construction in modern upholstery, but if you’ve ever sat in one, you know that channels provide a firm yet comfortable support that’s unmatched by any other tight back construction.

Channels were originally used as a method for holding loose padding in place, by creating smaller chambers where materials such as cotton, horsehair, or hay could not shift around and get lumpy. To create these channels, we’ll sew two layers of fabric together, then stuff the padding in between to pad the back.

Preparing the Inside Back for Channels

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

Cotton batting

Panelboard

White or yellow chalk

1. To reinforce the open space in the inside back, staple webbing to the wooden bar just above the seat. With the webbing stretcher, tighten the webbing across the inside back and staple it to the bar at the top (see page 29 for stretching and stapling webbing).

2. Instead of weaving the horizontal strips through the vertical strips, as we did with the seat of the Louis chair, stretch the horizontal behind the vertical ones so that the surface for the padding follows the curve of the frame.

3. Measure the width and height of the inside back and cut out a piece of burlap large enough to cover its surface and around the roll at the top. Add a few extra inches on all sides for pulling and stapling. Staple the burlap to the wooden bars at the bottom, top, and sides of the inside back. Leave the extra burlap for the roll unstapled.

4. Place layers of cotton on top of the inside back to fill in the shape of the roll. When compressed, the cotton should keep its shape, not flatten out. When you’ve padded 4"–6" of the roll, staple the burlap over it to keep the padding in place as you continue stuffing.

5. When the roll is filled all the way across and the burlap is stapled around it, fold back the excess burlap on all sides of the inside back and staple it again.

We’ll trace the sides of the inside back before we add padding and use these shapes later to make the back scroll panels. Sometimes we’re able to use wooden or cardboard panels from the previous upholstery job, but the ones from the old chair were damaged during stripping. We’ll making new ones out of panelboard, a really dense cardboard used in upholstery, and attach them at the very end.

6. Press a piece of panelboard against the side of the inside back and flush to the seat. Use chalk to trace the shape of the frame and set it aside for later use.

Cutting the Fabric for the Inside Back

When I stripped the slipper chair, I kept the inside back as a reference for making the channels. You can use the old pattern to trace the new channels, but it’s best to take measurements and make your own pattern that fits the rejuvenated chair perfectly.

Supplies

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

Square

Yardstick

White or yellow chalk

Decking material or scrap fabric

Scissors

7. Measure the widest dimension at the top of the inside back (33") and the skinniest dimension at the bottom next to the seat (21"). Measure the height of the inside back from the seat to the underside of the roll (28"). We’ll need an extra 5" at the top and bottom and 3" on each side for pulling and stapling. If you’re working with a limited amount or an expensive fabric, you can sew a piece of scrap fabric to the bottom of the inside back for pulling and stapling; just be sure it doesn’t show.

8. If I divide the width of the inside back by 6 channels, I get a channel width of 5¹⁄₂" at the top and 3¹⁄₂" at the bottom, but we need to add extra fabric to go into the dips between the channels. The inside back fabric is sewn to another layer of fabric, which creates the back of the channels. When the channels are stuffed, they expand toward the back and front to create individual cylinders of padding. My goal is to make the padding 3" thick, which means I need to add 1¹⁄₂" to both sides of each channel to dip in to the center of the cylinder.

9. Before we determine our final dimensions for the fabric, we need to add 1" to the inside channels and ¹⁄₂" to the right and left channels for seam allowances. I’ve also added 3" to the right and left channels for pulling and stapling. It’s important that the extra fabric at the top and bottom extends beyond the measurements we’ve calculated for the top and bottom of the channels, since the fabric will get wider and skinnier beyond these points.

10. Use a square and a yardstick to draw the channels on the fabric. So the pattern at the center of the seat matches the center of the channels, use the center axis of the pattern for the interior edges of channels C and D. Draw the rest of the channels so the pattern is square to the central axis of each channel. Cut them all out.

11. Cut a piece of decking material (or scrap fabric if you have a piece big enough) for the back of the channels. The piece should be the same size as the overall dimensions of the front fabric, minus seam allowances.

Sewing and Attaching the Channel Back

12. With good sides facing and cut edges aligned, stitch the channels together side by side.

13. If you are conserving fabric by attaching an extra piece of fabric to the bottom for pulling and stapling, stitch it to the bottom. If not, skip to step 14.

14. When the channels are sewn together, press the seam allowances open and flat on the backside of the fabric. Pin or staple the decking or scrap material to the back of the fabric and stitch over the seams between the channels to connect the front fabric to the decking material. The right and left channels should be left open on the outside edges.

15. Fill the bottom half of the channel stuffer with loose cotton batting.

A channel stuffer is a two-part metal chamber that holds loose cotton so it can be easily compacted and inserted into tight pockets. They come in a variety of sizes and are essential in making smooth and lump-free channels.

16. Place the top half of the channel stuffer over the loose cotton and use your hand to push the cotton to the smaller end. Hold the stuffer together with your dominant hand while you insert more cotton with your nondominant hand.

17. With the cotton packed tightly in the stuffer, hold the stuffer together while you insert it all the way into the middle channel.

18. While holding the cotton in the channel, pull out the metal sleeves one at a time.

19. Working from the center out, repeat steps 15–18 until all but the right and left channels are stuffed with cotton. Check the firmness of each channel and add or remove cotton so they all match.

20. Center the channels on the inside back and sub-staple the top and bottom middles. As you attach the channels to the chair, it may be necessary to remove or add cotton from or to the top or bottom of the channels so the back is padded only from the seat to the underside of the roll. When I attached the channels to the inside back, I removed some of the cotton to make the back softer.

21. To keep the channels evenly spaced, mark the frame with chalk at the top and bottom in six even spaces to denote the edges of each channel. Use these marks to guide you as you staple. Work from the middle out, adjusting cotton, smoothing the fabric, and stapling the channels in place. Taper out the padding as it approaches the connection between the inside and outside back.

22. For the right channel, start by stapling the back layer of fabric to the frame.

23. Fill the right channel with cotton and sub-staple the fabric to the side of the back. The cotton should just cover the wooden corner on the right side of the channel.

24. At the bottom of the channel, perform a cut to release the fabric around the sides of the right post (see page 44). Remove sub-staples and replace with permanent staples when the fabric is in place.

25. Repeat steps 23 and 24 for the left channel.

26. As the fabric wraps around the roll at the top of the back, use the regulator to make pleats and evenly disburse excess fabric around the curve. Pleats should fold under toward the floor, so dirt and crumbs don’t get lodged in the folded fabric. If you have a pleat that is perpendicular to the floor, fold the fabric under toward the back or outside of the chair.

27. When channels and pleats are in place, remove sub-staples and replace with permanent ones.

Making and Attaching Buttons to the Inside Back

The last step to the channel back is placing one button between each channel. Although the button is primarily a decorative touch, it also helps keep the channels tight against the frame. If you don’t have a button machine, feel free to skip the buttons or use a button kit from your local sewing store. Just keep in mind that the buttons made with the kit are not as heavy-duty and may come apart over time.

Supplies

Fabric

Two-piece dies and fabric cutter for the desired button size

Small piece of cardboard

Button machine with wax cylinder

Small wooden dowel or pen

Button fronts and loop backs

Measuring tape

T-pins

Button twine

Button needle

Cotton batting

Scissors

28. Fold a piece of fabric back and forth until it makes several layers, then place the fabric between a piece of cardboard and the fabric cutter. Place the cutter, fabric, and cardboard in the button machine on top of the wax cylinder. Compress the handle of the machine until the cutter goes through all the layers of fabric. Repeat until you have enough circles to make the number of buttons you need.

29. Remove the wax cylinder, fabric, and cutter from the button machine and place the bottom button die (the one that looks like a spring) in the hole at the bottom of the machine. Place the loop back (loop down) in the die.

30. Take a fabric circle and lay it facedown over the hole in the top die. Place the front of the button facedown on top of the fabric and use a wooden dowel or pen to push the button front and fabric into the hole of the die. Make sure the fabric and button front are centered over the die before pushing them into the hole, or the fabric will not cover all edges of the button.

31. Turn the top die upside down and hold up the bottom to keep it from pushing out the fabric and the front of the button. Place the top die on top of the bottom die and line them up so they lock in place.

32. Compress the handle of the button machine several times while rotating the dies.

33. Separate the dies and remove the completed button. Try twisting the loop on the back of the button. If it turns, the button is too loose and will likely come apart. Also check the edges of the button to make sure no raw edges are coming out. If you observe either of these issues, make a new button.

34. Repeat steps 29–33 until all buttons are made.

35. Use the measuring tape to place T-pins in between the channels where the buttons will go. When you have a pin in the middle of every channel, step back and visually inspect the placement. Even though the measuring tape may accurately place the buttons, variations in padding can make buttons look uneven. Make adjustments to the height of the T-pins until they’re in the desired location.

Troubleshooting

Having trouble getting a tight button? You may need to double or triple your layers of fabric to get the back to stay in place. On the other hand, thick fabrics such as leather may need a good hammering to flatten them out before placing them in the dies. If you’re still having a hard time squeezing in the fabric, use a little silicone spray to make the inside of the dies slick and friction-free.

Button, button, who’s got the button?

Sizes: Buttons come in a variety of sizes, from small like these (#22) to large (#60). Or make supersized buttons by cutting out a round piece of wood and upholstering it.

Back options: With a variety of back options, such as prongs, nails, loops, and snap rings, you can place a button anywhere. Prongs are good for attaching buttons to thin panels of wood or cardboard, while nail backs allow you to hammer buttons into wood. Loops are used for pulling buttons through thick layers of padding with button twine, and snap rings allow buttons to snap onto the heads of screws and snaps.

36. Cut a length of button twine approximately 24" long and string it through the loop on the back of the button. Meet the ends of the button twine and pull both through the eye of the button needle.

37. Insert the button needle through the inside back in place of a T-pin and pull the ends of twine all the way through.

Design Ideas

Use a different fabric or an asymmetrical placement of buttons to add an unexpected twist to a piece of furniture. And here’s my favorite thing — use your upholstery tools in your closet. Replace those dull buttons on your winter jacket with large buttons covered in fabric you love!

Making a Slipknot

38. We’ll make a slipknot to tighten the buttons in place. Slide both ends of the button twine back and forth to make sure the twine moves freely, and then place the right strand under the left strand.

39. Bring the right strand around and over the left strand and itself.

40. Pull the right strand behind itself, through the loose knot, and tighten.

41. Place a piece of cotton batting in the loop and tighten the slipknot by pulling tightly on the left strand. Watch the button as you pull the twine and stop when you reach the desired tightness.

42. Repeat steps 36–41 until all buttons are in place and to the same tightness. Tie two knots in the twine to lock the slipknot in place and cut off the excess twine.

Slipper chair: Seat and channel back complete

Adding Buttons to a Finished Piece

What if you’ve finished your piece of furniture, and upon final inspection, you notice you forgot to attach the buttons? Oh no! Allow me to introduce the spring-loaded tufting needle. This needle projects a tab through the padding so you can attach and tighten a button from the front face of the fabric.

1.After your buttons are made, cut a piece of button twine approximately 24" long and string one end through the loop in the tab.

2.Place the tab in the chamber near the sharp end of the needle.

3.While firmly pulling the ends of the button twine, stick the needle through the padding at the desired button location and push the spring-loaded end to project the tab. Be careful not to stick the needle through the outside back.

4.Remove the needle and place the end of one strand of button twine through the loop on the back of the button. Tie a slipknot in the twine and tighten the button to the desired depth (see steps 38–42). Lock the button in place with two knots and cut the excess twine behind the buttons so the ends are hidden.

Chapter 10

Finishing the Frame of the Slipper Chair

The outside back is easy to complete, but requires attention to every detail. This is the last opportunity to conceal staples and messy areas. After the last few threads, staples, and raw edges are tucked away, we’ll cover the bottom with a dustcover and move on to the skirt and back scroll panels to complete the finishing touches.

Upholstering the Outside Back

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

Sewn welt cord

Pli-Grip

¹⁄₂" staples

Inexpensive scissors

Painter’s or masking tape

Dacron

Fabric

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Regulator

Rubber mallet

Pliers

Staple remover

1. Just as we started with the inside back, stretch and staple webbing across the outside back. Because the outside back doesn’t get a lot of pressure and we have a wooden brace down the middle, we only need a few horizontal strips to reinforce the space and shape the curve of the outside back.

2. Measure the width and height of the outside back and cut a piece of burlap a few inches bigger than these dimensions. We would normally staple the burlap across the top of the outside back, but since the space for stapling is limited, we’ll leave the burlap unstapled so we can attach the welt cord, Pli-Grip, and fabric. Stretch and staple the burlap across the outside back to cover the open space and create a solid surface for the padding and fabric. Fold the burlap back and staple again.

3. Cut and sew enough welt cord (see Sewing Tips and Tricks, page 364) to go around the sides and top of the outside back. Open up one end of the welt cord and cut out 1" of cording. Staple the cordless end to the side of the back then continue stapling across the top until you reach the other side. Remove the excess cording and staple the end to the other side.

Because we have back scrolls, we’ll wrap the outside back fabric around the sides to cover the wood beneath them. That’s why the welt cord begins at the top of the seat. If you don’t have back scrolls, visit page 195 for instructions for attaching welt cord to a typical outside back.

4. For the sides, open up the end of the welt cord and cut out 1" of cording. Fold the cordless fabric behind the welt cord and staple down the end even with the top of the seat. Continue stapling toward the bottom of the chair. Since we’re attaching the skirt around the bottom of the chair, cut out the cording 1" above the bottom of the frame so the skirt doesn’t staple over it. Then fold under the cordless fabric and staple the end even with the bottom edge of the chair.

5. To attach the rest of the outside back, flip the chair upside down for easier access. Change to ¹⁄₂"-long staples and staple Pli-Grip behind the welt cord on the sides, stopping 1" shy of the bottom, since the skirt will staple over this area. Be sure the foot of the Pli-Grip is pushed tightly into the welt cord and staple it down with one prong through the hole and the other to the side of the foot. The Pli-Grip should close toward the welt cord, so check that it’s not backward. When you’ve stapled through every hole, cut off the excess and any sharp corners with an inexpensive pair of scissors.

Mama always said, “Don’t use my good pair of scissors!” Now I’m saying it. When working with metal and cardboard, keep a pair of cheap scissors around so you don’t ruin or dull your good upholstery shears.

6. Start at one side and staple Pli-Grip behind the cording all the way across the top of the outside back.

7. When the Pli-Grip is stapled to the sides and top, close the teeth and attach a small piece of painter’s tape or masking tape to the sharp corners on the ends to protect the fabric.

8. Cut out a piece of Dacron large enough to cover the outside back. Like we did with the seat, split the layers of Dacron and staple only the bottom layer around the sides and bottom. Staple right behind the Pli-Grip and 1" above the bottom edge so there’s no padding beneath the skirt. Leave the top unstapled.

9. Smooth the top layer of Dacron over the bottom layer and cut off the excess even with the outside edge of the Pli-Grip. As you cut, be sure the Dacron covers the Pli-Grip but doesn’t go past the outside edge. Trim the excess Dacron 1" above the bottom edge of the chair and even with the wooden edges on the sides.

10. Using your square and yardstick, measure and cut out a piece of fabric that is centered on the fabric pattern and large enough to cover the outside back with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling. Since the top of the chair is attached with Pli-Grip, anchor the bottom first, then smooth the fabric to the top edge and into the Pli-Grip. Line up the bottom middle of the fabric and outside back and sub-staple the fabric across the bottom of the chair.

11. As you approach the legs, make cuts to release the fabric around the inside edges, fold under the fabric, and staple it to the bottom of the frame.

12. Smooth the fabric to the top, line up the middles, and use chalk to mark the outside edge of the Pli-Grip.

13. Cut off the excess fabric ¹⁄₂" beyond the chalked line.

14. Start at the middle and use the flat end of the regulator to tuck the fabric into the teeth of the Pli-Grip. As you work your way out, smooth the excess fabric up and to the sides to prevent wrinkles and puckering.

15. When you’ve tucked in the fabric all the way across the top, turn your regulator around and use the pointed end to tuck in the last bit of fabric and strings. If you’re having trouble getting all the fabric in the Pli-Grip, try pressing the teeth down further or trimming the excess fabric.

16. With the top and bottom secured, smooth the fabric to one side and staple.

17. Smooth from the top of the side, down, and make a release cut where the fabric meets the top edge of the seat. Follow steps 12–15 to tuck the fabric into the Pli-Grip on the side of the chair.

18. Repeat steps 16 and 17 to attach the other side.

19. Fold under the fabric just above the leg and staple even with the bottom edge of the frame.

20. When the fabric is in place on all four sides, replace sub-staples with permanents, cut off the excess fabric, and use the rubber mallet to hammer down the Pli-Grip. On this chair, the Pli-Grip is attached under the roll of the back and cannot be hammered down, so close it as tightly as you can with your fingers. See steps 1–18 (pages 284–288) for a variation of closing up the outside back.

Attaching the Dustcover to the Bottom of the Chair

Supplies

Measuring tape

Dustcover

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

White or yellow chalk

21. Measure the width and depth of the bottom of the chair and cut out a piece of dustcover a few inches larger than the measurements. Fold under and staple the middle of the front, back, and sides to the bottom of the chair. As you pull the dustcover taut, pull out the wrinkles but avoid stretching it too tightly.

22. Smooth the dustcover to each leg and make cuts to release the material around the sides. Fold under the excess and staple.

23. Fold under and staple the dustcover all the way around the edge of the chair.

Chapter 11

Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels

I agree, the days of ruffled skirts have passed, but it doesn’t mean a well-tailored skirt can’t add a bit of sophistication to a piece of furniture. Although these slipper chairs would look equally as dashing without a skirt, I’ve decided to attach one to minimize the legginess in the room and add a little variation. On rockers or furniture with unsightly legs, a skirt may be a necessity, so pay attention, even if you’re skipping the skirt.

Measuring and Cutting out the Skirt Panels

Supplies

Ruler

White or yellow chalk or water-soluble fabric marker

Cardboard tack strip

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

Square

Yardstick

Scissors

Decking material

Welt cord stick (optional)

1. As we discussed earlier, we’ll staple the skirt to the top edge of the wooden beam around the bottom of the chair (see step 1 illustration, page 95). Since this beam is 1" thick, make several marks 1" above the bottom edge around the perimeter of the chair. Use a piece of cardboard tack strip and chalk to connect the marks with a line all the way around the chair. Since my fabric is white and yellow chalk doesn’t come out of the fabric completely, I’m using a water-soluble marker to draw the line.

2. Measure from the floor to the marked line above every leg and record the measurements on a piece of paper.

3. Measure and write down the distance between each of the four legs.

4. Using the measurements from steps 2 and 3, draw a diagram to illustrate the finished dimensions of the four main skirt flaps. As is common in most chairs, the chair’s back legs are shorter than the front legs, so the side flaps will be a trapezoid rather than a rectangle.

5. A small skirt flap called a kick pleat will cover each leg and attach behind the split in the skirt panels. We’ll make them all 5" wide. The ones over the front legs will be the same height as the front skirt flap, while the back panels will be the same height as the back flap.

Cut Dimensions of skirt fabric

6. The fabric will wrap around to the back of each large skirt flap by ¹⁄₂" on both sides and will require an additional ¹⁄₂" seam allowance on all sides for sewing and stapling at the top. The small kick pleats will be one piece of fabric that folds in half width-wise. We’ll sew the right and left sides shut and attach them at the top, so add ¹⁄₂" seam allowance to all four sides. Draw a diagram to illustrate the dimensions of the fabric when cut.

7. Decking material will line the back of the skirts. Since the fabric covers 1" of the backside as it wraps around, we’ll subtract 1" from the width of the decking material, but we’ll still need ¹⁄₂" allowance on all sides for sewing and stapling. Draw out the cut sizes of the decking material for the backs of the skirts.

Cut Dimensions of decking material

8. We’ll match the pattern from the tack band to the skirt panels. The front and back flaps will be centered over the same part of the pattern as the seat, inside and outside back. For matching the skirt flaps to the right and left sides of the tack band and boxing, use the illustration from chapter 8, step 5 (page 96) as a reference. We’ll begin the front edges of the side skirt flaps ¹⁄₂" closer to the center of the fabric roll than we did the side pieces for the boxing and tack band to accommodate the ¹⁄₂" wrap around to the back of the skirt flaps. Corner panels can be drawn anywhere there’s room since they’re barely visible.

9. Cut out all fabric pieces, including enough single welt cord to reach around the chair (80") (see Sewing Tips and Tricks, page 358). Cut the decking material to the sizes noted in the illustration for step 7.

Sewing and Attaching Skirt Panels

Supplies

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot attachment

Thread

Fabric pieces cut to size

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

Scissors

T-pins or hand-stapling plier and staples

Iron

Skirt stiffener

Masking tape

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Cardboard tack strip

10. Stitch all of the single welt cord (see page 364) for the skirt. Fold a kick pleat in half width-wise with good sides facing and stitch the right and left sides shut. Repeat for the other three kick pleats.

11. With good sides facing, pin or staple the sides of the fabric to the sides of the decking pieces for the front skirt flap. With cut edges aligned, stitch the left side and then the right, and remove the staples or T-pins.

12. On the bottom edge of the skirt flap, line up the centers of the fabric and decking material and stitch from one side to the other. When the bottom is sewn, there should be ¹⁄₂" of fabric on each side of the back of the skirt flap. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for the other three flaps.

13. The key to a crisp and tailored skirt is ironing. Turn the flaps right side out and use your fingers to push out the corners and all the seams to the fullest extent. Press the panels so the edges and seams are flat.

14. Lay each flap on top of the skirt stiffener and cut it to the size of the flap minus ³⁄₄" in height. Insert the stiffener into the flaps. It’s not necessary to add skirt stiffener to the kick pleats.

15. We’ll use the welt cord to hold skirt flaps together side by side. Lay an end of the welt cord on top of the middle of the back skirt flap with the edge of the welt cord tail lined up with the top edge of the back skirt flap. Stitch from the middle to the right side of the flap. When you’re 1" from the right side, lay the left skirt flap adjacent to the back flap.

16. Continue sewing and attaching the flaps side by side until you get back to where you started. Cut off the excess welt cord 1" past the middle of the back flap. Open up the ends of the welt cord fabric and cut the cording inside so the ends meet.

17. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the ends to hold them together.

18. Lay the fabric from the right side straight out and around the welt cord. The fabric from the other side should fold under and wrap around the cording and fabric so no raw edges show.

19. Stitch over the connection of the welt cord ends.

20. Center a kick pleat over a split in the skirt with its top edge ¹⁄₄" above the edge of the welt cord tail and stitch across the flap. Repeat for the other three kick pleats to complete the skirt sewing. Attach the kick pleat ¹⁄₄" higher than the other flaps to make sure they hang slightly above the bottom edge of the four main flaps. You could cut the kick pleats so they’re ¹⁄₄" shorter, but I find it easier to adjust the height this way.

21. Slip the skirt on and line up the pattern. When the skirt is positioned correctly, flip it up and staple the seam allowance to the chair. As you staple, be sure the top edge of the cording is lined up with the marked line from step 1.

22. After stapling, go back and attach cardboard tack strip on top of the seam allowance. Push the cardboard into the welt cord to get a tight connection between the skirt and chair.

Upholstering and Attaching Back Scroll Panels

These panels require an abundance of patience. Talk sweetly to them, tap lightly, and don’t be discouraged if you find yourself redoing one or even both of them. If you’re having trouble getting the nails to go into the wood without bending, try using shorter, sharper nails or predrill tiny pilot holes where the nails should go in. At the end of a project, it can be frustrating to backtrack or run into a road bump, but just remember, you’re almost there!

Supplies

Traced panelboard from chapter 9 (page 104)

Inexpensive scissors

Panelboard

Permanent marker

Panel nails

Magnetic tack hammer

Spray adhesive

Dacron

Scissors

Fabric

Goggles

Staple gun

⁵⁄₃₂" or ¹⁄₄" staples

Single welt cord

Rubber mallet

Air blower

23. Cut out the template we made in chapter 9 (page 104) with a pair of inexpensive scissors and use it to trace and cut out three identical shapes of panelboard.

24. Use the magnetic tack hammer to hammer four to six nails through the front of one panel for each side. Evenly space the nails and keep them at least ¹⁄₄" away from the edges. Remember that the panels are mirror images of each other when determining the front.

25. Use spray adhesive to attach a second panel to the front of each panel with nails. Press the panels together until there’s a tight bond.

26. Glue Dacron to the front of each panel with spray adhesive. Trim off the excess Dacron ¹⁄₄" beyond the edges of the panel. Attach a second layer of Dacron if the panelboard is visible through your fabric.

27. Cut out a piece of fabric for the panel that coordinates with the fabric next to its location on the chair and keep the horizontal grain of the fabric parallel to the floor. Be sure you have the short staples in the gun and staple the top, bottom, and sides until the fabric is stapled all the way around. Evenly distribute excess fabric around the curved top to minimize pleating. Make a release cut where the round part connects to the back edge of the panel so the fabric will lie flat as it’s pulled and stapled.

28. Cut and sew enough welt cord to go around all but the bottom of both panels. Open up 1" of the welt cord fabric and cut out the cording. Fold under the extra fabric and staple the end flush with the bottom edge. Use your index finger and thumb to keep the welt lined up with the edge of the panel. When you reach the bottom of the other side, cut off the excess cording 1" past the bottom. Finish the end just as we started and staple down the rest of the cord. Repeat steps 27 and 28 for the other panel.

29. Line up the panels in the correct location and use the rubber mallet to gingerly tap the nails into the wood. Work in small increments by tapping all the nails from top to bottom in ¹⁄₂" at a time. Continue hammering, little by little, until the panels are flush to the wooden frame. Use the air blower to dust off the chair and you are finished!

For hard floors, the skirt should hang ¹⁄₄" from the bottom of the legs, but for carpeted floors, increase that distance to ¹⁄₂". When furniture sits on carpet, the weight pushes the legs through the fluff, causing the skirt to touch the ground.

I must confess: When we did the photo shoot for this chair, the dragon rug hadn’t been completed, so I made the skirt as if the chairs would be sitting on the hardwoods. When the rug arrived, I laid out my furniture as planned and realized I had goofed! The front legs sit on the carpet, causing the skirts to graze the floor — oops! So this pair made another trip back to Spruce for a skirt adjustment.

Project 3

Spread Your Wings

Chapter 12

Calculating Yardage for a Large Pattern

During the cold winters of 1700s New England, there was no cozier place than near a fire in the comfort of a wingback. What makes these chairs striking, comfortable, and functional are the padded wings that are soft enough to lean against and large enough to keep drafts out. Although I doubt I’ll need protection from the harsh winters of Austin, Texas, I knew as soon as I finalized the design for the living room that a wingback was the only piece striking enough to be successful as a stand-alone chair. So, after months of scouring antique and vintage shops and nightly Craigslist searches, I finally landed on this curvaceous chair.

The wingback has the perfect amount of real estate for showcasing a large and colorful pattern without overwhelming the room. In a space with a variety of shapes, colors, and patterns, one piece must bridge the gap, and this 100 percent linen by No. 9 Thompson connects to every piece: subtle stripes to play off the stripes of the Louis chair, orange for the sofa, and green for the cocktail ottoman. On top of that, the fabric repeat is perfect with the proportions of the chair. The dragon is the same width as the inside back and its height reaches from the top to the bottom of the inside and outside back.

Wingback chair: Before

The simple styling of the wingback is ideal for such a flamboyant pattern, so we’ll keep the new chair similar to the original. To prevent the pattern from getting disconnected as it wraps around the front edge of the cushion, we’ll replace the welt cord with a topstitched seam. And although I like the look of the decorative nailhead trim and the way it brings attention to the curves of the wings and back, I prefer a more discreet and modern finish, so I’ll use black tacks in place of brass. Since the legs are scratched and worn from years of use, I’ll refinish them in a dark brown to complement the chocolate of the fabric.

Although our styling changes are minimal, the way we place the pattern on this chair will make a significant impact on the transformation. Since the dragon is the same size as the inside back, we’ll showcase this fire-breathing spectacle front and center with the geometric borders covering the sides of the chair and framing the main attraction.

The transformation of the wingback comes from the calculated placement of the dragon on the chair.

Enter the Dragons in 01 by No. 9 Thompson

Design Inspiration from the Spruce Archives

Box shapely decks to avoid pleats and wrinkles.

If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser, choose blue! It’s by far the most popular selection at Spruce. Can you tell?

A solid-colored exterior on this wingback saves money and directs your attention to the striking velvet pattern on the interior.

Pattern placement can make or break a transformation. Take the time to plan out every piece of fabric, considering different arrangements of the pattern for the most striking before and after.

Measuring for Fabric

1. Let’s begin by writing down all of the pieces that we need to measure:

Deck

Inside arms (ISAs)

Inside wings (ISWs)

Inside back (ISB)

Outside arms and wings (OSAs and OSWs)

Outside back (OSB)

Cushion

Cushion front boxing (FB)

Cushion zipper boxing (ZB)

2. For each piece of fabric, take measurements at the largest dimensions. Measure the deck all the way around the front of the chair from the left to the right arm (33").

3. The dragon fabric is only used for the front portion of the deck, which begins 4" behind the front edge of the seat, wraps over the front, and ends at the bottom edge of the chair (9").

4. For the width of the inside arms, measure from the inside back all the way around the front of the arm until the fabric meets the outside arm (29").

5. The height begins at the seat, wraps around the top, and attaches just below the roll of the arm (21").

6. The inside wings are usually less wide where they connect to the inside arms, so measure toward the top where they’re widest (10").

7. The height of the wings extends from the top of the inside arms to the top of the chair (22").

8. Measure the width of the inside back between the inside wings (20").

9. For the height, measure from the deck to the top of the inside back (33").

10. The outside arms and wings are all one piece of fabric. Estimate where the back edge of the wing begins and measure to the connection between the outside and inside arm (21").

11. The height of the outside arms is from the bottom to the top of the chair (34").

12. Measure from seam to seam at the top of the outside back for the width (22"). Use the measurement from step 11 for the height (34").

13. To determine the width of the cushion, measure the distance between the front two corners (28").

14. Measure the depth of the cushion from the inside back to the front edge (20").

15. The width of the front boxing can be determined by using the following formula: Front boxing width = width of cushion + (depth of cushion × 2) = 68"

16. To estimate the width of the zipper boxing, add 10" to the width of the cushion (38").

17. We’ll make the cushion 3" thick, so the height for all boxings is 3".

18. In the columns to the right of Height/Depth is the approximate number of inches that should be added to each measurement for pulling and stapling and/or seam allowances. Add these numbers to the measurements from steps 2 through 17 to determine the dimensions we’ll use to determine yardage.

Wingback Measurements

Determining Yardage with a Large Pattern

The dragon fabric has a large vertical repeat of 32¹⁄₂", which means every 32¹⁄₂" there is another dragon. At this stage, it’s too difficult to determine exactly how the dragon will be positioned, so we’ll recalculate the heights to be in factors of the vertical repeat, ensuring we have enough fabric to place the dragon exactly where we want it.

1. Identify pieces that are 27" wide or less. These pieces can be placed next to each other on the fabric instead of stacked one on top of the other. The inside wings, inside back, outside arms, and outside back are all less than 27" wide. I already decided, however, that the inside and outside back will be positioned in the center of the pattern, so we won’t place these side by side.

2. Take the height of each piece of fabric, except for the boxing, and round up to the nearest factor of the vertical repeat. See table above.

3. Add the new dimensions for heights and don’t forget to double the heights of the inside arms and cushion since there are two inside arms and a top and bottom to the cushion. 32¹⁄₂" (deck) + 65" (ISAs) + 32¹⁄₂" (ISWs) + 65" (ISB) + 65" (OSAs) + 65" (OSB) + 65" (cushion) = 390"

4. Divide this number by 36" (1 yard) to determine the total number of yards needed (10.83). Round up to the nearest whole number and add an extra yard of fabric just in case we make a mistake (12).

Cushion boxing and the small pieces on the front of the arms weren’t factored into our yardage calculation, but since we have accounted for more fabric than we really need to achieve optimum pattern matching, we’ll be able to squeeze these small pieces into the leftovers. With a solid or small pattern, this chair would require 8 yards of fabric, but we’ll need 12 to accommodate the large dragon and complete the transformation.

Overview

Supplies for the Wingback Chair

Basic Supplies

³⁄₈" staples

¹⁄₂" staples

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Button twine

Hand-sewing twine

Lightweight spring twine

Painter’s or masking tape

Paper

Pencil

Permanent marker

Spray adhesive

Spring twine

Thread

T-pins

White or yellow chalk

Tools & Equipment

Air blower

Button needle

Calculator

Electric carving knife

Goggles

Hand-stapling plier (optional)

Iron

Large curved needle

Magnetic tack hammer

Magnetic tack hammer with nylon tip

Measuring tape

Pliers

Regulator

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Square

Square-point upholstery knife

Staple gun

Staple remover

Webbing stretcher

Yardstick

Materials

12 yards fabric

5 yards burlap

1 yard cardboard tack strip

2–8 yards cotton batting

7 yards 27"-wide Dacron

¹⁄₂ yard decking material

1 box decorative nailhead

1 yard dustcover

1 yard 1" edge roll

¹⁄₂ slab 3"–5"-thick high-density foam

Horsehair (optional)

16 yards jute webbing

1 slab 2"–3"-thick low-density foam (optional)

5 yards Pli-Grip (optional)

2 yards small edge roll or large fiber flex welt cord

1 yard zipper chain

Zipper pull

For more information on tools and materials, visit the glossary (page 369).

Chapter 13

Spring Tying for a Loose Seat

When I stripped the wingback chair, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. Instead of disintegrating foam, I found horsehair. In place of worn-out jute, there was steel webbing. Although I rarely keep old stuffing, these expensive and long-lasting materials are worth reusing in the restored chair. I left the steel webbing attached to the springs and chair, so I’ll skip straight to spring tying instead of starting with webbing (see Stripping Furniture, page 353).

We already tied springs in project 1, but we’ll make a few changes to our methods to accommodate the loose seat cushion. Since we’re tying springs for a deck instead of a tight seat, our goal is to make the springs as flat as possible. Instead of tying the springs so there’s a crown to the seat, we’ll do our best to tie all springs as low as possible and to the same height. If your coil springs were connected to a straight wire, refer to chapter 21: Spring Tying with an Edge Wire (page 237).

Wingback chair: Stripped to the frame

Measuring and Attaching Spring Twine

Supplies

Goggles

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Spring twine

Scissors

¹⁄₂" staples

Staple gun

1. When you come across steel webbing in good condition, reuse it! It lasts longer and is more durable than jute. Inspect where it’s connected to the frame and reinforce with large upholstery tacks, if necessary. If you removed jute webbing from your chair, refer to pages 29–34 for instructions on attaching webbing and springs.If you don’t have coil springs, refer to chapter 7 for Tying Sinuous Springs (page 83) or attach webbing to the top edge of the frame and skip to chapter 14 (page 155).

2. Just as we did in project 1, use the magnetic tack hammer to place two tacks at both ends of every vertical and horizontal row. Only hammer the tacks in halfway.

3. Double over spring twine and stretch it across each row of springs. Add an extra 4" of twine for every spring in the row before cutting the length. Since I have three springs in each horizontal and vertical row, I’ll make the doubled-over twine 12" longer than each row.

4. With the twine doubled over, place the middle loop in between a pair of tacks at the backside of the chair and make a loop around each one. Pull the long ends of twine tightly toward the springs, cinching the loops, then hammer down the tacks. Repeat for every pair of tacks along the back and one side of the chair.

Tying Vertical Rows

5. Pull the left strand of twine from the back middle tacks under the second rung and up through the center of the back middle spring.

6. Loop the twine around the second rung, making a loose knot.

7. Grab the bottom of the loop and pull it taut with your dominant hand while using your nondominant hand to compress the spring.

8. When you’ve compressed the spring as low as possible, use your nondominant index finger to hold the spring twine tightly against the bottom of the second rung. Release the twine in your dominant hand and pull the end of the twine to cinch the knot around the spring.

9. Check the tightness of the first knot by pulling the spring twine toward the front of the chair. When the spring is compressed, is the top rung centered over the bottom rung? If the answer is no, retie the first knot until the answer is yes.

10. Pull the twine under the top rung on the opposite side of the spring and make a loose knot around it. Repeat steps 7–9 to tighten the knot. Continue tying knots to both sides of the top rung of every spring in the row. When you reach the last side of the last spring, go back down to the second rung and tie a knot.

11. Leverage your hand against the frame to pull the springs forward and down as you wrap the left strand of twine around the left tack. Pull the slack out of the twine until the springs reach the desired height, and then hammer down the tack to hold the twine in place.

12. Check that the springs in the first row are standing vertically when compressed, not leaning forward or back. Leaning to the right or left is acceptable at this point. Undo the tying and correct leaning, if necessary, then secure the end of twine with a few staples. If the middle spring is slightly higher than the others, don’t worry: it will compress more as we continue tying.

13. Go back to the first spring and repeat steps 5–9 for the right strand of twine. When you make the loose knot, go around both the second and top rungs.

14. Repeat step 10 to continue tying the springs. When you get to the last side of the last spring, tie the knot around the second and top rung like we did at the beginning. Repeat step 12 to finish the row.

15. Repeat steps 5–14 to tie the other vertical rows to the same height as the first row tied.

Tying Horizontal Rows

As we tie the springs horizontally, our goals are to keep the springs upright, with top rung centered over bottom rung, and compress them even more. A simple trick for achieving more compression without exhausting yourself is tying the springs while they’re leaning back toward the tacks. As you pull out the slack at the end and adjust them into an upright position, they’ll be forced downward.

16. Horizontal rows are tied the same way as vertical rows, so repeat steps 5–15 for the horizontal rows, keeping the goals in mind.

Tying Diagonal Rows

By the time you get to diagonal rows, your springs should be in the desired position. We’ll tie the springs diagonally in both directions to lock the springs together so they move as one unit instead of individual springs.

17. Repeat steps 2–4 to set the tacks for the diagonal rows. Envision the line you’ll create across the springs as you tie them together and orient the pair of tacks so they’re perpendicular to this line. If the frame is obstructed where your tacks should go, scoot them over to the closest available space.

18. Repeat steps 5–15 to tie the rows diagonally in both directions. Always tie diagonal rows toward the front of the chair.

The Quest for Coils

Just as car enthusiasts check under the hood, I like to check under the seat when I go shopping for new chairs. Although they require more skill and time to tie — and you may be thinking, Why would I want to do this again? — the support of coil springs is better than any other seat construction and generally a sign of better quality furniture. When you’re out shopping for your next diamond in the rough, place your hand under the seat. If you feel a firm, solid surface even with the bottom edge of the frame, more than likely, the seat has coils. If you feel nothing but a light layer of dustcover, there are no coils.

Chapter 14

Padding a T-Shaped Deck

Although the cushion will provide most of the padding in the seat of the chair, we’ll need a light layer of cotton and Dacron to cover the springs and protect the bottom of the cushion from wearing out. When I first started learning upholstery, decks intimidated me. The number of steps, hand sewing, and precision required to successfully upholster a deck can be overwhelming to a beginner, so it’s best to break it into chunks and complete it one step at a time.

Just as we did with the tight seats in projects 1 and 2, we’ll cover the springs with burlap and attach edge roll. Then we’ll pad the deck with cotton and Dacron. In chapter 15, we’ll sew and attach the fabric to the chair.

Covering the Springs with Burlap

Supplies

Measuring tape

Burlap

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Permanent marker

1. Measure the widest and deepest parts of the seat. Add a few extra inches on all sides for pulling and stapling, and cut out a piece of burlap to that size.

2. Center the burlap over the seat, pull the back middle through the frame, and attach with a few staples. Be careful to avoid the tacks from spring tying when stapling.

3. With the back middle attached, pull the burlap tightly to the front and staple the front middle.

4. With this rounded arm post, we’ll make several cuts around the curve to release the burlap (see page 44 for more on release cuts).

5. Staple the burlap on either side of the arm post before making the next release cut.

6. On the same side of the chair, perform another release cut at the back where the back leg meets the deck and staple the burlap on either side.

7. When you’ve made and stapled around the cuts on one side, repeat steps 4–6 for the opposite side.

8. Staple down the burlap around all four sides, fold the excess back, and staple again.

Attaching Edge Roll

Supplies

1" edge roll

Permanent marker

Square-point upholstery knife

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

9. With the flat side of the edge roll on the bottom and the tail extending into the center of the chair, position the cut end of the edge roll ¹⁄₂" away from the front of the left arm (see page 45 for an illustration about edge roll placement). Mark a line across the edge roll with the permanent marker even with the front edge of the chair. Mark two lines coming out from the first line at 45 degrees.

10. With the square-point upholstery knife, cut on the 45-degree lines to remove the edge roll in between them. Be careful not to cut all the way through the edge roll.

11. Use your nondominant hand to line up the edge roll with the edge of the frame while stapling through the tail on the backside to attach it to the chair. Bend the edge roll at the front left corner and continue stapling across the front of the chair.

12. Stop stapling a few inches before the right corner, repeat step 9 to make a mark even with the right edge of the chair, and repeat step 10. After removing the edge roll in the corner, bend it and line it up with the right edge of the deck. Make another mark ¹⁄₂" from the front of the right arm and cut all the way through the edge roll on the marked line. Continue stapling the edge roll until you reach the right arm.

13. When the edge roll is stapled all the way around, secure the front side by pinching off and stapling small sections to the front of the frame. These staples lock the edge roll in place, keeping it from rocking back and forth. As you staple, be careful not to push the edge roll back behind the wooden edge.

Marking and Measuring for the Deck Fabric

Before we pad the deck, we’ll mark a few lines to determine the division between the front and back portions of the deck and take measurements for the fabric. With a T-shaped deck, extend the fabric behind the front of the arms by 3" so that the beige decking material doesn’t show if gapping occurs between the cushion and the scroll during sitting.

Supplies

Ruler

Measuring tape

Permanent marker

Yardstick

Pencil

Paper

14. First, mark a parallel line 4" behind the front of the edge roll. Stop 4" from the right and left sides. Draw a perpendicular line at either end of the first line, extending toward the back of the chair and stopping 3" behind the front of the arms. Finally, draw a perpendicular line from the ends of the last lines to the inside arms.

15. Measure and write down the distance between the front two corners (26¹⁄₂").

16. Find the depth of the decking material by measuring from the first marked line in step 14 to the back edge of the chair (20¹⁄₂"). Then find the depth/height of the front portion of the deck by measuring from the same line, over the front, and to the bottom edge of the frame (9").

Padding the Deck

Supplies

Cotton batting

Dacron

Scissors

Large curved needle

Hand-sewing twine

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

T-pins

17. Feel the surface of the springs and find any low spots. Fill in noticeable dips with small pieces of cotton batting. When the surface is even, place a full layer of cotton batting over the back portion of the deck, starting 1" behind the marked line. Use your hands to tear off the cotton just shy of where you stapled the burlap in step 8.

18. Cut a piece of Dacron the same shape and size as the back portion of the deck and lay it over the cotton batting. Thread a curved needle with about 24" of hand-sewing twine and insert it through the Dacron and burlap just inside the left arm. Bring the needle and twine out right next to the entrance point.

19. We’ll make a slipknot to anchor the twine. With an end of twine in each hand, shorten the right side to approximately 6" and place it under the left strand.

20. Bring the right strand up and over the left strand and itself.

21. Bring the right strand behind itself and through the middle of the loop. Pull the right side until the knot is tight then pull the left strand to cinch the knot around the Dacron and burlap. Tie two knots on top of the slipknot to anchor the twine in place.

22. Hand-sew the Dacron to the burlap along the backside of the marked line. Thread the curved needle with the long end of twine, insert the needle through the Dacron and burlap about 2" from the slipknot and bring it out next to the entrance point, staying lined up with the marked line.

23. Pull the needle and thread under the twine coming from the slipknot and tighten the twine over the Dacron. Insert the needle 2" from the last entrance point and pull it out directly next to it. Continue repeating this step until you have 6" of twine remaining. Then tie off the stitch with a knot and start a new length of twine, as we did in steps 18–21.

24. Continue sewing until you’ve stitched the Dacron along the backside of the marked line. Make release cuts at the back posts so the Dacron lies flat, then secure the back, right, and left sides by stapling the Dacron where we stapled the burlap.

25. Cover the front portion of the deck with Dacron. As the Dacron wraps around the front, cut out the excess in the corners and pin them closed with T-pins. Make release cuts around the scroll of the arm so the Dacron lies flat, but be sure the Dacron covers the front portion of the deck. Repeat steps 18–24 to stitch the corners closed and attach the Dacron along the front side of the marked line. Remove the T-pins.

26. Flip the Dacron back and fill in the dip behind the edge roll with several layers of cotton. (I saved the padding from the original chair, so I’m using horsehair instead.)

27. When the dip is filled in to the height of the edge roll, cover the front portion of the deck with a full layer of cotton. Stop 1" shy of the bottom edge of the chair. Staple the cotton near the bottom edge to tack it in place.

28. Pull the Dacron forward over the cotton and staple to the bottom front of the chair. As you staple, split the Dacron in half and only staple the bottom half. The top half will cover the dimples made by the staples. Continue stapling across the front edge and around the sides.

29. After the Dacron is stapled, trim it even with the bottom edge of the chair.

Chapter 15

Sewing and Attaching the Deck Fabric

One of the trickiest parts of pattern-matching a print this large is figuring out what goes on the deck. As we discussed in chapter 12, the plan is to get a full dragon down the inside back. If we plan it carefully, we can get a second dragon on top of the cushion wrapping over the front boxing and down the deck. Since we don’t have any padding or fabric on the inside back or cushion, we’ll use our measurements from the yardage estimate to work backward and find the appropriate piece of fabric for the deck.

Cutting out the Deck Fabric

Supplies

Fabric

White or yellow chalk

Air blower

Square

Yardstick

Scissors

Decking material

1. Before you get started, do a chalk test by making small marks on the fabric, one in white and one in yellow chalk, and use the air blower to determine which color comes out easiest.

2. Go back to the original measurements from the yardage estimate and find the height of the ISB before allowances were added (33"). Subtract the 3" thickness of the cushion to determine the amount of visible fabric on the inside back (30"). From the top of the dragon horns, measure 30" down and make a small mark in chalk.

3. Find the depth of the cushion before allowances (20"). Make another mark 20" down from the mark made in step 2.

4. Since we know the boxing is 3" before allowances, make another mark 3" down from the last mark. The deck should meet the bottom of the cushion boxing at this mark. Using this point as a reference, find the same part of the repeat closest to the cut edge and make a small mark.

5. In the last chapter, we determined that the fabric extends 4" behind the front edge of the deck. Use the square and yardstick to draw a straight line all the way across the fabric 4¹⁄₂" above the last mark made. The extra ¹⁄₂" is the seam allowance needed to attach the fabric to the decking material.

When squaring lines on fabric, always square to the pattern of the fabric instead of the selvage edge.

6. Use the final height/depth of the deck from chapter 12 (12") to determine the distance between the first line drawn to the parallel line you draw below it. This will be the bottom edge of the deck fabric (see illustration above).

7. Mark the middle of the fabric on the top line. Find the measurement from step 15, page 159 (26¹⁄₂") and divide it in half (13¹⁄₄"). Make a mark 13¹⁄₄" to the right and left of the center mark (A).

8. Make two more marks 7¹⁄₂" beyond the last two marks. 7¹⁄₂" is the measurement from the front edge of the deck to the line 3" behind the front of the arms (7") plus ¹⁄₂" for seam allowance. Use the square to draw the right and left sides of the deck at the 7¹⁄₂" marks.

9. To wrap the fabric around the front corners of the chair without pleating, we’ll cut out triangles at the corners and seam the fabric together. Measure down 4¹⁄₂" from mark A and make a mark (B). Go back to A, measure and mark 4¹⁄₂" to the right and left of it (C). Draw straight lines connecting points B with C to make two triangles.

10. Cut on the lines marked for all four sides of the deck and cut out the triangles drawn in step 9.

11. Add ¹⁄₂" to the decking material depth from step 16, page 160 (21") and use the distance from corner to corner (26¹⁄₂") as the width. Cut out a piece of decking material to these dimensions.

Sewing the Deck

Supplies

Fabric and decking material cut to size

T-pins or hand-stapling plier and staples

Sewing machine

Thread

Scissors

13. With good sides facing, center edge C on the front edge of the decking material and stitch between the seams made in step 12. Remove any T-pins or staples.

14. At the corner seam, lay edge D (good side facing down) on the decking material, perpendicular to edge C, and stitch it to the decking material. Repeat for the other side.

15. Lay down the fabric on the left side of the deck on top of the decking material with edge E perpendicular to edge D. Fold under the ¹⁄₂" seam allowance on edge E and topstitch edge E to the decking material. Repeat for the right side.

16. Before we attach the fabric to the chair, inspect all of the seams and make sure they’re tightly sewn. Then cut off the excess decking material (leave ¹⁄₂" of seam allowance) behind the corner made by edges D and E.

Attaching the Deck Fabric to the Chair

Supplies

Sewn fabric for deck

Button needle

Button twine

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

T-pins

Large curved needle

Hand-sewing twine

White or yellow chalk

Staple remover

Pliers

17. Cut a 12" length of button twine and thread one end through the button needle. Pull the needle and twine through the seam allowance of the deck fabric at the corner made by edges C and D. Remove the needle and make a knot in the button twine to anchor it to the fabric.

18. Rethread the needle with the button twine and insert it through the same corner of the chair.

19. Pull the twine firmly through the bottom of the chair and staple it to the frame. If the twine starts to slip through the staple, fold it back and staple again. Repeat steps 17–19 to anchor the other corner.

20. Pull the seam allowance of the deck fabric toward the front portion of the deck and pin the machine-sewn line to the marked line on the chair. Anchor the deck material just inside the left arm with a slipknot made around the seam allowance and burlap (see steps 18–21, page 161).

21. Rethread the curved needle and insert it next to the slipknot approximately ¹⁄₄" in front of the machine-sewn line. Pull the needle and twine out 2" beyond the entrance point, keeping the hand-sewn line parallel to the machine-sewn line.

22. Insert the curved needle next to the slipknot again and pull it out 4" beyond the last entrance point. Insert the needle 2" back and pull it out 4" farther. At corners, use the same stitch but shorten the stitch length to maneuver around the turns.

23. Repeat this backstitch, moving 4" forward then 2" back until the deck is sewn all the way across the chair. Remove the T-pins.

24. Tightly pull the fabric forward over the padding and sub-staple the middle to the bottom of the chair (see page 53 for how to sub-staple).

25. Pull the decking material to the back of the chair and center it over the back edge of the frame. Sub-staple it in place.

26. Smooth the fabric toward the right arm and use your fingers to feel the edges of the wooden arm post. Draw a release cut in chalk on the excess fabric.

27. Carefully cut on the chalked lines to release the fabric around the front scroll. Pull the fabric around the post and secure on each side with sub-staples.

28. Repeat steps 26 and 27 for the left side.

29. Smooth the decking material toward the back right corner and make a cut to release the fabric around the back leg post. Fold the edges under and sub-staple on either side of the post. Repeat for the left side.

30. Go back to the front middle and continue sub-stapling from the middle toward the left leg. When you’re within a few inches of the leg, pull the fabric taut over the front left corner, and mark and make straight cuts to release the fabric around the corners of the leg. Fold the fabric under on either side of the leg and sub-staple it to the bottom of the chair. Repeat this step for the right side.

31. When the deck is smooth and secured on all four sides, go back and replace sub-staples with permanent staples. Staple the flap of fabric in front of the arm to the front of the arms (see step 27). Fold under and staple the fabric over the leg even with the bottom edge of the chair.

32. When the deck is completely stapled, trim off the excess fabric.

Breakdown of the Deck

There are many steps in constructing a deck, so I’ve dog-eared a page in my notebook to help jog my memory. Here’s the abridged version of what we did in chapters 14 and 15.

1. Cover the springs with burlap.

2. Attach edge roll.

3. Mark the division between the front and back portions of the deck.

4. Write down measurements for the fabric.

5. Cover the back portion with cotton batting.

6. Hand-sew and staple Dacron to the back portion of the deck.

7. Hand-sew the Dacron to the front portion of the deck.

8. Fill in behind the edge roll with cotton batting.

9. Cover the front portion with one layer of cotton batting.

10. Staple the Dacron over the cotton and front portion of the deck.

11. Cut out and sew the fabric pieces.

12. Hand-sew fabric to the deck.

13. Staple the fabric in place!

Wingback chair: Deck complete

Chapter 16

Upholstering the Inside Arms and Wings

The arms of a wingback are what define its name and give it that striking yet classic silhouette. Because of the curvy shape and juncture of the arm and wing, upholstering the arms requires a few extra steps, including draping and seaming pieces together.

Since I salvaged the original padding from the chair, I’ll be reusing the horsehair and supplementing it with cotton batting and Dacron. If you’re starting from scratch, use multiple layers of cotton in place of the horsehair or attach a light layer of cotton followed by foam and Dacron.

Attaching Webbing and Burlap to the Arms

On most furniture, the fabric pulls through the space between the inside arms and back. The goal is to staple materials from the inside arm and back to the interior of this space to minimize a buildup of layers on the back surface of the chair. Since the space is particularly small on this wingback, we’ll stop padding just shy of it to prevent overcrowding.

At the bottom of the arms, attach burlap to the horizontal wooden bar just above the deck. For the wing, attach webbing and burlap to the wood inside the edges of the wing.

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

Cotton batting

Permanent marker

1. Stretch and staple webbing across the inside arms and wings to reinforce the open spaces in the frame (see page 29 for stretching and stapling webbing).

2. The roll on top of the arm needs shaping with a pocket of cotton. Cut a piece of burlap large enough to cover the top of the arm with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling. Staple one side of the burlap to the wood forming the roll on the outside of the arm. Fold the excess back and staple again.

3. Fill in the roll of the arm with cotton. Pack the cotton tightly so pressure doesn’t flatten it down.

4. Staple the burlap over and around the perimeter of the cotton to hold it in place so it doesn’t squish out of the burlap with use.

5. Stretch and staple burlap to the arms and wings (independently) to create a solid surface for attaching padding. Make release cuts around the posts at the back of the arm so the burlap lies smooth and flat.

Padding the Inside Arms and Wings

Supplies

Small edge roll or large fiber flex welt cord

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Cotton batting or horsehair

1"–2"-thick low-density foam (optional)

Electric carving knife (optional)

Permanent marker (optional)

Square-point upholstery knife

Large curved needle

Button twine

Dacron

Scissors

Spray adhesive

6. Since the arms get a lot of wear from sitting and standing, we’ll follow the same steps from chapter 14 (pages 157–158) to staple edge roll around the front scroll. Use a small edge roll or a larger fiber flex welt cord to avoid bulking up the arms.

7. Place padding over the arms and wings, stopping even with the edges of the frame. If you’re using cotton, cover the arms with three or four full sheets of cotton. To give foam arms a rounder shape, use a layer of cotton, followed by 1"–2"-thick low-density foam. Depending on the contours between the wing and the arm, it may be necessary to apply foam separately to each piece so the padding lies flat. Staple the padding along the edge of the frame to hold it in place. Refer to pages 264–265 for instructions for tracing and attaching foam to arms.

8. Although staples and Dacron do a great job of holding loose padding in place, it’s always a good idea to reinforce horsehair by hand-sewing it to the burlap with bridle ties. Anchor the ends of the stitch with knots and weave the curved needle back and forth through the horsehair and burlap until the sections of padding are tight to the frame. Although an alternating horseshoe configuration is standard, I prefer stitches in the shape of X for horizontal and vertical support.

9. After attaching the padding, fill in indentations made by the staples or stitches with small pieces of horsehair or cotton.

10. Cut a piece of Dacron large enough to cover only the inside arm. Be sure the Dacron is tall and wide enough to cover the front roll of the arm adjacent to the deck. Push 10" of Dacron under the arm, pull the top edge over the arm, and staple the Dacron just under the roll. To get the Dacron to lie flat as it’s pulled around the arm, make a release cut where the wing and arm meet at the front of the wing.

11. Make cuts to release the Dacron around the back leg post and front scroll. Pull the Dacron around the front roll near the deck, and then staple the Dacron to the back edge of the roll. Leave the Dacron under the arm unstapled.

12. Since the pull-through space between the arm and inside back is snug, cut the back edge of the Dacron even with the frame and barely tuck it into the gap. Smooth and staple the Dacron to the phone-shaped exposed wood at the front of the arm, also known as the front scroll.

13. Cut another piece of Dacron large enough to cover the wing and staple tightly to the outside edge of the curve. Just as we did with the arm, make release cuts at the front of the wing to get the Dacron to lie flat as it’s pulled around and barely tuck the back edge of the Dacron into the pull-through space.

14. When you’re finished stapling, cut off the excess Dacron as close to the staples as possible.

15. To connect the Dacron between the wing and arm, use a little spray adhesive to stick the edges together. Be sure the glue is dry before moving on to the fabric.

Cutting and Sewing the Inside Arms and Wings

Inside arms and wings can be upholstered separately, but in most cases, they’re seamed together and treated as one unit. When I started upholstering, I tried, again and again, to use one solid piece of fabric to upholster the wing and arm together, and every time it failed. The slight shift in surfaces between the arm and wing, combined with the need for extra fabric as the fabric wraps around the curves, make it impossible to get a wrinkle-free and cleanly upholstered arm out of one piece of fabric.

To determine the fabric pattern, we’ll drape fabric over the inside arm and wing independently, chalk a line where the fabric pieces meet, and cut and stitch together the pieces. When stripping wingbacks, it can be useful to save the fabric from the arms as a reference for making a new pattern. But avoid tracing old patterns, as the fit will be slightly different with new padding.

Supplies

Fabric

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Scissors

Permanent marker

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Sewing machine

Thread

Regulator

Staple remover

Pliers

16. Use the measurements from the original yardage estimate to determine the rough size of the fabric needed for the inside arms (33" wide × 25" tall) and inside wings (14" wide × 26" tall) (see page 145). Proceeding with the original plan, we’ll flank the inside back with the geometric border. To do so, we’ll need to begin the back edges of the arms and wings even with the edges of the fabric. Draw the left pieces on the right side of the fabric and vice versa. To keep the arms as symmetrical as possible, align the top edges of all pieces at the same point of the vertical repeat.

17. Cut out the pieces and draw a line on the Dacron with permanent marker at the division between the wing and inside arm.

18. As you draw around the outside of the wing and arm, split the difference between the arm and wing by drawing a diagonal line.

19. Position the arm fabric so the back edge is 1" beyond the back edge of the wing and there’s enough fabric at the bottom to reach the bottom of the frame under the front roll of the arm. Sub-staple the bottom middle and top middle. When stapling the top edge, staple on the flat surface of the outside arm, not on the roll of the arm.

20. Adjust the fabric so the pattern is straight with the grain of the fabric parallel to the ground, and then draw and make cuts similar to the ones we made in the deck fabric to release the fabric around the front scroll (see chapter 15, steps 26 and 27). Use a few sub-staples to tack the fabric in place.

21. At the back of the arm, make a cut to release the fabric around the horizontal bar at the bottom of the inside back. Secure the cut on either side with a few sub-staples.

22. Smooth the fabric up toward the wing and make a few cuts in the excess fabric down to the drawn line so the fabric lies flat as it wraps the connection between the wing and arm. When you make the cut at the front of the wing, angle the scissors’ handle toward the back of the chair so there’s extra fabric to cover the diagonal line you drew on the outside arm. Add a few more sub-staples, where needed, to keep the arm fabric in position.

23. Sub-staple the wing fabric at the top and sides with the pattern straight and lined up with the pattern on the inside arm. Repeat step 22 to make release cuts in the wing where it connects to the arm. Fold back the fabric on the arm and wing so the folded edges meet the drawn line. Carefully chalk the folded edges to show where they meet.

24. Draw a line across the arm and wing to show where the two pieces align.

With arms, it’s far more efficient to assembly-line the steps. Pad both arms, one after the other, and after you’ve draped the fabric and determined the pattern, trace the pattern for the other arm. Remember to mirror the fabric pieces so the arms are symmetrical.

25. Remove the fabric from the chair and cut ¹⁄₂" beyond the chalked lines. With good sides together, line up the cut edges and the mark from step 24. Stitch from the mark to the edge of one side. Go back to the mark, flip over the fabric, and stitch to the other side. As you sew, be sure to keep the cut edges aligned.

26. After you check the fit, lay the fabric flat under the sewing foot with the good side up and both seam allowances lying under the arm side of the seam. Topstitch the fabric approximately ¹⁄₄" away from the seam on the arm side to hold the seam allowances in place and reinforce the connection between the arm and wing.

27. Sub-staple the arm and wing to the chair in the same position as before and make a cut to release the wing around the post across the top of the inside back.

28. At the top of the wing, staple the flaps from the release cut to the wooden frame of the inside and outside back.

29. As the fabric wraps around the front scroll, evenly space pleats to disburse the excess fabric. Use a regulator to smooth out the fabric in the folds and get the pleats crisp and tight (see page 110).

30. Make small release cuts to split the fabric around the edge of the front scroll as the fabric wraps to the underside and backside of the rolls of the arm.

31. Fold under the fabric where the front roll of the arm meets the deck, pull tightly, and staple the bottom of the chair.

32. When the fabric is wrinkle-free and sub-stapled in place, remove the subs and replace with permanent staples. Upholster the second arm, matching the pattern placement as closely as possible.

Because the curve of these wings is slight, I was able to staple the fabric without pleating, but it’s often necessary to make pleats to neatly disburse the excess fabric around the curve. If you’re having trouble getting the fabric smooth, follow step 29 to add pleats to the wing.

Now that you’ve draped and sewn fabric together, you have the skills to upholster all sorts of furniture. The arms and backs of all these pieces are draped and seamed together just like the arms of the wingback chair.

Wingback chair: Deck and inside arms complete

Chapter 17

Upholstering the Inside Back

In addition to horsehair and steel webbing, I also found coil springs when I stripped this chair. It’s rare to find pieces with coil-sprung backs, and when you do, it’s a sign of great quality. Tying coil springs in the back is very similar to tying springs in the seat. Because the back does not provide as much support as the seat, the springs are less firm, smaller, and only need to be tied vertically and horizontally to stay in place. I also use a lightweight jute twine since the springs are thin and easily held in place with thinner rope. If you are upholstering arms that require no seaming, follow the steps from this chapter to complete them.

Attaching Webbing and Tying Springs on the Inside Back

No coil springs? No problem! You’re probably working with a chair that doesn’t have coil springs in the back. If you have sinuous (zigzag) springs, see page 83 for tying instructions, and then continue with step 6. If you don’t have any springs, after completing steps 1–3, skip straight to step 6.

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Back springs

Klinch-It (optional)

Klinch-It staples (optional)

Button needle

Button twine

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce tacks

Lightweight spring twine

1. Attach vertical strips of webbing to the inside back. Staple the webbing to the bottom bar with 2" of extra length beyond the staples. Fold the excess back and staple again.

2. Pull the webbing to the top of the inside back and over the teeth of the webbing stretcher. Leverage the stretcher against the frame and staple as you stretch the webbing tightly. Leave the webbing connected to the roll until you’ve attached both ends to the chair, and then cut 2" beyond the staples at the top of the chair. Fold over and staple the excess down. Because the back needs less support, it’s acceptable to leave small gaps between the strips. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all vertical rows are stapled.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to staple all horizontal strips. Because the support beams at the top and bottom of the back are recessed behind the beams on the left and right, I’m pulling the horizontal strips of webbing behind the vertical ones instead of weaving back and forth. This method pushes the vertical strips forward so the inside back isn’t concave.

4. Lay the chair on its back and evenly space the back springs on the webbing. Use the Klinch-It tool to attach the springs to the webbing (page 237) or hand-sew springs to the webbing with a button needle and button twine (page 32).

5. Repeat steps 18–34 (pages 34–39) to tie the springs with a domed shape. Since back springs are smaller and less resistant, use cheaper, lightweight spring twine for tying.

Padding and Upholstering the Inside Back

Supplies

Measuring tape

Burlap

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Cotton batting or horsehair

Large curved needle (optional)

Button twine (optional)

2"–3"-thick low-density foam (optional)

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife (optional)

Dacron

Fabric

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Staple remover

Pliers

6. Cut out a piece of burlap large enough to cover the inside back with a few extra inches for pulling and stapling. Stretch and staple it to the beams where we stapled the webbing, fold back the excess and staple again.

7. If you’re only using cotton for padding, cover the inside back with three to five layers. I will reuse the horsehair from the original chair and plump it up with an additional layer of cotton. There should be enough layers so you don’t feel the individual springs through the padding. If foam is your padding of choice, start with a light, allover layer of cotton followed by 2"-thick low-density foam (see pages 277–278, steps 4 and 6, for tracing and attaching foam). Staple the padding along the top edge of the back and tuck in the other sides.

8. Before attaching Dacron, hand-sew bridle ties, if necessary (step 8, page 178). Cut a sheet of Dacron large enough to cover the inside back. Pull it through the bottom and staple it to the top of the outside back. Trim the excess from the sides so they barely tuck into the pull-through space. Trim off the excess Dacron at the bottom and just past the staples at the top.

9. Measure the largest width and height of the inside back and add 4"–6" to each dimension for pulling and stapling (26" wide × 37" tall).

10. We already determined the pattern placement on the inside back when we cut out the deck fabric (see page 165). Since the marks we made in that illustration denoted the edges of the visible fabric (from the top of the cushion to the top edge of the inside back), we need to add a few inches to the top and bottom for pulling and stapling. At the bottom, add 3" to reach the deck and 3" for pulling through the bottom and stapling. At the top, add 1" for pulling and stapling. Draw lines to indicate the edges of the inside back fabric.

11. Cut out the fabric and drape it over the inside back. Center the dragon between the arms and sub-staple 1" of fabric to the top of the outside back. Tightly pull the fabric through the bottom and sub-staple. The distance from the deck to mark A should be 3". Make adjustments to the vertical positioning of the fabric until the pattern is correctly placed, and then sub-staple the middles of the right and left sides.

12. Perform release cuts around the bars at the bottom and top of the inside back. Fold under the excess fabric where the inside back meets the top of the wings and staple to the outside back. Continue sub-stapling the fabric on all four sides. Double-check the pattern placement, and then replace sub-staples with permanent staples.

Wingback chair: Deck, inside arms, and inside back complete

It’s not (always) easy being green.

There’s a fine balance to be struck between eco-friendly, economical, and long-lasting upholstery. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of research in an effort to provide clients with the most affordable and healthy options for their homes. In a perfect world, traditional upholstery materials, such as horsehair, would be applied with the techniques developed by our upholstery ancestors. But the time and cost associated with these methods and materials are cost-prohibitive for most people. When considering how to pad your furniture, ask yourself these questions:

1.How much use will this piece get, and how long do I expect it to last?

2.Do I or family members have allergy issues?

3.Am I willing to compromise the cosmetics of my furniture to use natural or organic padding and fabric?

4.Am I on a stringent budget?

Don’t worry: Your character and values are not being judged. One of the great things about custom upholstery is that you have the chance to answer these personal questions and tailor your furniture to your needs. The recipe I’ve found that works for most people is a combination of natural and synthetic materials. With projects like this wingback surface, I always recommended reusing as much of the horsehair as possible, provided that it hasn’t lived in a barn for the last 20 years. For other projects, I recommend starting fresh with padding you know is clean. Here are some tips for combining eco-friendly and modern upholstery materials to achieve a happy medium.

Research foam options

From natural rubber to polyurethane foam, the options are vast. Natural latex foams are long-lasting and the most eco-friendly, but are also costly. If you’re on a tight budget, choose a synthetic foam without the added chemicals that can jeopardize the health of your home.

Use natural products to supplement

Supplement foam with layers of cotton to significantly reduce the percentage of synthetic padding without decreasing the comfort. Cushions wrapped in feathers use 50–66 percent less foam than standard foam cushions.

Don’t forget the fabric

Many times we consider the innards of our furniture without examining the fabric. Don’t forget that the fabric is our first point of contact with a piece of furniture. Although fabric companies are developing more eco-friendly fabrics for the home, do your own research and make informed decisions about what you consider healthy and practical for your space.

Chapter 18

Finishing the Outside of the Wingback and Applying Nailhead Trim

Closing up the frame of a wingback can be tricky. Generally, the outside arms and wings are on separate planes, requiring upholstery of each piece individually. In that scenario, the outside wings attach first, followed by the outside arms, and finally the outside back. On this wingback, the arms and wings are connected as one solid piece on a flat plane. And since the outside back curves around to the arms without a sharp corner dividing the two, we’ll seam the outside arm and back fabric together and upholster the outside of the chair all at once.

Standard construction of a wingback

Upholstering the Outside of the Chair

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

T-pins

Sewing machine

Thread

Hand-stapling plier and staples (optional)

Pli-Grip (optional)

Masking tape (optional)

Dacron

Staple remover

Pliers

1. Just as we did with the inside arms and back, stretch and staple vertical strips of webbing to add structure to the outside arms and back. Since the sitter never rests weight against these surfaces, attach strips every 4"–6".

2. To create a smooth surface for padding and fabric, cover the openings on the outside of the chair with a tight layer of burlap.

3. It’s easier to determine the fabric pattern for the outside of the chair before the padding is attached, so record your measurements and then cut out and stitch the fabric together. Measure the top width of the outside back (22").

4. Measure the width of the outside back at the bottom between the legs (19").

5. Measure the total width of the outside arms and wings (22").

6. To determine the height of the back and arm pieces, measure from the top to the bottom of the outside back (34").

7. To stay consistent with the fabric placement on the inside of the chair, we’ll center the body of the dragon on the outside back and flank the sides with the geometric pattern. We’ll take the left arm and wing from the right side of the fabric and vice versa so we can begin the geometric pattern right next to the dragon and match it to the pattern on the inside arms and wings. We’ll add 4" to every dimension for pulling and stapling, and then draw and cut out the fabric pieces for the outside back and arms and wings.

8. Center the outside back fabric on the chair and lightly tack it in place with a few sub-staples or T-pins. Tack the arm pieces in place with the pattern straight and lined up with the inside arms and wings. With all three pieces in the desired location, mark a line across the connection between the arms and back to show where they should match when sewn together.

9. Make small marks at the top of all three pieces where they meet the right and left edges of the inside back. At the bottom, mark where the fabric pieces meet the inside of the legs.

10. Remove the fabric from the chair and draw lines from mark to mark to define the sewn edges. Cut ¹⁄₂" beyond each line and stitch the arm pieces to the back piece using the marks from step 8 to line them up vertically. When all three pieces are sewn together, check the fit, and then reinforce the seams with topstitching and remove any T-pins or staples. (See step 26, page 183.)

Since we’re applying decorative nailhead trim around the perimeter of the outside arms and back, we’ll staple the fabric to the chair instead of tucking it into Pli-Grip. To use Pli-Grip to invisibly attach the fabric, see pages 286–288, steps 8–18.

11. Cut out one piece of Dacron big enough to cover the outside of the chair. Split and staple the Dacron 1" shy of the exterior edges of the outside arms and back.

12. Trim off the excess Dacron just beyond the staples.

13. Line up the fabric in the correct position (dragon centered on back, outside arms pattern-matched with inside arms) and use T-pins or sub-staples to hold the fabric on the chair while you work. Starting with the top of the right seam, trim the excess fabric to ¹⁄₂" beyond the edge of the frame, fold under the excess, and sub-staple the fabric within ¹⁄₄" of the frame’s edge. Continue by sub-stapling the top of the left seam. Continue trimming, folding under, and sub-stapling around the perimeter of the chair. As you staple, check that the pattern matches the inside arms and wings.

14. As you staple the bottom, make cuts to release the fabric around the legs. Fold under the excess fabric and staple it just above the back legs.

15. Make release cuts behind and under the rolls of the arm, and then staple the fabric to the exposed wood at the front of the arm.

16. When the fabric is stapled around the perimeter of the outside arms and back, replace sub-staples with permanent ones and trim off the excess fabric at the bottom.

Upholstering the Front Scrolls

Supplies

Dacron

Permanent marker

Scissors

Fabric

White or yellow chalk

Goggles

Pli-Grip (optional)

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

17. Lay a small piece of Dacron over the front scroll and use a permanent marker to trace its shape. The staples must go into wood, not padding, so be careful that the traced shape is within the wooden frame. Use the Dacron pattern to trace the shape on the fabric with chalk, then flip the pattern and trace the pieces for the other arm. Cut and staple the Dacron to both scrolls.

18. Cut ¹⁄₂" beyond the traced line on the fabric. Fold under the edges and staple the fabric on top of the Dacron. Keep the staples within ¹⁄₄" of the folded edge. If you’re not covering your staples with tacks, attach the fabric with Pli-Grip, or see page 133 to upholster separate panels.

Attaching the Dustcover to the Bottom of the Chair

Supplies

Measuring tape

Dustcover

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Cardboard tack strip

White or yellow chalk

19. Cut out a piece of dustcover large enough to cover the bottom of the chair with a few extra inches on every side. With the chair flipped over, staple the front edge of the dustcover to the front bottom edge of the chair. Reinforce the first stapled edge by attaching cardboard tack strip over it.

20. Pull the dustcover toward the back edge of the chair to conceal the cardboard tack strip and staples. Fold under the excess dustcover and staple it down just shy of the back edge.

21. Make a release cut at each leg, fold under the excess on either side, and staple.

22. Continue folding under the edges and stapling to the bottom of the chair until the dustcover is secured all the way around. When you pull the dustcover to smooth out the wrinkles, be careful not to stretch it out.

Attaching Decorative Nailhead

Our last step before making the seat cushion is covering the visible staples with decorative nailhead. Hammering in tacks is an easy but time-consuming process, so I usually pop on a movie or call a friend while I work. Two keys to success are patience and resting your piece against a solid surface. I had a difficult time getting the tacks to go into the wings of the chair until I turned the chair over and rested the wings against the solid top of the sawhorses. If the tacking surface vibrates while you hammer, it makes it nearly impossible to get the tacks to go in at all, much less straight.

Supplies

Decorative nailhead

Magnetic tack hammer with nylon tip

23. Hold the tack in between the thumb and index finger of your nondominant hand and hammer the head with the nylon tip of the hammer. Word to the wise: don’t bother with the magnetic side of the tack hammer. It doesn’t work for tacks with curved heads.

24. For the most professional look, keep the heads of the nails side by side instead of overlapping or leaving small spaces between them (unless you’re intentionally spacing the tacks as a design choice). Before you know it, you’ll be back to where you started. Choosing where to put tacks is at your discretion. Just remember, they must hammer into wood.

Fan-tack-stic

There’s a wide variety of options when using decorative nailhead. Before you settle for the standard brass tack, consider these options:

1.Finish — gold, silver, rust, bronze, pink, blue (You name it, it exists.)

2.Shape — round, square, star, even your initials

3.Size — from ³⁄₄" diameter for a bold statement to ¹⁄₄" for the daintiest piece

4.Spacing — continuous nailhead is the most common; space the tacks for a slight variation, or jazz up a boring piece by tacking a geometric design around the bottom edge

Wingback chair: Frame complete

Chapter 19

Constructing a T-Cushion

The chair is practically complete, but we still need a seat cushion before we settle in by the fireplace. I always save the cushion sewing for last. First of all, it’s nice to sit down and sew for the last task, especially since we’ve been standing for hours. Second, when complete, the cushion is the aha moment when we see the pattern come together.

Fitting the Foam to the Chair

Supplies

Dustcover

White or yellow chalk

Masking tape

Scissors

Permanent marker

High-density foam (3"–5" thick)

Electric carving knife

1. Cut out a piece of dustcover large enough to cover the deck of the chair. Place it over the deck and tuck it into the space under the arms and back. Make release cuts around the arms so the dustcover will lie flat on the surface of the deck without any wrinkles. Tape one end of a piece of chalk to protect the fabric as we trace. Keep the chalk upright and touching the insides of the chair as you trace the leftover space for the cushion. At the front edge, mark a line even with the front edge of the deck.

2. Cut out the pattern and trace it on the foam with a permanent marker. To ensure a perfect fit, I leave the front edge a little long and retrace it when I put the foam back on the chair.

3. Use a carving knife to cut out the foam on the line. As you cut, keep the blade of the knife straight up and down so the edges of the foam are square.

4. Place the foam on the chair and carefully trace the front edge and sides of the T with a permanent marker. Check the fit around the inside of the chair. The cushion should be touching but not squished against the sides. Remove the foam and make any necessary alterations.

5. As you’re working with the cushion, keep track of which side is the top. T-cushions are rarely symmetrical, so we’ll want the cushion and cover to go back in the chair with topside up for the best fit. When the sides are flush all the way around, you’ve made a properly fitting cushion.

Cutting Out the Fabric

Supplies

Cushion

White or yellow chalk

Fabric

Scissors

Square

Yardstick

6. Before removing the cushion, make a mark where the back middle of the cushion meets the inside back. When we trace the cushion on the fabric, we will use this reference mark to line up the cushion with the pattern.

7. With topside up, center the cushion on the pattern and line up the back edge with the same point we marked in step 6. Trace ¹⁄₂" beyond the perimeter of the cushion.

8. Cut out the top face of the cushion. Lay it facedown on the same part of the pattern and trace the edges to make the bottom face of the cushion. Cut out the bottom.

9. To cut out the front boxing, lay the top piece faceup, on top of the same part of the pattern, and mark a small line along the middle of the front edge.

10. The top edge of the front boxing is 1" above the mark made in step 9. When we traced the cushion, we made it ¹⁄₂" bigger on all sides for seam allowance, so when we made mark A in step 9, we were actually marking the edge of the seam allowance. A ¹⁄₂" above that is where the seam will be, but we still need another ¹⁄₂" of seam allowance for the boxing, which makes the top edge of the boxing 1" above the original mark.

11. Measure from the back left corner of the cushion, around the front, and to the back right corner (64"). Since the width of the front boxing is wider than the fabric, we’ll attach two small pieces of fabric to each end to make 64" total. The height will be 4" (3" + ¹⁄₂" seam allowance on top and bottom). Use the square and yardstick to draw the front boxing and two small pieces that attach to either end.

12. Measure across the back of the cushion, from left to right corner, and add 10" to determine the width of the zipper boxing (27"). The height will be split into two strips that go on either side of the zipper (3"/2 = 1¹⁄₂"), but we’ll also need seam allowances on the top and bottom of each strip, so draw two horizontal strips 2¹⁄₂" tall × 27" wide. Since the zipper boxing is hidden behind the cushion, don’t worry about matching the pattern. Draw and cut out all pieces and label them on the backside.

Sewing the T-Cushion

Supplies

Fabric pieces for cushion

Iron

Zipper chain

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Thread

Hand-stapling plier or T-pins

Zipper pull

13. Before sewing, press down the seam allowances on the inside edges of the zipper boxing.

14. Cut a length of zipper chain as long as the zipper boxing. With the single-welt cord foot attached, place the zipper teeth under the groove of the welt cord foot with the ironed edge of the zipper boxing over the right half of the zipper chain. Lower the sewing foot and attach the zipper boxing to the right side of the zipper.

15. Starting from the end you just finished, repeat step 14 to stitch the other half of the zipper boxing to the zipper. When both sides are sewn, the fabric should meet in the middle and cover the zipper teeth.

Zip It!

Growing up around a seamstress grandmother and mother, I remember drawers full of brightly colored zippers made to specified lengths with pulls and teeth to match. But go to the fabric store and try to buy a 70"-long zipper — they don’t exist. Upholstery zippers are rarely visible and always long, so we buy bulk zipper chain, cut it to the length we need, and slide the zipper pull on one end to make our own. They may not be as pretty, but you’ll never be caught without the right-size zipper.

16. With good sides facing and edges aligned, attach the additional width of fabric to one side of the front boxing. Repeat to attach the extra fabric to the other side.

17. Line up the front boxing with the front edge of the top face of the cushion and match up the pattern. Flip the boxing back while holding the matched pieces together.

18. Pin or staple the seam allowances together to keep the pattern matched up as you sew.

19. Starting from the front middle, stitch the boxing to the front of the top face. Remove staples.

20. At corners, make small cuts in the seam allowance so the fabric will lie flat around turns. Continue sewing around the left side until you are 5" from the back left corner of the cushion.

21. Flip the fabric over and repeat steps 19 and 20 to attach the boxing to the front and right sides of the top face.

22. Pin or staple the bottom edge of the front boxing to the bottom face. Since we’re not matching the pattern, our only concern is lining up the top and bottom corners. Start by lining up and pinning or stapling the corners, then pin or staple the fabric in between.

23. Repeat steps 19 and 20 to attach the bottom edge of the front boxing to the bottom face of the cushion.

24. When you’re finished sewing the front boxing, it should start to look like a real cushion.

25. With good sides facing and edges aligned, pin or staple the bottom middle of the zipper boxing to the back middle of the bottom face. Continue pinning or stapling until the zipper boxing is attached to the back edge, and stitch from corner to corner. Repeat to attach the top edge of the zipper boxing to the top face. Remove any pins or staples.

26. Before we close up the cushion, attach the zipper pull to the zipper chain and unzip it several inches.

27. With good sides together, line up the ends of the front and zipper boxing. Stitch across the ends to attach them together. As you approach the zipper chain, place a small piece of doubled-over fabric on top of the teeth and sew over it. This piece of fabric will reinforce the end of the zipper so the pull doesn’t slide off. Repeat this step for the other side.

28. The extra fabric at the end of the boxings will fold behind the front boxing, creating a pocket for the zipper pull to slide into. Fold the connected boxing ends toward the front corner of the cushion and smooth out the fabric in the fold. The zipper boxing should be straight around the back corner with the front boxing folded back on itself. Hold the boxings in place with all edges aligned, and stitch around the back corner to close up the cushion. Repeat to close the other three corners.

29. Just as we did with the arms, we’ll topstitch the cushion to reinforce the seams and hold down the seam allowance. Lay the seam flat under the sewing machine with both seam allowances under the boxing side. Stitch approximately ¹⁄₄" from the seam on the boxing side all the way around the cushion. Repeat for the other seam at the perimeter of the cushion.

Wrapping the Cushion in Dacron

Supplies

Cushion

Dacron

Spray adhesive

Scissors

30. Now that the cover is sewn, all we need to do is wrap our cushion in Dacron. Cut a piece of Dacron large enough to wrap around all sides of the cushion. Line up the back edge of the foam with the edge of the Dacron. Lift up the foam and spray adhesive to the bottom of the cushion and to the Dacron. Wait 30 seconds for the adhesive to get tacky, and then stick the foam to the Dacron.

31. Continue gluing the Dacron to the cushion around the front and top. Trim off the excess Dacron even with the back edge of the cushion.

32. Trim the Dacron even with the bottom edges of both sides. Leave the top edges long.

33. Make a release cut in the Dacron behind the T so the Dacron will lie over the side of the cushion.

34. Make another release cut at the top front corner and glue the Dacron around the side and back of the T.

35. Repeat steps 33 and 34 for the other side of the cushion.

36. To avoid spraying adhesive on your work surface, flip the cushion. Glue the Dacron to the side of the cushion and trim the excess off even with the bottom edge. Repeat for the other side of the cushion.

37. All sides of the cushion except for the back edge should be covered in a single layer of Dacron. Leave the back edge uncovered so that the Dacron doesn’t get stuck in the zipper. Trim any other excess Dacron from the cushion. Insert the cushion in the case with the fabric and foam oriented with the topside up.

Stealing the Show

I’m always pleasantly surprised when a pattern actually comes together as planned. Although I’m rarely timid about going bold with pattern, at times even the most striking fabric is better saved for another project. Consider these factors before you create your next showstopper.

1. Size. Larger patterns are displayed well on furniture with a lot of surface area. On a chair like the Louis chair, only the dragon head would fit on the inside back, and while the head is striking, it’s far less impressive without its body. For smaller pieces, go for a smaller scale pattern or a large print with an allover abstract design instead of one main attraction.

2. Cost. On a budget? Remember that large-scale patterns require more yardage. For this wingback, we used 12 yards of fabric when 8 would be sufficient with a small pattern or solid. A great way to go bold without going broke is to cover the inside of a piece with a solid and the outside with a pattern, or vice versa.

3. Focal point. Use pattern to draw attention to a particular part of a room or connect several pieces of furniture by using a multicolored fabric that ties them all together, as we did in this room.

Project 4

Three-Seater Tune-Up

Chapter 20

Determining Yardage for Railroaded Fabric

A few years ago, as I was strolling through the local antique mall, I came across this sofa. At the time, I was frustrated with the sofa I had. Upholstered in leather, with a deep seat and angled back, it was easy on the eyes but made for a slippery slope. My eyes had been wandering for a while, and although I didn’t need another sofa, I plopped down and sank into the sea of soft cushions. Sold! The next day, I removed my old sofa and brought in the tiger from the jungle, and for the last few years, it has been well loved by my household.

Three-seater sofa: Before

Living Room Plan

In the design plan, the sofa is the central and most important piece in the living room. It’s the largest and only place where two or more can comfortably sit together. But while it’s most important, it’s not the only piece and needs to communicate well with the array of shapes and patterns that coexist. The clean and simple lines, substantial yet trim proportions, and comfort of my current sofa worked well with the other furniture in the room, so the main goal is to make it even more comfortable, to encourage long naps and snuggling next to the fireplace. The arms and back have flattened and hardened from decades of use, so my first priority is plumping them with new and thicker padding. Although I love the squish and crown of the down cushions, I’d like a little more support in the seat, so I’ll replace the full feather insert with down-wrapped foam. Where zippers are easily hidden, there’s no need for permanent cushion covers, so I’ll also add zippers to all of the cushions to make cleaning and fluffing easier.

I have a lot of patterns in the space, so I’ve chosen this fabric to introduce a mass of color and ground the room. The incredible texture of this velvety fabric reads as a solid from afar but surrounds the lounger in a plush sea of tiny poppy puffs, making it as interesting as it is comfortable. The orange highlights the streaks of orange in the wingback chair and complements the pale blue of the walls, and with a double-rub count of 27,000 and the stain resistance of the viscose polyester blend, it’s sure to stand up to a lot of use, pets, and my wine-drinking friends.

We’ll replace the old sofa fabric with the Design Connection’s Olympia in Orange.

Design Inspiration from the Spruce Archives

For the most impeccable upholstery job, pattern match fabric from the top all the way down to the deck.

To add a splash of color or pattern without overpowering your space, replace the front faces of sofa cushions with a show-stopping print.

Have a small space? Consider a two-piece sofa for more flexibility in the arrangement.

It’s typical to bring a new project straight from the thrift store to the workshop, but always place it in its intended space first to be sure it will fit!

Measuring for Fabric

1. To determine yardage, let’s begin by writing down all of the fabric pieces on the sofa so we don’t forget anything:

Deck and tack band

Inside arms (ISAs)

Inside back (ISB)

Outside arms (OSAs)

Outside back (OSB)

Seat cushion (SC)

Seat cushion front boxing (SCFB)

Seat cushion zipper boxing (SCZB)

Back cushions (BC)

Back cushion top boxing (BCTB)

Back cushion zipper boxing (BCZB)

2. Don’t forget to measure at the largest parts of each fabric piece. The width of the deck begins just inside the left arm and ends at the right arm (74").

3. We’ll measure the deck and tack band as one piece. The front portion of the deck that’s covered with the fabric begins 4" behind the front edge of the sofa and the tack band ends at the bottom edge of the sofa (11").

4. Start where the inside arm meets the inside back and measure to the front edge of the sofa to get the width of the inside arm (33").

5. Measure from the deck to the top of the inside arm for the height (17").

6. The width of the inside back spans between the left and right arms (73").

7. Repeat step 5 for the height of the inside back (17").

8. The width of the outside arm is the distance from the front to the back of the sofa (36").

9. The height of the outside arm is from the bottom to the top of the sofa (23").

10. Measure the length of the sofa from right to left side to determine the width of the outside back (80").

11. Repeat step 9 for the outside back height (23").

12. Measure the widest part of the space between the right and left arms for the width of the seat cushion (73").

13. The depth of the seat cushion is measured from the inside back to the front edge of the sofa (31").

14. Divide the width of the seat cushion by 3 to determine the width of the back cushions (24¹⁄₃").

15. I’d like the back cushions to be slightly taller than they were before, so let’s add 2" to the measurement from step 7 (19") and subtract 4" for the thickness of the seat cushion (15").

16. We still need dimensions for the front, top, and zipper boxings. The width of the front and top boxings can be determined by using the following formula: front and top boxing width = width of cushion + (2 × height or depth of cushion).

17. To determine the width of zipper boxing, add 10" to the width of the cushion.

18. We will make all cushions 4" thick, so the height for all boxings is 4".

19. In the columns to the right of Width and Height, I’ve indicated the approximate number of inches that should be added to each measurement for pulling and stapling and/or seam allowances. Add these numbers to the measurements we took in steps 2 through 18 to determine the final width and height we will use to determine yardage. By now, you should have a feel for how much extra you’ll need for pulling, stapling, and seam allowances, but use the table below as a cheat sheet.

Sofa Measurements

Railroaded Fabric

The fabric for this sofa is 54" wide and has no repeat. I’ve also decided to railroad the fabric since there is an unnoticeable difference in pattern and nap when the direction is changed. Railroaded fabric is less common and is usually identified by the manufacturer; however, you can choose to railroad any fabric, regardless of the manufacturer’s recommendations, as long as the look and/or feel of the fabric is not undesirable when railroaded.

The benefit of railroading on this piece is that we’re able to stretch the fabric across the deck, inside back, outside back, and seat cushion without seaming fabric together. It is not atypical to seam fabric on sofas, since many fabrics have a dominant pattern or nap that prevent them from being railroaded. Use your best judgment to place seams where they will be least noticeable. Though I typically follow standard procedure, as pictured below, I have run seams down the middle of sofas with an even number of seat cushions to align seams with the space between middle cushions.

Railroaded fabric unrolls from right to left across the sofa instead of from top to bottom.

Seams on a sofa may be placed down the middle, but standard construction places the full width of the fabric down the center of the sofa with smaller pieces seamed to the right and left sides.

Calculating Yardage

When calculating yardage for a sofa, I always draw a diagram to visualize how the pieces lay out on the fabric. Be careful to orient the pieces correctly. With railroaded fabric, height runs from selvage to selvage and width runs from the cut end to the fabric roll. Also, don’t forget that there may be multiples of some of the pieces. For instance, there are two arms, and cushions need a front and a back.

Zoom into this image to see it at full size.

20. Draw a long rectangle to illustrate the boundaries of the fabric.

21. Roughly draw out the pieces on the fabric, stacking them until their heights add up to 54".

22. As you draw, label the pieces so you can easily see which ones have been accounted for and write measurements for width and height on every piece.

23. After you’ve drawn everything, add the dimensions of the largest side-by-side widths (80" + 26¹⁄₃" + 26¹⁄₃" + 26¹⁄₃" + 83" + 39" + 75" + 75" = 431").

24. Divide the total number by 36" (11.97). This number equals the number of yards, but let’s add an additional 2 yards for welt cord and any other variances that may come up during the upholstery process, so we’ll need 14 yards total.

Even the most experienced upholsterers make mistakes, so always order extra yardage in case a step goes awry. If you have leftovers, make some throw pillows (see chapter 30), save for a rainy day, or donate to a local elementary school for craft projects.

Overview

Supplies for the Sofa

Basic Supplies

³⁄₈" staples

¹⁄₂" staples

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Button twine

Hand-sewing twine

Painter’s or masking tape

Paper

Pencil

Permanent marker

Spray adhesive

Spring twine

Thread

T-pins

White or yellow chalk

Tools & Equipment

Air blower

Button needle (optional)

Calculator

Electric carving knife

Goggles

Hand-stapling plier and staples (optional)

Inexpensive scissors

Iron

Klinch-It with Klinch-It staples (optional)

Large curved needle

Magnetic tack hammer

Measuring tape

Pliers

Regulator

Rubber mallet

Ruler

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Square

Square-point upholstery knife

Staple gun

Staple remover

Webbing stretcher

Welt cord stick (optional)

Yardstick

Materials

44 yards ⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

14 yards fabric

1 slab 2"-thick low-density foam

Back cushion padding

10 yards burlap

Cardboard tack strip

8 yards cotton batting

10 yards Dacron

2¹⁄₂ yards decking material

Down wraps (optional)

2¹⁄₂ yards dustcover

2 yards 1¹⁄₂" edge roll

55 yards jute webbing

3 slabs 1"–2"-thick low-density foam

4 yards Pli-Grip

9 yards small edge roll or leftover sewn welt cord

5 yards zipper chain

4 zipper pulls

For more information on tools and materials, visit the glossary (page 369).

Chapter 21

Spring Tying with an Edge Wire

What a mess I found when stripping this sofa! Solidified foam that crumbled to dust and lots of goodies saved in the crevices from past owners. It’s hard to believe I’ve been sitting and lying on this piece for over a year! I’ve removed all of the padding, staples, tacks, and fabric and am moving on with a fresh, clean frame (see Stripping Furniture, page 353).

One reason why this sofa is so comfortable is because of the coil springs in the seat. If you’ve read through projects 1 and 3, you’re well acquainted with coils. This sofa will be a true test of our spring-tying skills as we tie a larger number of springs with an edge wire. Edge wire is exactly what it sounds like: wire that connects to a system of coil springs and creates an edge. Most of the time, edge wire forms the front edge of the deck. Other times, the wire creates an edge all the way around the deck, which is what we have with this sofa. Since the springs around the edge of the piece attach to the edge wire, we’ll use extra care to ensure the wire, when secured, is resting at the desired height and location of the edge. If you have coil springs with no edge wire, see pages 148–154 for spring tying. For zigzag or sinuous springs, see pages 82–85. Then skip to chapter 22. Otherwise, attach webbing, burlap, and edge roll to the top edge of the frame and skip to chapter 22, step 17.

Three-seater sofa: Stripped to the frame

Attaching Webbing

Supplies

Goggles

Jute webbing

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

1. With the sofa flipped upside down, use the width of your hands to determine how many strips of webbing fit across the long side of the frame. The goal is to attach the maximum number of strips without overlapping. Evenly distribute the webbing so that any space between strips is consistent all the way across. Skip over areas already supported by wooden beams.

2. Starting at one end of the sofa, staple the first side of the first strip of webbing approximately 4" from the cut end. Use four or five staples to secure it to the bottom edge of the frame. Staple at the center of the wooden beam where it’s strongest, fold over the excess 4", and staple again.

3. Once the first side is stapled, bring the webbing (while still attached to the roll) to the opposite side of the sofa frame and drape it over the teeth of the webbing stretcher. Leverage the webbing stretcher against the side of the frame and slowly pull the handle down until the webbing is taut, then staple. Cut off the excess, leaving a 2"–4" tail, fold back the excess, and staple again. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you’ve secured all strips of webbing to the long sides of the sofa.

4. For the horizontal strips of webbing, weave them over, under, over each strip of vertical webbing until reaching the other side. Then repeat steps 2 and 3. Attach all horizontal strips and alternate the weaving pattern with each new piece of webbing.

5. When webbing is stapled to all four sides of the sofa frame, fold the webbing in half lengthwise, and staple it across the vertical wooden braces on the bottom of the frame. If legs get in the way of using the webbing stretcher, stretch the webbing as tightly as you can by hand. These webbing strips will help prevent sagging over time, so attach staples all the way down the webbing instead of just at the ends.

6. Use the magnetic tack hammer to nail three upholstery tacks into every stapled end of webbing and all across the wooden braces. Place each tack on the magnetic tip with your nondominant hand then tap the tack into the wood. Flip the hammer over to hammer the tack in all the way. Always keep your index finger on top of the hammer for added control.

Spitting Tacks

Before staple guns, upholsterers held tacks in their mouths and spit them onto the end of the tack hammer while they worked. Many upholsterers bore war wounds from bringing the hammer back with the tack still attached. Ouch!

Attaching Springs and Spring Twine

I kept the old springs from the sofa, since they are in good condition, and left them attached to the edge wire. Before getting started with spring tying, take a look at the shape of the springs. Many times, springs will have a bent or bound end on the topside, which prevents the spring from poking through the padding. Orient the top end of every spring the same direction.

If you’re reusing springs, they may be warped from years of compression in a certain direction. In this case, position the bent springs so they curve to the front of the sofa and match the other springs to this orientation.

Supplies

Coil springs

Klinch-It and staples

Pliers

Button needle (optional)

Button twine (optional)

Scissors

Goggles

Magnetic tack hammer

10-ounce or 12-ounce upholstery tacks

Spring twine

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

7. Flip the sofa upright and evenly space the springs in vertical and horizontal rows on top of the webbing. The tops of these springs are bound, so I’ll orient all springs with bound side up and the top end in the direction of 5 o’clock on every spring. Before securing the springs to the webbing, double-check the edge wire to make sure it’s evenly spaced within the sofa frame and lines up with the desired edge when compressed.

8. Once the springs are in position, place the Klinch-It staple around the bottom rung of each spring and compress the handle to secure the staple in place. Attach each spring to the webbing in two or three evenly spaced locations around the bottom rung. Use pliers to remove any Klinch-It staples that are not tightly attached to the webbing and restaple. If you don’t have a Klinch-It, see pages 32–34 for instructions on hand-sewing springs to webbing.

9. After securing all the springs to the webbing, use the magnetic tack hammer to place two tacks, approximately ¹⁄₂" apart, at both ends of every vertical and horizontal row of springs. Hammer these tacks in halfway.

10. Double over spring twine and stretch it across a row of springs from one pair of tacks to the other. Add 4" of twine for every spring in the row, so add 16" of twine for the vertical rows of 4 springs and 48" for the horizontal rows of 12 springs. Measure and cut twine for every vertical and horizontal row of springs.

11. With the twine still doubled over, place the middle loop in between a pair of tacks on the backside of the frame. Make a loop over each tack, pull the ends of twine tightly toward the springs, and hammer down the tacks. Repeat this for all pairs of tacks on the back and one side of the frame.

Tying Vertical and Horizontal Rows

Coil springs provide the most support and are most comfortable when the top rung is centered over the bottom rung. On a deck like this, our objective is to compress the springs as much as possible, keep them centered on their vertical axes, and create a flat surface for the seat cushion. We’ll also watch the edge wire carefully to ensure it stays centered within the frame and lined up with the front edge at the appropriate height.

14. With your dominant hand, pull the twine tightly from the tack. Place your nondominant hand around the spring to push it down and back into the desired position. When the spring is in place, use the index finger of your nondominant hand to hold the spring twine against the bottom of the second rung.

15. Now release the twine with your dominant hand, grab the end, and pull until the knot is tight.

16. Bring the end of the spring twine under the top rung on the other side of the spring and repeat steps 13–15 to tie another knot.

17. Tie knots to the top rung of both sides of every spring until you reach the last side of the last spring. Then skip back down to the second rung and make a knot.

18. Grab the front spring and pull it down and toward the front of the sofa, using the sofa frame to leverage your hand. With your other hand, wind the spring twine around the left tack and pull out the slack as you lower the springs. When the edge wire is lined up with the front edge of the frame and the springs are compressed as tightly as possible, let go of the springs and hammer down the tack all the way.

19. Double-check the positioning of the springs before moving on. Are the springs centered over their central axes? Do the springs only compress 1"–2" with strong pressure? When you pull the edge wire down to the height of the springs, is it lined up with the front of the frame? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, go back and retie some or all of the springs until the answers are yes.

20. When you’re satisfied with the placement and tightness of the springs, reinforce the spring twine with a few additional staples and cut off the excess twine.

21. Take the right length of twine, pull it under the second rung, and make a knot around the second and top rung to tie them tightly together.

22. Continue tying knots to the top rung of both sides of every spring. At the end of the row, wrap the spring twine around the right tack and pull out the slack with your nondominant hand. Squat down and watch the height of the edge wire as you pull out the slack in the twine. When the edge wire is at the same height as the springs, release the twine and hammer down the right tack. Repeat step 20 before moving on to the next row.

23. Continue tying all the vertical rows, working from the middle out. Match the heights of the springs and edge wire from row to row.

Don’t Stop!

I know you’re tempted to take a break and come back to spring tying later, but your hands will feel much better if you complete all the spring tying at one time. If you start to get blisters, attach medical tape around sore spots on your fingers and power through.

24. The objectives with horizontal rows are to keep the edge wire centered within the frame, to stabilize the springs in an upright position, and to help compress the springs even more. Keeping these goals in mind, repeat steps 12–23 to tie the horizontal rows. Since we’re not lining up the edge wire with an edge, just keep an eye on the space between the frame and the edge wire and keep it centered between the left and right sides.

Tying Diagonal Rows

Now that we’ve tied the vertical and horizontal rows, the springs should be in the desired position and stable enough to resist movement when pulled in one direction or the other. To complete an eight-way tie, we’ll tie the springs diagonally in both directions, adding extra stability and creating a solid unit of springs. If your springs are leaning slightly to the right after vertical and horizontal tying, tie the diagonal rows toward the left first to straighten them out (or vice versa). If your springs are perfectly centered, it doesn’t matter which way you tie first.

25. Place two tacks at both ends of every diagonal row. Angle the pair of tacks so they are perpendicular to the line we create with the spring twine. If you are unable to place the tacks at the center of a diagonal row because the frame or other tacks are in the way, place the tacks in the closest available space. Repeat steps 10 and 11 to measure and attach lengths of spring twine, then repeat step 24 to tie the diagonal rows toward the front of the sofa in both directions.

You just completed the most difficult type of spring tying! I know how laborious it is to tie a sofa’s worth of springs together, especially with an edge wire. Even with years of experience, I often have to undo and retie rows to correct spring and edge wire placement, so don’t be discouraged if you find yourself backtracking here and there. Now, bandage up those blisters, and let’s move on to the fabric.

Chapter 22

Padding a Straight Deck

The journey to padding and upholstering the deck is often a long and labor-intensive process. There are hours of stripping, being covered from head to toe in dirt and dust, sweating, and flexing muscles. And then there’s the marathon of spring tying. Fear not: You’ve already wrestled your way through the backbreaking work. Now it’s time for padding, fabric, and seeing the sofa come back to life.

Since the cushion will do most of the work keeping the seat comfortable, we’ll apply a light layer of padding on the deck, as opposed to the thick padding we attached to the seats in projects 1 and 2.

Covering the Springs with Burlap

Supplies

Measuring tape

Burlap

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Permanent marker

1. First, we’ll cover the springs with burlap so the padding doesn’t squish through. Measure across the springs from the back to the front tacks to get the depth of the burlap.

2. Measure from the tacks on the left to the ones on the right side to determine the width of the burlap. Add 4" to the depth and width for pulling and stapling, and then cut out a piece to these dimensions.

3. Center the burlap over the springs and staple the front middle, being careful to avoid tacks as you staple.

Staples should be placed around the seat on the top face of the frame where we attached the tacks for spring tying. Tacks deflect staples, so staple around them to avoid flying metal and sparks.

4. After stapling the front middle, pull the burlap tightly to the back middle. Since I have a wooden post in the way of my burlap, I’ll make a Y-cut to release the burlap around it (see page 44 for release cut instructions).

5. Fold under the burlap on either side of the post and staple. When the front and back middles are secured, staple the middles of the right and left sides.

6. Staple the rest of the front, back, left, and right sides (in that order). As you staple, make cuts to release the burlap around wooden posts that are in the way.

7. Trim the excess burlap to 2", fold back, and staple again.

Attaching Edge Roll

The firm yet forgiving density of edge roll keeps padding from breaking down and wearing out quickly, so we’ll attach it to the front edge of the deck where there’s constant pressure from sitting and standing. On sofa decks, I prefer a larger 1" edge roll, which helps build up the height of the front edge to keep the cushion in place.

If you tied springs without an edge wire, staple the edge roll to the frame and skip to step 17 (see Attaching Edge Roll, pages 45–46 and 157–158).

Supplies

1" edge roll

Permanent marker

Square-point upholstery knife

Large curved needle

Button twine

Scissors

8. Butt the cut end of the 1" edge roll into the left arm and stretch it across the front edge of the sofa. Make a mark 1" from the right arm with the permanent marker.

9. Use the square-point upholstery knife to cut all the way through the edge roll on the marked line.

10. Line up the edge roll with the front edge of the deck ¹⁄₂" from the left arm. The flatter side of the edge roll should be resting on the burlap with the tail extending into the sofa. (See Attaching Edge Roll, page 45.)

11. First, we need to anchor the edge roll to the edge wire. Thread the curved needle with approximately 36" of button twine and insert the needle behind the edge roll through the tail. Start on the side of the sofa that is opposite your dominant hand.

12. Pull out the needle and twine just beneath the edge wire and remove the needle. Shorten the twine under the edge wire to about 6" and hold it in your left hand. Hold the longer strand in your right hand. Put the left strand of button twine under the right strand.

13. Bring the left strand up and over the right strand and itself.

14. To complete the slipknot, bring the left strand behind itself and through the loose knot, then tighten. Pull the right strand to tighten the button twine around the edge roll until it’s held firmly in place against the edge wire. Tie two knots in the button twine to keep the slipknot from loosening.

15. To hand-sew the edge roll to the front edge of the deck, rethread the curved needle with the long strand of twine and insert it behind the edge roll and through the tail, approximately 1¹⁄₂" to the right of the first loop. Pull out the needle and twine just beneath the edge wire, but above the twine coming from the slipknot. Tighten the loop while holding the edge roll even with the front edge of the deck.

16. To keep the button twine from loosening, keep the thumb of your nondominant hand on the stitch as you sew. Repeat step 15 until you have 6" of button twine remaining, tie it off with a knot, and start a new line. Continue sewing until you reach the other arm, and then tie off the end of the edge roll with a knot to finish sewing.

Marking and Measuring the Deck

Supplies

Ruler

Permanent marker

Yardstick

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

17. Measure 4" behind the front edge of the edge roll and mark a line all the way across the deck. This will be the division between the front and back parts of the deck.

18. Before we pad the deck, let’s take a few measurements for the fabric. The front of the deck will be covered in the orange fabric. Measure from the marked line to the top of the wooden frame (8") and then add 5" to accommodate for sewing, padding, pulling, and stapling (13"). We’ll attach a tack band at the top of the wooden frame that will cover the part below the deck.

19. Measure from one end of the edge roll to the other to determine the distance between the front two corners of the deck (75"). Then add an extra 9" for wrapping the corners in fabric (84").

20. We’ll use a beige decking material to cover the deck behind the line, so measure from the line to the tacks on the backside of the frame (32") and add 3" for sewing, padding, pulling, and stapling. Use the measurement from step 19 to determine the width of the decking material (84"). Write down your measurements and set them aside for later.

Padding the Deck

Supplies

Cotton batting

Dacron

Scissors

Hand-sewing twine

Large curved needle

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

T-pins

21. Use small pieces of cotton to fill in and around any dips or high spots in the surface of the deck. Then place one layer of cotton batting over the burlap, starting 1" behind the marked line from step 17. Use your hands to tear off the cotton just shy of where we stapled the burlap.

22. Use the measurements from step 20 to cut a piece of Dacron that covers the cotton batting. You’ll sew the Dacron to the deck along the drawn line using the curved needle and hand-sewing twine. Start by tying a slipknot through the Dacron and burlap where the marked line meets the inside of the left arm (see steps 18–21, page 161). Once the twine is anchored, use the same stitch from the wingback deck to attach the Dacron to the burlap every 2"–3" (see steps 22 and 23, page 162). Once the Dacron is sewn all the way across the marked line, staple down the back and sides, performing release cuts, as necessary, to get the Dacron to lie flat around wooden posts.

23. Use the measurements from steps 18 and 19 to cut a piece of Dacron for the front portion of the deck. Center the Dacron on the deck and pin in place on the other side of the marked line. Wrap the Dacron around the front corners, pin, and trim off the excess in the corners.

24. Starting with the front left corner, repeat step 22 to close the front corners and stitch the Dacron along the front side of the marked line. Only stitch the Dacron to the burlap along the marked line. Stitch the corners shut without sewing them to the deck and remove the T-pins.

25. After sewing, flip the Dacron back and fill the dip behind the edge roll with two layers of cotton batting.

26. Place another layer of cotton over the entire front portion of the deck, stopping 1" shy of where the tack band begins.

27. Tightly pull the Dacron forward over the cotton and staple right above where the tack band begins. (Since my tack band starts at the top of the wooden beam, I have no choice but to staple the Dacron in the same place.) As you staple, split the Dacron layers in half and staple only the bottom layer. The top layer will cover the indentations made by the staples. Perform release cuts, so the Dacron lies flat around the inside arm posts. Then staple down the sides of the Dacron on the front part of the deck.

28. Trim the Dacron on all four sides as close to the staples as possible. Deck padding is complete.

Chapter 23

Sewing and Attaching the Deck Fabric and Tack Band

As we’ve seen with the wingback and sofa, there are many types of decks. There are T-decks, straight decks, boxed decks, curved decks, pleated decks, and more. Knowing how to do the two decks in this book will give you the skills to upholster the most common types. If you come across a deck that’s slightly different, pay attention to the construction as you take it apart. Save the fabric and even the padding as a reference for putting it back together. Remember the basic order of operations applies to all projects, regardless of styling.

Spruce it up.

It’s standard to use a beige decking material behind the line, but it’s also fun to spice it up with a splash of magenta or wild floral for a little surprise when you lift up the cushion.

Cutting and Sewing the Deck

The orange fabric covers the front of the sofa and wraps around the front two corners of the deck. The distance from corner to corner is 75". We already know it’s 4" from the marked line to the front edge of the deck, but we’ll add ¹⁄₂" for seam allowance to make it 4¹⁄₂". To make the 90-degree turn at each corner, we’ll cut out right angles in the fabric and sew edges A and B together. To complete the deck, we’ll sew edge C to the beige decking material.

Supplies

Fabric

White or yellow chalk

Air blower

Square

Yardstick

Scissors

Decking material

T-pins or hand-stapling plier and staples

Sewing machine

Thread

1. Do a chalk test (see page 370) to determine which color chalk, white or yellow, comes out easier and draw the pattern on page 253 on the fabric. Use a yardstick and square to keep lines straight, square, and lined up with the grain of the fabric. Cut out the fabric and cut a piece of decking material using the measurements found in step 20 (page 249).

2. With good sides facing and edges aligned, stitch edges A and B together to make the front corners.

3. Center and align the top edge of the deck with the front edge of the decking material (good sides facing) and use the hand-stapling plier or T-pins to hold the pieces together. Stitch edge C to the decking material from the center of the deck toward one side.

4. As you stitch over the seams made in step 2, lay open the seam allowances and stitch them flat. When you reach the end, disconnect the thread from the machine, flip the deck over, and go back to the middle. Continue sewing until you reach the other side of the deck and remove any T-pins or staples.

Attaching the Deck Fabric to the Chair

Supplies

Sewn fabric for deck

T-pins

Large curved needle

Button twine

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

White or yellow chalk

Staple remover

Pliers

5. With the seam allowance toward the front portion of the deck and the rest of the fabric lying on the back portion of the deck, center the deck fabric on the sofa with the sewn line lined up with the line marked on the burlap. Be sure the fabric for the front portion is on top, and then pin the deck to the marked line.

6. Using the curved needle and button twine, anchor the seam allowance just inside the left arm with a slipknot (pages 246–247, steps 11–14). The button twine should be long enough to reach all the way across the sofa with an extra 15"–20". Pull the short strand of button twine to the outside of the left arm and staple tightly in place.

7. Pull the long strand of button twine tightly across the deck and make a tight knot around the seam allowance and burlap where the line meets the right inside arm. Pull the excess button twine under the right arm and staple to the frame. This tight pop line should be very close to, if not on top of, the sewn line in the fabric. We’ll hand-sew the fabric around the pop line to anchor the fabric tightly to the sofa.

8. Repeat step 6 to start a new length of button twine. Thread the curved needle with the twine and insert it right next to the slipknot. Bring the needle out a few inches to the right of the entrance point and approximately ¹⁄₄" away from the pop line on the seam allowance side. Insert the needle right next to this point on the other side of the pop line. Be sure your stitch always goes through the seam allowance and pull the twine tightly after every stitch. Continue sewing until you reach the other arm, tie off your thread with a knot, staple the tail to the outside of the right arm, and remove the T-pins.

9. Now that the fabric is sewn to the sofa, pull the decking material tightly to the back middle of the sofa and make cuts to release the fabric around any posts in the frame. Precision is key when performing cuts in fabric, so always draw your cut in chalk first and cut slowly until it’s perfect. After every cut, staple the fabric on either side of the frame, and then staple to the next post. Keep cutting and stapling until the back and sides of the decking material are attached all the way around.

10. Measure and mark a line on the wooden frame where the top of the tack band will go. With the palm of your hand, smooth the fabric forward for the front of the deck and sub-staple approximately ¹⁄₂" below the marked line. Work your way out from the middle, smoothing and sub-stapling, until you’re 6" from each arm.

11. It can be tricky to determine where the release cuts should go at the front of the arms. Smooth the fabric toward the left arm and pull it tightly down and around the front corner. As you pull, use your fingers to feel the edges of the front arm post and mark the fabric at the tips of your fingers with chalk.

When do I use a tack band?

Tack bands frequently appear on decks with an edge wire to break up the broad expanse of fabric extending from the top of the deck to the bottom of the frame. Using a tack band is primarily a styling choice and works well to give definition to an area that is otherwise plain, but ultimately, you decide when it enhances a piece of furniture.

12. Perform a Y-cut to release the fabric around the arm post and continue sub-stapling the fabric to the front of the sofa and behind the arm post.

13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for the right side. When you have sub-stapled all the way across and are happy with the tightness and smoothness of the fabric, replace the sub-staples with permanent staples.

Sewing and Attaching the Tack Band

Supplies

Ruler

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Square

Fabric

Scissors

Welt cord stick (optional)

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Thread

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Cardboard tack strip

Dacron

14. Measure and mark a straight line in chalk where the top of the tack band will be placed.

15. Measure the height (3") and width (75") of the area covered by the tack band and add 5" to each dimension for sewing, pulling, and stapling (8" tall × 80" wide). Use a yardstick and square to draw the tack band on the fabric in chalk. Then cut out the piece of fabric.

16. Draw, cut out, and stitch single welt cord the same length as the width of the tack band (see Sewing Tips and Tricks, page 364, for single welt cord instructions).

17. With the single-welt cord foot installed on the sewing machine, lay the welt cord on top of the tack band fabric with the edge of its tail lined up with the top edge of the tack band fabric. From one end to the other, stitch along the right side of the welt cord and attach it to the fabric.

18. Center the tack band on the sofa and line up the top of the cording with the marked line. While holding the welt cord and seam allowances against the sofa, flip the fabric up with the wrong side facing you. Staple the seam allowances all the way across the sofa until you are 1" from the arms. Continue checking the welt cord to make sure it’s lined up with the marked line.

19. Cut open the seam on the welt cord fabric and expose the cording inside. Trim off only the excess cording (not the fabric) even with the inside of the left arm. Fold the fabric back together and continue stapling the rest of the tack band down. Repeat this step for the right side.

20. Tightly push cardboard tack strip up and into the welt cord and staple it all the way across.

21. Split and staple Dacron to the tack band from the top of the cardboard tack strip all the way to the bottom edge of the sofa. Trim excess Dacron from the bottom.

22. Smooth the fabric down with the palm of your hand and staple to the bottom of the sofa. Work from the middle out to the sides.

23. When the fabric is stapled all across the bottom, smooth and staple the sides to the front of the arms and trim off the excess.

Deck Defense

We have a lot left to do, so take care of the deck we’ve worked so hard to upholster. It’s natural to lay tools on the deck as you work on other parts of the sofa, but before you do, protect it from dirt and damage with a clean scrap of Dacron or fabric.

Three-seater sofa: Deck complete

Chapter 24

Padding and Constructing Boxed Arms

We’ve restructured the seat, padded and upholstered the deck, and are finally getting a little glimpse of the sofa’s new look. Rest assured, it’s all downhill from here, and we’ll be fluffing cushions and sitting pretty before we know it. From now on, each subsequent chapter gets easier and easier. Our next task is padding and constructing boxed arms.

You may remember from the wingback project that our inside arms attached first, followed by the inside back, and then the outside arms and back. Although it’s standard procedure to upholster the inside and outside arms independently, there are always exceptions to the rule, this sofa being one of them. Because these arms are so boxy, we’ll pad and upholster each arm as one unit instead of breaking them into insides and outsides. We’ll sew the arm fabric together so it slips over the entire arm at once, and when we go to close up the outside of the sofa, we’ll skip straight to the outside back instead of stopping to upholster each outside arm independently.

Attaching Webbing and Burlap to the Arms

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

White or yellow chalk

At the back of the inside arms, staple the webbing, burlap, and fabric inside the space between the arms and inside back. At the bottom of the arms, attach burlap to the wood, but pull through and staple fabric under the arm. If necessary, staple to the outside of the sofa frame, but reserve this only for desperate situations, as a buildup of several layers will make lumps under the fabric.

1. Staple and stretch jute webbing horizontally across the inside arms. Since we don’t rest much weight on the inside arms, it’s only necessary to attach a few strips of webbing instead of covering the entire opening like we did with the seat. Repeat this step for the outside arms (see chapter 21, Attaching Webbing).

2. Staple burlap over the inside arm. Make release cuts in the burlap, so it will lie flat around posts. Fold back and staple again for extra reinforcement. Repeat this step for the outside arms but leave the bottom 10" of burlap unstapled, so you can access the space beneath the arms to staple fabric.

Padding the Arms

Supplies

Small edge roll or leftover sewn welt cord

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Scissors

1"–2"-thick low-density foam

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife

Cotton batting

Spray adhesive

Dacron

3. Since the top and front edges of the arm are sharp, hard, and get a lot of wear and tear, we’ll attach edge roll to these edges to prevent our padding from wearing out quickly. With a space this small, I often use leftover welt cord in place of edge roll. Line up the edge roll or leftover welt cord with the edge of the frame and staple through the tail to attach it to the arm.

4. We’ll only attach foam to the tops and insides of the arms. The rest of the arms will be covered in Dacron. To maintain the boxy shape, I have chosen thin 1" super-soft foam. Drape the foam over the arm and squish it into the space between the inside arm and back and under the arm to hold it in place while you trace the arm.

5. At the back of the arm, mark the foam where it meets the inside back. As you approach the top of the arm, shape the foam around the frame and draw a line where the top of the arm meets the back edge of the sofa. If you’re having trouble getting the foam to stay in place, perform a release cut with scissors at the top back of the arm. Then draw your line for the top of the arm.

6. Remove the foam from the sofa and use the carving knife to cut on the drawn line.

7. Before you attach the foam, staple a layer of cotton to the top and front of the arm to fill in the dip created by the welt cord.

8. Line up the foam with the edges of the arm. Place the nose of the stapler into the side of the foam and staple between the top and bottom faces. The top face of the foam will cover the indentations made by the staples. Be careful not to expose the wooden edges of the arm by pushing the foam back as you staple. The foam should cover or go slightly past the edges when stapled.

9. Cut a piece of Dacron large enough to cover the entire arm (inside, top, outside, and front) with 6" extra at the bottom. Tuck the bottom of the Dacron under the inside arm. When you tuck it under, make sure you have enough Dacron to wrap around the front of the arm all the way down to the bottom of the sofa. Lay the Dacron back on the deck and spray adhesive on the inside and top of the arm and halfway up the Dacron. Pull the Dacron up and over the arm and stick it to the inside and top arm.

10. Make release cuts in the Dacron around the posts at the front and back of the inside arm, and then pull the Dacron through the space under and around the front of the arm. Split and staple the bottom layer of the Dacron to the front of the arm on top of the cotton.

11. At the back of the arm, the Dacron should be trimmed to meet the inside back. The Dacron should also cover the top of the arm all the way to the back edge of the sofa.

12. On the outside arm, there’s a horizontal support just above the pull-through space. Pull the Dacron tightly over the arm and staple to this horizontal support. Since these staples are so far from the cut edge of the Dacron, there’s no need to split and staple.

13. Pull the Dacron tightly and split and staple the bottom layer to the right and left sides above the horizontal support on the outside arm.

14. When the Dacron is attached to the front, top, inside, and outside of the arm, trim off the excess Dacron around the edges.

Cutting and Sewing Boxed Arms

Supplies

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Welt cord stick (optional)

Scissors

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

T-pins or hand-stapling plier and staples

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Thread

15. Let’s write down the dimensions of the arms, so we can cut and sew them together. Measure from the back to the front of the arm (36") and add 3" for sewing, pulling, and stapling (39").

16. Measure from the top to the bottom of the arm (23") and add 3" for pulling and stapling (26").

17. Slightly compress the padding with the palm of your hands and measure the thickness of the arm (3¹⁄₂"). Add 1" for seam allowance (4¹⁄₂").

18. It’s far more efficient to sew both arms at the same time, so draw the pieces for both arms on the fabric and cut them out. Be sure to correctly orient the pieces on the fabric and use a straight edge and square to keep the corners square and edges straight with the grain of the fabric.

19. Add the width and height of the inside arm piece (65") and multiply by 4 (260") to determine the total length of welt cord needed for both boxed arms. Draw, cut out, and stitch single welt cord (see page 364 for single welt cord instructions).

20. Line up the edge of the welt cord tail with the top edge of the arm. Stitch along the right side of the cording to attach it to the front face of the top and front edges of the inside arm piece. As you approach the front corner, make a small release cut in the welt cord tail.

21. Bend the cording 90 degrees to follow the shape of the inside arm and hold in place as you continue sewing.

22. Right before the needle reaches the corner, stop, lift the sewing foot, and pivot the fabric 45 degrees. Lower the foot and walk the needle by hand diagonally across the corner (3–4 stitches). When you get across the corner, lift the foot, pivot the fabric another 45 degrees, and continue sewing along the next side. When you reach the end, disconnect your thread and cut off the excess welt cord.

23. Repeat steps 20–22 for all four inside and outside arms.

24. With good sides facing, seam together the front edge of the top arm and top edge of the front arm.

25. Line up the seam from step 24 with the front corner of the inside arm. Use T-pins or the hand-stapling plier to hold the fabric together as you sew. With good sides facing and edges aligned, stitch the front arm fabric to the front of the inside arm from the corner down. Go back to the corner, flip over the fabric, and stitch the top arm fabric to the top of the inside arm.

26. Repeat step 25 to attach the outside arm to the other side of the top and front arm pieces. Repeat steps 25 and 26 to stitch together the other arm. After you’ve finished both arms, check the fit and inspect the seams, tightening any areas that need attention by sewing over them again.

Clean Seams

A good sewing job is free of pleating and puckering at the seam. If you’re having a hard time making smooth seams, try the following tips:

1.Use a small piece of the fabric to check the tension of your sewing machine and make adjustments as needed.

2.Pull the fabric tightly from top to bottom as you run it through your sewing machine.

3.Try using hard welt cord instead of fiber flex welt cord.

See Sewing Tips and Tricks (page 358) for more sewing tips.

Attaching Boxed Arms to the Sofa

Supplies

Sewn arms

White or yellow chalk

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Staple remover

Pliers

27. Drape the sewn fabric over the arm and pull it into position. When you have the lines of the welt cord lined up with the edges of the arm and the corner tight to the frame, push down in between the deck and inside arm and find the corners of the front post. Use your fingers to determine where the tips of the Y-cut should be and mark the fabric.

28. Pull out the fabric and use the marks made in step 27 to draw and cut the Y. Push the fabric down between the inside arm and deck and tightly sub-staple the bottom of the front arm to the bottom of the sofa frame.

29. Smooth and pull the excess fabric to the back of the arm and sub-staple the back of the top arm to the back of the sofa. Check that the front corner is still tight and in the correct position; make adjustments if necessary.

30. Smooth the fabric down from the top of the inside arm and make a release cut around the bar at the top of the inside back. Pull the fabric tightly and sub-staple on either side of the cut. Instead of folding under the excess fabric on the topside of the cut, lay it out straight and staple it down.

31. Smooth the fabric toward the post at the bottom of the inside back, and then perform another release cut. Pull the fabric through the frame and sub-staple in place.

32. Lift up the layers on the outside arm and pull through the inside arm fabric. Pull the fabric tightly enough to cause the welt cord to dip slightly at the top of the inside arm, and then sub-staple the fabric under the arm. To test the tightness, pull down the fabric on the outside arm to make sure the welt cord will realign with the edges of the frame. Make adjustments to the tightness of the inside arm, if necessary, and then replace the sub-staples with permanent ones and trim off the excess fabric.

33. Staple the burlap we left unstapled in step 2, fold back the excess, and staple again.

34. Smooth the Dacron down and split and staple the bottom layer to the bottom of the outside arm. Cut off any excess Dacron even with the bottom edge of the sofa.

35. Pull the back edge of the outside arm fabric toward the back of the sofa until the welt cord on the front of the arm lines up with the edges of the frame, and then sub-staple in place.

36. Attach the fabric at the bottom of the outside arm when itʼs pulled tightly enough to align the rest of the welt cord with the frame.

37. At this point, the fabric should be in the desired position, but we still have a few areas to clean up before we can staple it down permanently. At the bottom of the front arm, open up the seam in the welt cord and cut out the cording until it’s even with the bottom edge of the sofa frame.

38. Fold under the excess fabric from the release cut made in step 28 and staple the front arm fabric under the sofa frame.

39. Repeat steps 37 and 38 on the three other ends of welt cord, removing the cording so it’s even with the edges of the frame, and then staple them down. Examine the arm and make final adjustments to the positioning of the fabric. Replace all sub-staples with permanent ones and trim off the excess fabric.

40. Repeats steps 1–14 and 27–39 for the other arm.

Three-seater sofa: Deck and arms complete

Chapter 25

Upholstering an Inside Back with Back Cushions

We’ve done picture backs, channel backs, and wingbacks, but we haven’t upholstered a back with back cushions, also known as a loose back. Say that five times fast. The main difference between backs with and without back cushions is the thickness of the padding. Because the primary padding on this sofa is the down-filled back cushions, we only need a light layer of foam behind them to soften the hard edges of the frame.

Attaching Webbing and Burlap to the Inside Back

Just like the arms, the inside back has its own frame built for stapling and pulling through. The right and left sides of the inside back pull through the same spaces as the back of the inside arms; be sure to keep them clear of excessive padding so there’s enough room to pull through the fabric. Staple burlap and webbing to the frame within the edges of the inside back.

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

White or yellow chalk

1. Just as we did with the seat and the arms, we’ll start by stretching and stapling webbing to the inside back (see page 263). Since there is such a large opening, we’ll attach vertical and horizontal strips of webbing for extra support.

2. Cut out a piece of burlap large enough to cover the opening of the inside back, and then stretch and staple it to the frame. Fold back the excess burlap and staple again.

Padding the Inside Back

Supplies

Small edge roll or leftover welt cord

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

Scissors

1"–2"-thick low-density foam

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife

Cotton batting

Spray adhesive

Dacron

3. The top edge of the inside back is sharp and gets a lot of wear, so we’ll attach small edge roll or leftover welt cord to it just as we did with the arms. Line up the edge roll or welt cord with the front top edge of the inside back and staple through the tail to attach it to the sofa. Stop the cording even with the inside arms.

4. Measure the widest distance between the inside arms, and cut a full slab of foam to this width with the carving knife. I’m using 1" super-soft foam and Dacron to add a light layer of cushioning to the inside back. Center the foam on the back and squish the bottom under the inside back. Smooth the foam up and over the inside back and trace the back edge of the sofa with a permanent marker. Cut on the marked line with the carving knife.

5. Remove the foam and staple a layer of cotton batting between the welt cord and back edge of the sofa to fill in the dip created behind the cording.

6. Put the foam on the inside back and tuck it into the space at the bottom, right, and left sides. Hold the cut edge even with the back edge of the sofa and staple it to the sofa frame. Use the same technique for stapling the foam as we did for the arms (see step 8, page 265).

7. Cut out a sheet of Dacron large enough to cover the foam on the inside back, with an additional 3" on all sides for pulling. Tuck the bottom few inches of Dacron under the inside back, and then lay the Dacron down on the deck. Spray adhesive on the foam and Dacron. Be careful not to spray adhesive on the fabric!

8. Pull up the Dacron and stick it to the foam. Make release cuts around the posts on the right and left sides, and then pull the Dacron through the frame. Trim off any excess Dacron even with the back edge of the sofa.

Sticky Situation

Before you use the spray adhesive, always check the nozzle and make sure it’s not gummed up or pointing the wrong direction. The last thing you want to do is spray adhesive on your fabric or yourself! And by the way, remember to work in a well-ventilated space (see page 349).

Sewing a Boxed Edge on the Inside Back

Because all the edges of the sofa frame will be outlined in welt cord, I’ve decided to sew welt cord and a small boxing to the top of the inside back to delineate its front edge. Whether or not you box the top edge of the inside back is completely up to you and how you choose to style your furniture. Feel free to skip to step 14 if you plan on upholstering a smooth inside back.

Supplies

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

Fabric

Square

Yardstick

White or yellow chalk

Welt cord stick (optional)

Scissors

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Thread

9. Use the measurement from step 4 to determine the width of the inside back (74") and measure from the deck to the top edge of the inside back to determine the height (18"). Add an extra 10" to both dimensions for sewing, pulling, and stapling (84" wide × 28" tall).

10. Slightly compress the padding and measure the thickness at the top of the inside back (2¹⁄₂"). Add 3" for sewing, pulling, and stapling (5¹⁄₂"). The width of the boxing will be the same as the width of the inside back piece.

11. Use a square and yardstick to draw the inside back and boxing on the fabric, and then cut them out. Draw, cut out, and stitch single welt cord to the same width as the inside back (see page 364 for single welt cord instructions).

12. With the single-welt cord foot attached to the sewing machine, lay the welt cord on top of the inside back fabric, with the tail of the welt cord lined up with the top edge of the fabric. From one end to the other, stitch along the right side of the welt cord and attach it to the good side of the inside back fabric.

13. Lay the boxing facedown on top of the inside back fabric and welt cord, with the front edge of the boxing lined up with the top edge of the inside back. Stitch from one end to the other.

Attaching the Inside Back to the Sofa

Supplies

Sewn inside back

Ruler

Goggles

Staple gun

³⁄₈" staples

White or yellow chalk

Scissors

Staple remover

Pliers

14. Center the sewn fabric over the inside back. Pull the back middle of the boxing over the back edge of the sofa while measuring the boxing with a ruler. When the welt cord is the same distance from the back edge of the sofa as the original measurement from step 10, sub-staple the fabric to the back of the sofa.

15. While standing in front of the sofa, pull and smooth the excess fabric down and make a release cut at any wooden posts in the center of the sofa. Pull the fabric under the inside back and sub-staple on either side of the post.

16. Continue measuring and sub-stapling the top of the back from the center out. Smooth the excess fabric down and toward the sides, and sub-staple all the way across. Perform release cuts around the posts on the right and left sides, pull the fabric through the space, and staple.

17. With all four sides in place, let’s clean up the connection between the inside back and arms. Lay the excess boxing on top of the arm and use your scissors to open up the seam on the welt cord. Cut out the cording even with the welt cord of the inside arm.

18. Fold the excess boxing under the foam and Dacron so it meets the cording on the inside arm and sub-staple the fabric to the outside back.

19. Repeat steps 17 and 18 for the other side.

20. When you’re happy with the smoothness and tightness of the inside back, replace the sub-staples with permanent ones.

Three-seater sofa: Deck, arms, and inside back complete

Chapter 26

Attaching the Outside Back and Completing the Sofa Frame

With the inside and outside arms completed in one fell swoop, we only have a few more tasks before moving on to cushion sewing. After we upholster the outside back, we’ll wrap up the sofa frame with hand sewing and attaching the dustcover. If your outside arms were not completed with the inside arms, follow the steps for attaching the outside back to upholster them first. For outside arm edges shared with the outside back, staple fabric to the surface of the outside back instead of enclosing with welt cord and Pli-Grip.

Upholstering the Outside Back

Supplies

Jute webbing

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Webbing stretcher

Scissors

Measuring tape

Burlap

Fabric

Yardstick

Welt cord stick (optional)

White or yellow chalk

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Thread

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

Square

Cardboard tack strip

Pli-Grip

Inexpensive scissors

Painter’s or masking tape

Dacron

Regulator

Rubber mallet

Pliers

Staple remover

1. Begin by attaching webbing to the outside back. On the inside back, we attached vertical and horizontal strips of webbing. Since the outside back doesn’t get any pressure from the sitter, we’ll only attach a few strips of webbing to help support the burlap and fabric.

2. To create a solid, smooth surface, stretch and staple a layer of burlap to the outside back.

3. Draw, cut out, and stitch single welt cord long enough to go around the top and sides of the outside back and around the bottom perimeter of the sofa (see page 364 for single welt cord instructions).

4. Start at the bottom of one side, leaving an extra 1" hanging below the sofa. Staple cording up and around the top and other side of the outside back. As you staple, use your forefinger and thumb to line up the edge of the cording with the wooden edge of the sofa frame. The tail of the cording should be going in toward the center of the outside back.

5. Pre-bend corners before stapling them down and cut out the excess fabric to minimize bulk. At the bottom of the last side, leave another 1" of extra cording. Open up the seams in the extra welt cord at the bottom of either side, cut out the cording even with the bottom edge, and staple the tail to the bottom of the sofa frame.

6. Draw and cut out a piece of fabric large enough to cover the outside back, with an additional 3" of height and width for pulling and stapling. Center the fabric over the outside back with the backside facing you. Line up the top edge of the fabric with the tail of the welt cord and staple the fabric across the top of the outside back.

7. Just as we did with the tack band below the deck (page 259), we’ll blind-tack the top edge of the outside back. Push cardboard tack strip up into the welt cord and staple it across the top edge. Snip off the top corners of the cardboard so they fit tightly behind the corners of the welt cord.

8. To attach fabric to the sides of the outside back, we’ll attach Pli-Grip below the cardboard tack strip. Push the foot of the Pli-Grip into the welt cord and permanently staple with one prong through the center hole and one prong to the side of the foot. Continue stapling through every hole until you’re ¹⁄₂" from the bottom edge of the sofa. Cut off the excess Pli-Grip and any sharp corners at the ends with a pair of inexpensive scissors.

9. Attach Pli-Grip to both sides of the sofa and push the teeth down. Stick a small piece of painter’s or masking tape around the corners on the end to blunt the sharp metal edges.

10. Cut out a piece of Dacron large enough to cover the outside back and staple it to the top edge. Smooth the Dacron to the bottom of the sofa and staple. Remember to staple in between the layers of Dacron, so the top layer conceals any indentations.

11. Split and staple the Dacron just behind the Pli-Grip on the right and left sides.

12. After all four sides of Dacron are stapled, trim the Dacron even with the outside edges of the Pli-Grip and bottom edge of the sofa frame.

13. Pull the fabric down and sub-staple the middle to the bottom of the sofa. Work from the middle out to attach the fabric all the way across the bottom.

14. Smooth the fabric over the left side and mark the outside edge of the Pli-Grip with chalk. Trim off the excess fabric ¹⁄₂" beyond the chalked line. It’s important to leave only ¹⁄₂" of fabric because any more than that will be too bulky to tuck into the Pli-Grip teeth.

15. Start at the top of the side and pull the fabric down and out with the palm of your hand while using the other hand to tuck the fabric into the Pli-Grip with the flat end of the regulator.

16. When you reach the bottom, make another pass with the sharp end of the regulator to tuck in any strings or remaining slivers of fabric. If you’re having trouble getting the fabric to stay in the Pli-Grip, try pushing the Pli-Grip down more tightly.

17. Use the rubber mallet to hammer down the Pli-Grip all the way.

18. Repeat steps 14–17 to complete the right side. When both sides are secured in place, replace the sub-staples along the bottom of the sofa with permanent ones.

Hand-Sewing Connections in the Sofa

Before staple guns and Pli-Grip, upholsterers hand-sewed most projects. Although it’s more time-consuming to hand-sew, a slipstitch (page 367) is the simplest and cleanest method for small areas that need tightening.

Supplies

Thread

Curved needle

Scissors

19. Refer to Sewing Tips and Tricks on page 367 for instructions on performing a slipstitch. For the connection between the front arm and the deck, begin the slipstitch 1" below the top of the deck and end at the bottom of the sofa by stapling the ends of the thread under the sofa frame.

20. Where the inside back boxing meets the top of the arm, begin the slipstitch at the back edge of the sofa and end at the welt cord on the inside back. Hide the ends of sewing thread in the crevice between the arm and inside back.

21. Repeat steps 19 and 20 for the other side of the sofa.

Attaching Welt Cord and Dustcover to the Bottom of the Sofa

Supplies

Sewn welt cord

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Scissors

Painter’s or masking tape

Measuring tape

Dustcover

Cardboard tack strip

White or yellow chalk

22. For the rest of the steps, flip the sofa upside down. Staple the welt cord made in step 3 around the bottom edge of the sofa, starting at the back middle. When you begin, leave an extra 1¹⁄₂" of cording, which we’ll connect to the other side at the end.

23. Use your forefinger and thumb to line up the edge of the cording with the wooden edge of the sofa frame. Pre-bend corners before stapling them down and cut out the excess fabric to minimize bulk.

24. Continue stapling around the bottom edge of the sofa until you’re 2" from where you started. Cut off the excess cording 1¹⁄₂" past the middle.

25. Open up the seams of the stitched cording about 3" on both ends to expose the cord inside. Lay the raw cords (without fabric) side-by-side and cut through both so they meet.

26. Wrap a piece of tape around the ends of the cords to connect them together.

27. Lay the fabric from one side straight out and around the cording. Fold under the fabric on the other side and wrap it around the fabric and cording so no raw fabric or cording shows. Finish the welt cord by stapling the connected ends to the sofa.

28. Cut a piece of dustcover large enough to cover the bottom of the sofa with an additional 3" in width and height for pulling and stapling. Center the dustcover over the front edge of the sofa and staple ¹⁄₂" of its front edge on top of the welt cord tail. Reinforce this first stapled edge by pushing cardboard tack strip into the welt cord and stapling it on top of the dustcover.

29. Before we continue stapling the dustcover, staple cardboard tack strip into the welt cord on the other three sides. This keeps the welt cord tight to the frame.

30. Pull the dustcover tightly to the backside of the sofa and make release cuts around the legs. Since these legs are a few inches from the edges of the sofa, I’ll cut an X in the dustcover to make a square hole for the legs to poke through.

31. Slip the dustcover over the legs and pull it to the backside of the frame. Pull tightly enough to smooth out the dustcover without stretching it out. Fold the dustcover under so the folded edge meets the welt cord, and then staple it down. Continue folding under and stapling until the entire backside is stapled. Repeat this step to attach the right and left sides.

32. To prevent the release cut flaps from falling out, staple the dustcover around the legs. Flip over the sofa and admire the finished frame.

Three-seater sofa: Frame complete

Case of the Disappearing Scissors

If doctors can sew up a patient with forceps inside, imagine how easy it is to close up a sofa with tools left in the inside back or under the dustcover. The first piece of furniture I ever upholstered was finished with a pair of scissors inside. When I turned the chair over to admire my hard work, the loud metal clanking against the frame startled me. Since then, I always do a spot check before closing up my project.

Chapter 27

Fitting and Sewing Boxed Cushions

When I talk to students at Spruce, I often hear, “I don’t have any sewing experience. Can I still do upholstery?” Absolutely! To their surprise and perhaps to yours, upholstery involves a very small percentage of sewing. This sofa has more sewing than most, with its boxed arms and multiple seat cushions, but with the steps we completed during chapter 24 and Sewing Tips and Tricks (page 358), you’ll be surprised by how easily these cushions go together.

Determining the Size and Shape of the Seat Cushion

As with the wingback project, our first step is to determine the size and shape of the cushions. As we discussed in chapter 20, I want the seat to be plush and comfy but with more support than the old cushion. I’ve opted for low-density foam wrapped in a feather case to achieve both goals.

When determining the thickness of the seat cushion, consider aesthetics and function. A typical seating height is 16"–18", so avoid a thickness that will bump you out of this range. Also, measure the height of other seating in the room. Do you want the sofa to be 4" lower than the adjacent chair? It’s better to be eye to eye with others when enjoying afternoon tea or playing a game of Yahtzee. Okay, maybe you don’t do either of those, but you get the point.

Most of the time, I determine padding thickness by proportions. A 3"–4" cushion is typical for a medium to large piece of furniture and looks proportional to the rest of the frame, so I’ve chosen an overall thickness of 4" for my seat cushion. To achieve this with down-wrapped foam, I subtract 1"–2" from my overall thickness to determine the thickness of the foam, and the down wrap fills in the rest. I’d like the cushion to have considerable squish to it, so I’ll use 2"-thick foam and fill in the rest with feathers.

Supplies

Dustcover

White or yellow chalk

Masking tape

Scissors

2"-thick low-density foam

Spray adhesive

Permanent marker

Electric carving knife

Scrap burlap

1. To determine the shape of the seat cushion, lay a piece of dustcover over the deck and tuck it under the inside arms and back. Be sure the dustcover is smooth, tight, and covering the entire top surface of the deck. Use a new stick of chalk to mark the inside shape of the sofa on the dustcover. Put tape over the top half of the chalk to prevent it from getting on the fabric and keep it upright and pressed against the insides of the sofa as you draw.

2. It can be tricky to mark the front edge since the deck is rounded. Freehand a line across the front, even with the front surface of the deck. If you feel unsure about the front edge, leave it longer and cut off the excess after you place the foam on the sofa.

3. Remove the pattern from the sofa and fold it in half to check its symmetry. Sometimes a pattern will be asymmetrical because the padding or frame is different on one side. If there are slight differences between one side and the other, trim the pattern to be symmetrical. If there are significant differences, double-check your pattern with the sofa to make sure it’s correct. If it’s correct, mark the side facing up as “top” and leave the pattern as-is. It’s better to have a cushion that is asymmetrical than a cushion that doesn’t fill the space in the sofa.

4. The depth of the seat cushion is greater than the depth of a slab of foam, so I will attach two slabs together. Lay two slabs of foam, one on top of the other, and spray adhesive on the edges you wish to glue together.

5. Allow the adhesive to get tacky, and then flip the top slab over and stick the tacky sides together. Use your fingertips to press the foam together as it dries.

6. Lay the pattern on the foam (with the “top” facing up) and trace the edge with a permanent marker. If your pattern is asymmetrical, mark “top” on the topside of the foam. Use a carving knife to cut out the foam on the marked line. Put the cut foam back in the sofa and check the fit. Make adjustments, as needed, until the foam meets the insides and front edge of the sofa without being squished and forced in place.

7. When you’re happy with the fit of the cushion, glue a strip of burlap over the seams on both sides of the foam. This helps reinforce the connection so the foam doesn’t come apart.

After years of cutting, sewing, and stuffing down cushions and wraps, I’ve found that with the right supplier, purchasing wraps that are custom made to size is as cost-effective and far more efficient than making your own (see Resources, page 385).

Determining the Size of the Back Cushions

Supplies

Seat padding

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paper

8. Stuff the seat foam into the down wrap and place it on the sofa. Measure the width of the space across the middle of the inside back (72"). I would typically divide this measurement by 3 to determine the width of the three back cushions (24"). Since these cushions are filled with feathers, they’ll be fluffier and have more crown than a rigid foam cushion. More crowning equals less surface area covered by the cushions, so we’ll add an extra 1" to each cushion width to accommodate for this (25").

9. Slightly compress the seat cushion and measure from the cushion to the top of the inside back (12"). I’d like my back cushions to cover the top of the inside back when I lean back, so I’ll add 2" to the height to achieve this (14").

Cutting Out Fabric for the Cushions

Supplies

Seat cushion pattern and measurements for the back cushions

Calculator

Fabric

Square

Yardstick

White or yellow chalk

Welt cord stick (optional)

Scissors

10. Use the seat foam or the pattern made out of dustcover to trace the shape of the seat cushion onto the fabric. If you adjusted the shape of the foam after tracing the pattern, use the foam to trace the fabric. Since the foam is wrapped in down, it will have more of a crown than the typical foam cushion, so we’ll add an extra ¹⁄₂" all the way around the pattern to accommodate for this. When tracing, draw 1" beyond the pattern on all sides. A ¹⁄₂" will be taken in for seam allowance while the other ¹⁄₂" will cover the crown of the cushion. After you’ve traced one face of the cushion, flip over the cushion or pattern and trace the other side.

11. In addition to the top and bottom face, we need boxing for the front, sides, and zipper boxing along the back of the cushion. The length of the front boxing is calculated by adding the length of the front to the depth of the sides (without seam allowance) (136"). The height of the front boxing is the thickness of the overall cushion (4") plus 1" for seam allowance (5"). The length of the zipper boxing is the length of the back of the cushion plus 10" (84") and the height is the thickness of the cushion plus 2" for seam allowance (6"). Because we stitch the zipper boxing to each cushion face and to each side of the zipper, we need four seam allowances for a total of 2" extra.

12. In steps 8 and 9, we determined the dimensions of the finished back cushions are 25" wide × 14" tall. Add 1" to the width and height for seam allowances and use the square and yardstick to draw out the six back cushion faces on the fabric. Repeat step 11 to draw the boxing for the top of the cushion and the zipper boxing.

13. After you’ve drawn the faces and boxings for the seat and back cushions, draw the lines for the welt cord. For the seat cushion, we’ll need 210" for each face, or 420" total. For the back cushions, we’ll need 78" for each face and a total of 468". Cut out all pieces for the cushions and identify each piece; also identify which edge is the top by marking in chalk on the backside.

Sewing the Cushions

Supplies

Fabric pieces for cushions

Iron

Zipper chain

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot

Thread

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

Masking tape

Hand-stapling plier or T-pins

Zipper pull

Seat and back cushion padding

Air blower

14. Cut each zipper boxing in half lengthwise and press down the inside seam allowances that attach to the zipper chain.

15. Cut a piece of zipper chain the same length as each zipper boxing. Place the zipper teeth under the welt cord foot with the pressed edge of the zipper boxing aligned with the center of the zipper teeth. Lower the sewing foot and stitch the right side of the zipper boxing to the zipper chain.

16. Starting from the end you just finished, flip the fabric around and repeat step 15 to stitch the other half of the zipper boxing to the zipper. When both sides are sewn, the fabric should meet in the middle and cover the zipper chain.

17. Repeat steps 15 and 16 for the rest of the zippers.

18. Stitch all of the single welt cord and attach it to the perimeter of every cushion face. Start at the bottom middle of a back cushion face, leaving an extra 1¹⁄₂" of cording for connecting the ends. Line up the edge of the welt cord tail with the outside edges of the cushion face and stitch along the right side of the cording all the way around. Make small cuts in the seam allowance to pre-bend the cording at corners and pivot the fabric under the sewing foot to get corners nice and tight (see page 362).

19. When you’re back to where you started, follow steps 25–27 from chapter 26 to connect the ends of welt cord. Then stitch the connected ends to the cushion face.

20. Repeat steps 18 and 19 for all cushion faces. For the seat cushion, start and end at the back middle.

21. Stitch the top boxings to the front cushion faces. Line up the bottom left front corner of the top boxing with the bottom left corner of the cushion face. With good sides facing and edges aligned, use the hand-stapling plier or T-pins to connect the seam allowances together. Start 3" from the left corner and stitch up and around the top and right sides. Make small release cuts and pivot the fabric at corners. Stop sewing when you are 3" from the bottom of the right side.

22. At the top corners, fold the boxing straight across and cut a notch where the other corner should line up.

23. With good sides together and edges aligned, use the hand-stapling plier to staple the top corners of the back cushion face to the notches from step 22.

24. Staple the cushion face to the boxing along the top edge and down the right and left sides. Keep the fabric smooth and evenly distributed as you staple.

25. Stitch the top boxing to the back cushion face, leaving the bottom 3" unsewn on both ends. Inspect the top corners of the cushion to make sure they’re lined up.

26. Center the top middle of the zipper boxing on the bottom middle of the front face and staple the seam allowances together. With good sides together and edges aligned, stitch from the middle to just past the left corner. Flip over the fabric and stitch from the middle to just past the right corner. Remove staples.

27. Repeat step 26 to stitch the back face to the other side of the zipper boxing.

28. Attach the zipper pull to one end of the zipper chain and unzip the zipper 6"–10".

29. With good sides facing, meet one end of the zipper boxing with the end of the top boxing and seam them together. As you approach the zipper, place a small square of doubled-over fabric over the zipper chain and stitch over it. This piece of fabric will reinforce the end of the zipper and keep the pull from coming off.

30. The extra fabric at the end of the boxings will fold behind the top boxing, creating a pocket for the zipper pull to slide into. Fold the connected boxing ends toward the top of the cushion and smooth out the fabric in the fold. The zipper boxing should be straight around the bottom corners and the top boxing should be folded back. Staple or hold the boxings in place with edges aligned and stitch around all corners to close up the cushion. Inspect the corners and sides to make sure the cushion is tightly sewn and no threads are showing. Stitch over loose seams to tighten, and remove any staples.

31. Repeat steps 21–30 to complete all other cushions. For the seat cushion, the top is the front and the bottom is the back. Insert the padding into the cases. Use the nap or pattern of the fabric to make sure the cushions are sitting on the sofa the right way (front face to the front of the sofa). Dust off any chalk or dirt with the air blower to complete the sofa.

A sofa is a large undertaking, especially when it involves coil spring tying, boxed arms, and several loose cushions. Stripping, springs, deck, arms, back, and cushions, and here we are — days later — scratches, blisters, and all. If you’re not currently sitting on your completed sofa, trust me, the hours of work, good and bad, are worth every second for the feeling of accomplishment you get when sitting on your sofa for the first time. And that feeling never goes away, even after you’ve completed a dozen sofas and they’re not even yours.

Project 5

Ottoman Empire

Chapter 28

Material Requirements for Diamond Tufting and Leather Upholstery 101

In my house, the coffee table is the hub of the living room. It’s where I put my magazines, books, drinks, and Chinese takeout. In the evenings, the hubby and I sink down into the sofa with a glass of wine, kick up our feet, and relay the happenings of the day, but I’m always scrambling for a throw pillow to soften the hard wooden top. What better way to have the best of an ottoman and coffee table than to combine the two? I decided to repurpose the legs of our old table and make a new upholstered top.

With a few pieces of wood, glue, brad nailer, and about an hour, I constructed the new top for the cocktail ottoman. I changed the size from 18" × 48" to 30" × 54" to coordinate better with the proportions of the sofa and slipper chairs. To help connect the upholstery to the dark chocolate legs, I had simple wooden trim stained to match the legs and cut to fit around the bottom edge of the top.

Ottoman: Before

Since this piece has such a large surface, I’m breaking it up with diamond tufting. With a sea of buttons between hand-folded pleats, diamond tufting gives dimension to an otherwise flat surface and makes flaws and imperfections that develop from frequent use less noticeable. I’ve also chosen leather for durability and cleanability, since this piece will be the center of attention and the catchall in the room. The kelly green is a bright complement to the oranges and reds, even as it brings out the blues and greens in the room and creates a balance between hot and cool colors.

Berkshire Leather by Garrett in Kelly Green

Design Inspiration from the Spruce Archives

We repurposed the swivel base from a broken chair and constructed this new top to create this mod ottoman.

To stretch the limits of this hand-embroidered suzani, we framed each panel with a sturdy solid to cover the sides of this bench.

Stripes are a good option for round ottomans where matching an organic pattern is rarely possible.

Determining Leather Requirements for the Ottoman

Leather is sold by whole or half hides and is measured by the square foot instead of yards. First, we’ll determine the overall dimensions of the leather. Then we’ll calculate them into square feet to determine how many hides we need to order. We already know that the size of the ottoman is 30" × 54" but we’ll need a considerable allowance for pleating and tufting.

1. Use the dimensions of the ottoman to determine symmetrical spacing for the buttons and draw out the pattern. For every button, you need twice the depth of the padding for allowance. This ottoman has 2"-thick foam, so at every button, I need approximately 4" of leather. At the edges, add 10" for wrapping over the padding and stapling to the bottom of the frame.

2. Add the allowances to the original width and depth. The overall width of leather is 142" and the depth is 86".

3. Divide the overall dimensions by 12" to calculate the dimensions in feet.

142"/12" = 11.83' wide

86"/12" = 7.17' deep

4. Multiply the width by the depth in feet.

11.83' × 7.17' = 84.82 square feet

This ottoman requires 84.82 square feet of leather. A large hide is generally 55 square feet, so we’ll need approximately 1¹⁄₂ hides to complete the project. Because of the amorphous edges of leather hides and the occasional hole, brand, or scar, it’s advisable to order at least ¹⁄₂ hide more than you need for projects, so Iʼll order 2 hides for the cocktail ottoman. If you’re working on furniture requiring several extra-large pieces, order 1–2 additional hides to ensure you get the pieces you need. Remember, leather is a natural product that comes with imperfections you’ll have to work around.

Calculating Number of Hides from Yards

If you’re working on a project where it’s more complicated to calculate square feet, follow the steps from previous chapters to calculate yardage and divide the number by 2¹⁄₂ to get the number of full-size hides (55 square feet) required. For instance, the sofa project requires 14 yards of fabric. If we divide 14 by 2¹⁄₂, we get 5.6 hides. Since the sofa has extra-large surfaces to cover, round up to 6 hides and add an extra hide for good measure.

Choosing Which Leather to Use

With hundreds of colors and a wide variety of textures, leather can complement any aesthetic, color palette, or style. It also functions as one of the most durable and longest lasting materials. Because leather breathes very little, foam and padding materials last much longer behind this thick barrier from oxygen and dirt particles. And with regular maintenance, leather can be rejuvenated to its original condition time and time again. When purchasing leather for your next project, weigh the pros and cons of these choices:

Expense. Leather can range from $90 per hide to thousands of dollars. In many cases, expense is an indication of the time and effort put into creating a quality hide. Exotic colors must be tested over and over again to ensure consistent color matching from hide to hide, which comes at a price for the consumer.

High-end leather manufacturers also produce hides with smoother surfaces and minimal imperfections. If you’re using multiple hides on one piece, color consistency is a key ingredient for a stunning upholstery job. Don’t take out a second mortgage on your house, but be wary of buying the cheapest hides available without close inspection.

Color. From magenta to metallic, there’s leather to match. Although leather is the best material if you must have white, it can absorb oils, dirt, and dyes from clothing just as any other fabric does. Darker colors like chocolate or black show hair, dirt, and dust.

Sheen. Leathers range from shiny to matte. For a more rustic, worn look, opt for a duller, matte finish, which scars and lightens with use. Shinier leathers resist scuffing and can be polished to maintain a consistent sheen.

Upholstering with Leather

Working with leather is surprisingly similar to working with any other fabric. I am often asked, “Do you work with leather?” as if it requires a different set of skills and knowledge. When I began upholstery, I dove headfirst into my first leather chair, never knowing there would be any differences between it and the velvet chair from the previous week. I discovered a surprisingly similar set of procedures with a few tricks for achieving success.

Laying Out the Pieces

Before cutting any fabric, always measure and lay out the pieces for your furniture. Because every hide is different, some will be longer and wider and some will have scars or holes where others are smooth.

1.Inspect the leather closely and mark any areas you’d like to avoid, such as holes, scars, and brands, by circling the areas with chalk.

2.Turn over the leather, measure, and mark pieces with chalk on the backside where the chalk won’t rub off.

3.Rearrange until you’ve fit all the pieces in the puzzle. To make life easier, draw out the largest pieces first, as smaller ones will have more options for placement.

4.Divide larger pieces into two or three pieces that seam together. Unless you’re incredibly lucky or have found a supply of mammoth cows, you’ll need to split up large backs and cushions into multiple pieces to upholster sofas and oversized chairs.

Stapling, Smoothing, and Sewing

Stapling leather is no different than stapling any other material, except that staples are prone to go right through the thick epidermis. When attaching leather, make sure it’s pressed against the wooden surface and reduce the air pressure in the staple gun so that the staples go into the wood with less force. If you’re still having trouble, purchase an inexpensive staple gun with a larger crown, meaning the staple will be wider and larger, making it harder to push through the material.

A bonus of working with hair-in leather: skip the cardboard tack strip, Pli-Grip, and hand sewing and staple right on top. Use a regulator or your fingers to fluff the hair around the staples; you’ll never see a thing.

Smoothing leather over a piece of furniture can be even easier than fabric because it stretches naturally. When you come across a thicker patch that resists pulling, wet the surface of the leather to make it more pliable. For hair-in or really thick hides, use clamps or pliers to get a firmer grip for pulling tightly. But be careful that you don’t pull leather so tightly that release cuts rip.

Sewing leather is all about the right equipment. You’ll need an industrial machine with compound feed and special needles made just for leather. To minimize bulk from seaming cording strips together, cut and glue the ends instead of sewing end to end.

Splicing Leather Together to Make Welt Cord

1.See Sewing Tips and Tricks to cut strips of welt cord, and then cut two ends complementary to each other. Use a razor blade to shave off the bottom half of the left end and the top half of the right end.

2. Apply leather or spray adhesive to the shaved ends with a small paintbrush. (If using spray adhesive, spray a small amount onto a disposable surface and use from there.)

3. Carefully stick the shaved ends together to make a continuous piece of welt cord with an invisible seam.

Venting Leather

Since leather is skin and skin is a fairly impenetrable material (after all, water and air go around us, not through us), leather must be vented to allow air to escape quickly. Although upholstered pieces are not airtight, they do have limited passages for inflating and deflating. When the sitter stands, a cushion slowly fills with air as the padding expands from compression, but when the sitter sits, the pressure of his or her weight forces air out quickly. This pressure will eventually stress seams to the point of failure, so vents must be added to certain seating structures to prevent excessive wear and tear.

Cushions can be vented through small grommets attached to the zipper boxing or by covering the zipper boxing or a portion of the bottom face with porous fabric. Using a complementary but porous fabric on the bottom of the cushion allows air to escape and saves money on material costs. Leave at least 4" of leather at the front edge of the bottom face so the contrasting material never shows. If you’re concerned about using both sides of the cushion, opt for venting through the zipper boxing only.

Tight seats vent through the frame, but when they’re attached to solid wood or a piece of plywood, drill holes in the bottom surface to allow air to escape. No venting is required for arms and backs.

Finishing Touches

It took learning the hard way and buying every bottle of glue on the market to figure out that nothing glues to leather. Since glue cannot penetrate nonporous fabric, you cannot glue decorative trim to leather, so it must be stapled or replaced with decorative nails.

Although I prefer using decorative nailheads (see page 203), you can also use a gimp stapler (see page 67) to discreetly attach trim. If you are attaching double welt cord, place the nose of the gimp stapler in between the two cords and staple. The tiny staples go in with minimal visibility.

For the best of both worlds, hammer decorative nails over welt cord. The cording covers the exposed staples while the tacks hold the cording in place. Use spring twine in place of welt cord to increase flexibility while minimizing bulk, making it easier to hammer in tacks.

Overview

Supplies for the Ottoman

Basic Supplies

¹⁄₂" staples

Button twine

Paper

Pencil

Permanent marker

Protective gloves or medical tape (optional)

Silicon spray

Spray adhesive

Thread

White or yellow chalk

Tools & Equipment

1¹⁄₂" hole saw

Air blower

Button machine

Button needle

Calculator

Dressmaker’s tape

Drill and large drill bit

Electric carving knife

Goggles

Magnetic tack hammer

Measuring tape

Pliers

Regulator

Scissors

Screwdriver (optional)

Sewing machine

Square

Staple gun

Staple remover

Two-piece dies and fabric cutter for the desired button size

Utility knife (optional)

Wooden dowel

Yardstick

Materials

2 hides of leather

1 slab 3"-thick high-density foam

Burlap scraps

Button fronts and loop backs

1 yard cardboard tack strip

2 yards cotton batting

2 yards dustcover

Small piece of cardboard

2 yards stitched Dacron

For more information on tools and materials, visit the glossary (page 369).

Chapter 29

Diamond Tufting the Cocktail Ottoman

Diamond tufting is one of those skills that made my knees shake until I was generously given the secrets of success. Years ago, my colleague worked with a gentleman who had mastered diamond tufting. The man would not share his techniques, but my colleague began Covert Mission Diamond Tufting, carefully watching his coworker until he discovered the winning combination of padding materials and allowances that make the diamonds fall right into place.

Ottoman: Old legs, new top

Padding the Ottoman

Supplies

Yardstick

Permanent marker

Goggles

Drill and large drill bit

3"-thick high-density foam

Spray adhesive

Electric carving knife

1¹⁄₂" hole saw

Burlap

Scissors

Dressmaker’s tape

Pencil

Paper

Cotton batting

Stitched Dacron

1. Use the yardstick and permanent marker to mark a grid on the tabletop. In chapter 28 we determined that this ottoman will have a 6" square diamond configuration. I divided the tabletop into 3" × 3" squares, so I can easily find the four points of every diamond.

2. With the large drill bit attached, drill through the tabletop at each point of every diamond. The larger the hole, the easier it will be to pull the buttons through the ottoman later.

3. Follow steps 4 and 5 from chapter 27 (page 296) to connect two pieces of foam for the top of the ottoman. Then trace the top edge of the table on the foam and use a carving knife to cut out the shape. I’m using a 3"-thick high-density foam, but thickness may vary depending on the desired height of the ottoman. Spray adhesive on the tabletop and underside of the foam and attach the two together.

4. Draw the diamond pattern on the foam.

5. With the hole saw attached to the drill, cut out the foam in the center of every intersection.

6. Glue a strip of burlap over any seams in the foam and cut away the burlap over the holes. These burlap strips will reinforce the seams and prevent the foam from coming apart.

7. Use a dressmaker’s tape to measure the distance between holes (8¹⁄₂"). When measuring, extend the tape down into the holes to estimate where the buttons will be when pulled tightly. If your diamond is not square, measure and record the width and the height of the diamond.

8. Cover the top surface of the foam with two layers of cotton batting. Use your fingers to remove the cotton over the holes and the excess around the edges of the foam.

9. Cut the threads and remove the cheesecloth from the stitched Dacron and lay it over the top and sides of the ottoman top. Use your hands or scissors to remove the batting over the holes and any excess at the bottom edges of the sides. (Since I’m attaching a piece of wooden trim around the bottom of the ottoman top, I’ll leave the space behind it clear of all padding so the trim attaches flush to the wooden frame.)

10. Use the dressmaker’s tape to determine the distance from a button on the outside edge to the bottom edge of the ottoman top (12"). If the distance from the outside buttons to the sides of the ottoman varies on different sides, take measurement for all distances and record.

Marking and Sewing the Leather and Making Buttons

As we discussed in the last chapter, leather frequently needs to be sewn together to make larger pieces for upholstery. With diamond tufting, we can hide the seams in the folds of the diamonds, otherwise known as vandyking, giving the illusion that the piece is made of one solid hide.

Supplies

Leather

Square

White or yellow chalk

Yardstick

Scissors

Sewing machine

Thread

Small piece of cardboard

Button machine

Two-piece dies and fabric cutter for the desired button size

Magnetic tack hammer

Silicone spray

Button fronts and loop backs

Wooden dowel

11. Use the measurements from steps 7 and 10 to draw the grid with allowances on the backside of the leather.

12. Because the overall width needed for the ottoman is larger than the length of the cowhide, we’ll sew two hides together between 2 rows of diamonds. Be sure to leave an extra ¹⁄₂" of seam allowance beyond the sewn edges when you cut out the pieces.

13. With good sides facing and cut edges aligned, join the two pieces of leather. As you stitch the zigzagged line, pivot the leather under the sewing foot at every point.

14. When sewn, the leather should be smooth with minimal puckering at the points of the diamonds.

15. We need 77 buttons for the ottoman. Fold a scrap of leather back and forth several times to create multiple layers. Place a small piece of cardboard beneath the leather and the fabric cutter on top with the sharp side down. Place all three on top of the wax cylinder and compress the handle of the button machine until the cutter goes all the way through the leather. Remove the leather and repeat until you’ve made enough circles to cover all the buttons.

16. Leather is difficult to squeeze into the dies of the button machine, so hammer the circles flat and thin with a magnetic tack hammer. If you frequently work with leather, consider purchasing a set of button attachments made especially for extra-thick materials.

17. Before making the button, spray silicone inside the top die. This will make it slick and allow the leather to push into it more easily.

18. Center the leather, facedown, over the hole of the top die. Center the button front (facedown) over the leather and use the dowel to push the leather and button front into the top die.

19. Place the bottom die into the hole at the bottom of the button machine and place the loop back (loop down) into the hole of the die.

20. Place the top die (hole down) on the bottom die and connect them together. As you move the top die into place, hold up the bottom so it doesn’t push out the fabric and button front.

21. Compress the handle of the button machine while turning the dies. When you’ve pressed the dies several times, remove the top die and take out the button.

22. Repeat steps 17–21 to make all of the buttons. If the back of the button twists or the edges of the leather are not completely inside the button, discard the button and make again.

Diamond Tufting the Ottoman

Supplies

Sewn leather

Button twine

Buttons

Scissors

Button needle

Cotton batting

Regulator

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Pliers

Staple remover

Protective gloves or medical tape (optional)

Air blower

23. Center the leather over the ottoman and use the grid from step 11 to place the button needle through the center hole in the leather and corresponding hole of the ottoman. Cut approximately 24" of button twine and place one end through the loop on the back of a button. Place both ends of button twine through the eye of the needle and pull the twine all the way through the ottoman top.

24. Pull both ends of twine back and forth to make sure they move freely. Then make a slipknot in the strands of button twine. Place the left strand behind the right strand.

25. Bring the left strand around and over the right strand and itself.

26. Bring the left strand behind itself and through the loose knot.

27. Tighten the knot and place a small ball of cotton in the loop between the slipknot and ottoman.

28. While pushing the button from the top, pull the right strand of twine to tighten the button halfway down in the hole.

29. Repeat steps 23–28 to pull through and tighten the other three buttons of the center diamond. Use your fingers and the regulator to neatly fold under and pleat the excess fabric of the diamond. The pleats should all be folded under in the same direction, toward the front of the ottoman.

To minimize the abuse of your hands, wear protective gloves or use medical tape to wrap your fingers and protect them from rope burn while pulling button twine.

30. Repeat step 29, working out from the middle until all buttons and pleats are in place. From the buttons to the edges of the ottoman, make pleats straight out to the side and use sub-staples to attach the leather to the bottom of the frame. Fold under these side pleats toward the closest corner.

31. At the corners, smooth the leather from the short side around the corner to the long side. Use a sub-staple to keep the leather in place.

32. Make a single pleat to tuck in the excess leather so it’s even with the corner. While holding the edge of the pleat, open it up and cut out the excess leather. Leave enough leather to cover the corner and fold under at least ¹⁄₂".

33. Put the pleat in place, using the regulator to get a crisp and clean fold, and sub-staple.

34. Repeat steps 31–33 for the three other corners. When the leather is in place, replace sub-staples with permanent staples and trim off the excess. Wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands and tighten every button to the full depth. Tie double knots behind the cotton balls to lock the slipknots in place.

History Lesson

Upholsterers didn’t perform deep button tufting, as we just did, until the nineteenth century. Prior to that time, silk fabrics were narrow, so panels were seamed together toward the outside edges of a chair to make the necessary width. If buttons were deeply pulled, the seams would look unsightly, so upholsterers only pulled buttons to a shallow depth. In the nineteenth century, wider fabrics were made and used on chairs, and upholsterers began vandyking to seam fabric together within the folds on larger projects.

Attaching the Dustcover

Supplies

White or yellow chalk

Screwdriver (optional)

Measuring tape

Dustcover

Scissors

Goggles

Staple gun

¹⁄₂" staples

Cardboard tack strip

Utility knife (optional)

35. At this point, you may choose to add single welt cord to the bottom edge. If so, visit the sofa project on pages 290–291 for instructions on finishing the ottoman with cording. Since I’m adding wooden trim to the bottom edge, I’ll skip straight to dustcover.

36. I’ve marked the placement of the legs with chalk and removed them to make attaching the dustcover easier. Just as we did with the Louis chair, wingback, and sofa, cut a piece of dustcover a few inches bigger than the bottom of the ottoman and staple ¹⁄₂" of one edge to one side. Reinforce the edge by stapling a strip of cardboard tack strip on top of it.

37. Fold the dustcover over the cardboard toward the opposite side. Fold under the excess dustcover and staple. If you removed the legs, lift up an unstapled side and find the marks from the legs. Staple around the marks, and then use scissors or a utility knife to remove the dustcover where the legs attach.

38. If your legs are permanently attached, follow steps 30–32 (page 292) to perform release cuts in the dustcover. Continue folding under and stapling until all four sides are smooth and attached. If you removed the legs, reattach them.

Project 6

Topping It Off

Chapter 30

Sewing Knife-Edge Pillows, Bolsters, and Boxed Pillows

Pillows soften a room and invite guests to lounge a little longer. They make a stern sofa inviting and an impersonal room lived in and real. Pillows offer a way for guests to customize their seating and make furniture flexible. A comfortable sofa for a person of average height may be too deep for someone of diminutive stature, unless they have pillows to shorten the seat. The arm of a sofa becomes the head of a bed, and a wooden coffee table becomes a plush footrest. Guests can even find comfort on the floor with the support of a throw pillow.

How Many?

Where is the happy medium between having enough and overdoing it? I hear customers say, “The throw pillows on my bed always wind up on the floor.” I am assuming this is not because the customer sleeps on the floor, but because the pillows are in the way and get tossed to the floor. If the pillows don’t enhance the comfort of a piece of furniture, think twice about adding them. If there’s not enough room for you, your guests, and your throw pillows, scale back. Although I’m an advocate of odd numbers, if three pillows as opposed to two would change a three-seater into a two-seater, go even. And leave a space available here and there to encourage a change-up. Who says the sofa pillows are bound to the sofa? Switch the arrangement and invite neighboring pieces to communicate.

How Big?

Throw pillows are measured flat from seam to seam. When they’re filled, they become fatter, shorter, and less wide. A 20" pillow only fills 16"–18" of space when stuffed, so remember to increase the size to accommodate for loss of height and width. The most common sizes for throw pillows are 14" × 20" for rectangular pillows and 18"–22" for square. On low-back furniture, I prefer pillows with a height close to that of the inside back. For pieces like wingbacks, the height may vary from the top of the arms to mid-back, and is often decided by the fabric pattern and whether the pillow size detracts from the focal point of the chair. Furniture with extra-deep seating benefits from a thicker pillow, so consider adding boxing to these pillows to increase their girth.

What Style?

If the pillows are the pop in your room, by all means, don’t hold back. Otherwise, introduce pillows that communicate, but don’t dominate conversation. In rooms with bold use of pattern and color, I refrain from accessorizing with tassels, beads, and baubles, though the same can be lovely in an understated space. Styling of pillows is more a concern of personal taste than functionality; although a fussy pillow covered with sequins and tassels is more likely to be appreciated from a distance.

Fabric choice on pillows can play an important role in the success of a room. When a piece seems disconnected from its counterparts, add a throw pillow in a neighboring fabric or introduce a new fabric that relates to another piece in the room. On the other hand, a perfectly coordinated and matched ensemble benefits from a little zing of dissonance subtly interjected by a throw pillow.

What’s in the fluff?

There’s nothing like sinking into a squishy pillow. The variety of fill is vast, so here’s a breakdown of the most common types to help you decide which is best for you. See the Resources section for a list of suppliers.

Blown fiberfill is polyester batting commonly used in ready-made pillows. It’s inexpensive, holds its shape, and lasts a long time. It’s also hypoallergenic, making it a good option for people who are allergic to feathers or down. Because it holds its shape so well and is less pliable, it tends to look stiff and is not quite as squishy as other padding options.

Cluster fiberfill (aka angel hair) is another polyester product made up of tiny balls of polyester. It has the same characteristics as blown fiberfill, but is squishier and more pliable because the fibers are separated. If you’re looking for an animal-free or hypoallergenic alternative to down, this is the pillow for you.

Feather or down is a luxury fill made of the feathers of ducks or geese. These inserts are made of a combination of down (the undercoat of ducks and geese) and feathers. The more down that is in a pillow, the softer, plusher, and more expensive it gets. The most common, 10/90 down, is the least expensive but only has 10 percent down. 50/50 down pillows are equal parts down and feather, at four to five times the cost.

Kapok is a fibrous natural material sourced from the tropical kapok tree. It’s long-lasting, waterproof, eco-friendly, and similarly priced to feather. With similar texture to cotton batting, kapok is denser and has less bounce-back than the other options listed above.

A tip for creating plump pillows: use inserts that are 1"–2" bigger than the case to increase fluffiness and avoid deflated or flat-looking pillows.

The Design Plan

With the variety of shapes, colors, and patterns in the room, the goal of the pillows is to create a web of connections that links each individual piece to the community of furniture in the space. It’s through this chain of connections that we can introduce fabrics that are unconventional, yet surprisingly relevant, making a more interesting combination of textiles.

Solid velvet pillows add blue to my room, helping to connect the wall color and balance the cool and warm colors. I’ve chosen a knife-edge styling and 14" × 20" size, which will work with any piece in the room, from the sofa to the slipper chairs, without overcrowding the seat.

Designers Guild’s Varese in Ocean

To contrast with the boxy lines of the sofa, we’ll make bolsters to sit inside the arms. I measured from the back cushion to the front edge of the sofa to determine the length of the bolsters (21") and will make the diameter of the cylinder half of the height of the inside arms (5"). I’ve chosen a black, white, and oatmeal stripe to connect the neutrals (white and black from the slipper chairs and oatmeal base cloth from the wingback and Louis chair) and to accentuate the roundness of the bolsters. For the circles on the ends of the bolster, I found oatmeal linen to match the base cloth of the striped fabric, and to further define the round ends, I’ll attach welt cord made of a solid black velvet. These types of fabric also connect the materials used in the room. The welt cord and black stripe are velvet, just like the fabric of the blue throw pillows, sofa, and Louis chair, while the oatmeal is linen, like the wingback and slipper chairs.

Larsen’s Eru in Mother of Pearl

Two boxed pillows help shorten the depth of the sofa while providing extra cushioning against the slim, boxed arms. Christopher Farr’s acid yellow floral is an awakening jolt of color that connects to the neon colors in the Louis chair, hints of red and yellow in the wingback, and green of the cocktail ottoman. The pillows will be 18" square and have a 2" boxing to increase the plumpness and depth. With boxing so small, welt cord would create a messy edge, so we’ll topstitch the seams to keep them flat and clean.

Christopher Farr’s Flowershow in Lime

Determining Yardage

1. Add 1" of seam allowances to the height and width of every pillow to determine the pillows’ cut size. The blue pillows will be 15" tall × 21" wide when cut. The velvet fabric is 55" wide, so we can place two pillow faces side by side. We need four faces (two for the front and two for the back), or 30" of fabric, which rounds up to 1 yard.

2. The cut length of the bolsters is 22" and the ends are 6"-diameter circles. To calculate the distance around the finished bolster, multiply π (3.14) by the 5" diameter (15.71"). Add 1" for seam allowances (16.71"). Do not add seam allowance to the diameter of the bolster before multiplying by π.

3. We’re only using the striped fabric for the body of the bolster. The fabric is 51" wide and the stripes are mirrored at the center of the roll, so we can place the bolster pieces side by side. We’ll need 16³⁄₄" of fabric, or approximately ¹⁄₂ yard. We will place the four bolster ends side by side, so we’ll need 6" of the oatmeal fabric, or approximately ¹⁄₄ yard. To make four 17" lengths of welt cord with no seams, we’ll need about ¹⁄₂ yard of the black velvet fabric.

4. The cut size of the faces of the floral pillows is 19" × 19". We’ll seam the boxing together at every corner, so each boxing piece is 3" tall × 19" wide. We can fit two faces side by side on the 52" wide fabric and two pieces of boxing side by side. That means we need two rows of faces (38") and four rows of boxing (12"), or 1¹⁄₂ yards of fabric.

Since the vertical repeat of this fabric is 41", we’d need 82" of fabric to perfectly match the pillows, which is an additional yard of fabric, but I’d only be able to match the top boxing to the top edge. With no horizontal repeat, the sides cannot match. In situations like this, use your discretion to determine whether or not to pattern-match. If the fabric is inexpensive or leftover from another project, you may decide to match the top. With this large and busy fabric, I’ve decided to save my dollars and do the best I can with 1¹⁄₂ yards.

Overview

Supplies for Pillows

Basic Supplies

Masking tape

Thread

T-pins

White or yellow chalk

Tools & Equipment

Hand-stapling plier and staples (optional)

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single-welt cord foot or zipper foot attachment

Square

Welt cord stick (optional)

Yardstick

Materials

⁵⁄₃₂" fiber flex welt cord

Fabric

Pillow inserts

Zipper chain

Zipper pulls

For more information on tools and materials, visit the glossary (page 369).

Sewing a Knife-Edge Pillow

5. Use the cut dimensions to draw and cut out the solid blue pillows. Use a square and yardstick to keep the edges square to the grain of the fabric. Be sure the nap is smoothest from the top to the bottom of the pillow.

6. Fold one face in half height-wise and cut a tiny notch to mark the middle of the bottom edge.

7. Make the zipper 1" shorter than the finished width of the pillow (19"). Center the zipper chain over the bottom edge and mark the ends on the backside of the fabric in chalk.

8. Place both faces together with good sides facing and edges aligned. To keep the fabric from shifting as you sew, use T-pins or the hand-stapling plier to attach the fabric pieces together around all four sides. Attach the staples as close to the edges of the fabric as possible.

9. Begin sewing ¹⁄₂" inside the mark made for the end of the zipper. After ¹⁄₂", backstitch the seam to lock the threads in place. Continue stitching around the pillow, pivoting the fabric under the sewing foot at every corner, until you are ¹⁄₂" past the mark at the other end of the zipper. Backstitch again to lock the threads and remove the fabric from the machine (see page 361 for Locking and Tying Off Stitches in Sewing Tips and Tricks).

10. If you used the hand-stapling plier, remove the staples from step 8 by sliding the tip of the scissors under each one to lift it out.

11. Attach the zipper pull to the zipper chain. Stitch a small piece of doubled-over fabric to each end to prevent the pull from sliding off.

12. Separate the bottom edges of the pillow and lay the zipper facedown with the right half on top of the bottom seam allowance. With the zipper centered on the bottom edge and the right edge lined up with the edge of fabric, place the zipper teeth under the single-welt cord foot and stitch along the right side from one end to the other. As you approach the zipper pull, stop, lift the foot, and move the pull to the rear of the foot.

13. Beginning with the end you just finished, repeat step 12 to attach the other side of the zipper to the other seam allowance.

14. Cut off the seam allowance at the corners without cutting through the stitch, and remove any staples.

15. Turn the pillow right side out and use your fingers to push the corners out to the fullest extent. Then fill with the insert of your choice. I used 14" × 20" cluster fiberfill inserts.

Sewing a Bolster with Welt Cord

Oatmeal linen for ends of bolsters

16. With a square and yardstick, draw the pieces for the bolster on the fabric. The bodies of the pillows should be centered over the striped pattern. Cut out the fabric.

18. Make release cuts in the seam allowance of the welt cord to help it bend around the circle. Line up the edge of the welt cord tail with the edge of a circle and stitch all the way around until you get back to where you started. Open up the seams in the ends of the welt cord and cut the ends of the cording so they meet.

19. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the ends of cording to hold them together. Place both ends of fabric around the cording (one end of fabric around the other) and fold under the raw edge of the outer fabric. Stitch across the welt cord ends to secure the cording and fabric in place.

20. Repeat steps 18 and 19 for the other bolster ends.

21. Repeat step 7 to mark the ends of the zipper on the bottom edge of the bolster. Fold the bolster fabric in half lengthwise with the good side facing inward. Use T-pins or the hand-stapling plier to hold the bottom edge together, with the stripes lined up. Begin stitching toward the end of the bolster, ¹⁄₂" inside the mark made for the end of the zipper. Backstitch the beginning of the seam to lock the threads in place. Stitch until you reach the end, remove the fabric, and repeat for the other end of the bolster.

22. Repeat steps 10–13 to attach the zipper to the bottom edge of the bolster.

For abnormally sized pillows, like these bolsters, I find it’s more time and cost effective to custom order inserts than make them myself. Companies like Ronco can turn around inserts in a week. All you need to do is provide the finished dimensions and choose a fill!

23. Just as we did with the welt cord, make release cuts in the seam allowance at the ends of the bolster so the fabric will bend around the circle. With the bolster inside out, lay the seam allowance of an open end on the seam allowance of a circle, good sides facing. To hide the connection in the welt cord, line it up with the bottom seam of the bolster. Place the welt cord under the foot of the sewing machine with the seam allowance to the right, and stitch all the way around the end.

Sewing a Boxed Pillow

25. Draw and cut out the pieces for the boxed pillows. The top edge of every boxing piece is sewn to the back face of the case; mark every piece so you can easily determine what goes where when you begin to sew. I’ve chosen two different pillow fronts, one showcasing a large flower, and the other with flowers and a large leaf to highlight the greens. In the yard and a half, I was able to match the top of one of the pillows. The other pillow is as close to matching as possible (see page 208 for pattern matching).

26. With good sides facing and seam allowances aligned, stitch all four boxing pieces together side by side. Be sure to keep the tops oriented correctly.

27. With good sides facing, center the bottom edge of the top boxing over the top edge of the front face and hand-staple or pin the two together. Stitch from the top middle to the first corner.

28. Make a 45-degree release to either side of the corner so the fabric will lie flat as you sew. Lay the seam flat at the corner and stitch over it until the needle is on the corner. Lift the sewing foot and pivot the fabric 90 degrees. Staple or pin the next side to hold the fabric together and continue stitching. Repeat this step until the boxing is attached all the way around the front face of the pillow.

29. Repeat step 7 to mark the ends of the zipper on the bottom boxing, and then attach the back face of the pillow to the boxing. With good sides facing, center the bottom boxing over the bottom edge of the back face and staple or pin them together. Repeat steps 9 and 28 to attach the boxing to the back face.

30. Repeat steps 10–13 to attach the zipper.

31. To finish, we’ll topstitch around the zipper and seams to keep the edges flat. With pillow right side out and zipper open, place the right half of the zipper teeth under the welt cord foot and stitch along the right side of the zipper on top of the fabric. Make sure the seam allowance of the boxing and zipper is under the fabric while topstitching. Pivot as shown to stitch all the way around the zipper, lifting the foot and moving the pull when necessary.

32. When you’ve stitched all the way around and are back to where you started, remove the fabric and pull the threads through to the backside of the fabric. Tie a knot in the threads to prevent the stitches from coming undone.

33. Turn the pillow wrong side out and topstitch around the front face of the pillow on the boxing side of the seam. Hold all seam allowances under the boxing as you topstitch and keep an even distance from the seam as you sew. Pivot the fabric at every corner and continue stitching until you’re back to where you started. Repeat step 32 to tie off the threads. Repeat this step to topstitch around the back face of the pillow.

34. Turn the pillows right side out, fill with padding, and sit back and relax.

Appendix

Setting Up Shop

I’ve visited many upholstery workshops, ranging from storage sheds with dirt floors to spare bedrooms. In fact, my first workspace was a small corner in my husband’s uncooled warehouse. I lost 10 pounds my first year in business sweating out the Texas heat, and it wasn’t until 2011 that Spruce got its first air-conditioned workshop. There are a lot of luxuries you can live without, but here are the five things every upholstery workshop needs:

1. Ventilation. Between stripping, spray adhesive, and furniture polish, upholstery can be tough on your lungs, so work in a space with a door and/or window, and open them up for fresh air and circulation.

2. Access. Make sure the entrance to your workspace is big enough for large furniture. I once worked on a wingback so large, I couldn’t get it into our old workshop and had to upholster it in the public retail space. Now we have overhead doors for easy access.

3. Breadth. A space doesn’t need to be vast but should be large enough to move around and flip over a large sofa without knocking into the walls and ceiling. At a minimum, a single car garage is sufficient for both workspace and storage.

4. Light. Bright light is easier on your eyes and exposes wrinkles and puckers that are unnoticeable in low light.

5. Semi-privacy. Upholstery is loud. Avoid spaces near sleeping babies or neighbors with noise sensitivity.

Work Surfaces

Sawhorses and a large, waist-high table should be two of the first items added to your collection of upholstery treasures. Although you may choose to work only from a tabletop to save on space and setup costs, I find it more efficient and cleaner to use a pair of sawhorses for upholstering and the table for working with and cutting fabric.

To protect your furniture, staple carpet to or lay moving blankets over the tops of wooden sawhorses to prevent scuffing and scratching finished wood. Sawhorses with shelves or trays are perfect for keeping tools at your fingertips and giving you a step up to work on tall pieces of furniture.

Tools of the Trade

The cost of setting up a complete upholstery shop from scratch can range from $750 to $1,000 plus the cost of a sewing machine, but there are often alternatives to using more expensive tools. For instance, the Klinch-It tool and fasteners at $350+ (see chapter 21, step 8) can be circumvented by hand-sewing springs with a button needle and button twine at a fraction of the cost (see chapter 3, steps 10–17). If you’re working with a limited budget, start with the Essential Tools and pick and choose Specialty Tools as you find a need for or have funds available to purchase them. Tools and padding materials are best purchased through upholstery suppliers. If you don’t have a supplier in your town, refer to Resources for a list of companies who ship or sell online. See the glossary for photos and definitions of the tools listed on the next page.

Essential Tools

Button needle

Chalk

Curved needles

Dressmaker’s tape

Electric carving knife

Hot glue gun

Magnetic tack hammer

Measuring tape

Permanent marker

Pliers

Regulator

Rubber mallet

Ruler

Scissors

Screwdrivers

Sewing machine and attachments

Square

Square-point tufting needle

Square-point upholstery knife

Staple gun

Staple remover

T-pins

Utility knife

Webbing stretcher

Yardstick

Specialty Tools

Air blower

Air compressor

Air hose

Button machine, dies, and fabric cutter

Channel stuffer

Clamps

Dry cleaning pad

Gimp stapler

Hand-stapling plier

Hole saw

Klinch-It

Power drill

Ripping chisel

Spring-loaded tufting needle

Tack hammer with nylon tip

Water-soluble marker

Welt cord stick

Pneumatic v. Electric

The cost and setup required for pneumatic tools can be a deterrent for upholsterers, but the efficiency of an air-powered staple gun makes it a much better option than its electric counterpart. Because electric staplers are less powerful, they often shoot staples in halfway, requiring an additional round of hammering or stapling. If you only plan on upholstering a few, small-scale projects, the cost of the electric stapler may be more suitable for your upholstery aspirations. Otherwise, check out the parts you need for a pneumatic setup.

Pneumatic Tools and Supplies

1. The air compressor plugs into an outlet and contains pressurized air for pneumatic tools.

2. The air hose attaches to the air compressor and feeds pressurized air to the tools.

3. A pneumatic staple gun attaches to the air hose and uses air to shoot staples with power. Although general hardware stores may sell pneumatic guns, it’s best to purchase your stapler from a specialty store or upholstery supplier that carries guns made for upholstery. 7-series guns that hold 7-series staples with a ⅜" crown are ideal for upholstery.

4. This inexpensive air blower attaches to the air hose and comes in handy for chalk tests (see glossary) and dusting off furniture.

Since every compressor, hose, and pneumatic tool is different, refer to the instruction manual for each part to safely assemble your pneumatic workstation. Hardware store employees can also help you choose pneumatic tools that are suitable for your needs.

Stay Safe

Never begin an upholstery project without these simple yet vital safety accessories.

1. While stripping furniture or woodworking, wear a dust mask to keep dirt and dust out of your lungs. The dust mask also protects your face from flying tacks and staples.

2. Earplugs can be worn to buffer loud noises caused by hammering, shooting staples, and the air compressor.

3. Thick, protective gloves help grip and rip fabric while stripping furniture and protect your hands from protruding staples, tacks, and splinters. Remove gloves after stripping, as the details of upholstery require dexterous hands.

4. Goggles or glasses should be worn while stripping furniture and stapling, but I wear mine all day. I’ve even worn them to the grocery store after work, by accident.

Also remember to wear thick-soled, closed-toe shoes for comfort and to protect your feet from nails and tacks that have fallen on the floor, and prevent back injuries by keeping a helper handy for moving or flipping large pieces of furniture.

Stripping Furniture

The difference between a good and great upholstery job often comes down to initial preparation. I’ve stripped many pieces that were layered with past upholstery jobs, one on top of the other. Because all of these layers attach in the same place, it creates undefined and bulky edges and makes the attachment of new layers less stable. When rejuvenating furniture, take the time to remove everything down to the wooden frame. Start with a clean slate and replace dusty, disintegrating, and flattened innards with fresh padding. Your upholstery job will look better and last longer.

Getting Started

Before you start stripping, take several photos of your furniture to reference later. Take overall shots of the front, back, and sides and detailed shots of joints. Connections between seats and arms and the arms and inside backs can be tricky areas that are easier to problem-solve with a reference photo.

Safety

Furniture collects a lot of dirt and dust, including other unmentionables. Always strip furniture outside or in a well-ventilated space that is set up to get dirty. Wear goggles, a dust mask, and protective gloves, and get your tetanus shot updated in case you puncture yourself with an old staple or tack. Stripping furniture can be a laborious process, so wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes with thick soles to protect your feet.

What to Keep and Toss

If you’re changing out the fabric on a new piece of furniture and you’re happy with the comfort and styling, you can keep virtually all of the padding, provided it doesn’t get damaged during fabric removal. Always keep coil springs and marshall units (bound units of springs often found in inside backs and cushions), and leave sinuous springs and steel webbing attached to the wooden frame. Other quality materials, such as down and horsehair, can be cleaned and reused to save on material costs, especially if you’re attempting to restore an antique or heirloom piece to its original condition.

Old pieces of padding and fabric, if intact, can help with determining how to put furniture back together. Keep any parts that may be of use during the upholstery process and toss after your piece is complete. Foam eventually disintegrates and loses its ability to bounce back, so it’s best to replace it and all other padding while the furniture is apart rather than taking the chance of it wearing out before you’re ready to upholster again.

Assembled Furniture

If you’re having a hard time finding where fabric connects to a piece of furniture, the staples may be hidden between separate pieces that bolt or screw together. Dining and office chairs are the most common types of furniture that assemble, but any piece, from armchairs to sectionals, can be made up of individual parts. When taking assembled furniture apart, label all parts carefully and take plenty of photos to make reassembly easy. Clearly mark screw holes so they’re not covered with padding and fabric, and make notations on the frame about where padding starts and stops and how thick it is. For sets of dining chairs, mark the chair and the removable seat with coordinating numbers so you can easily match the pairs when putting them back together.

Supplies

Goggles

Gloves

Staple remover

Pliers

Wood glue

Painter’s tape

Fine-grit sandpaper

Furniture polish

1. In general, furniture comes apart in reverse order from how it goes together. Start by flipping the piece of furniture upside down on sawhorses.

2. We’ll remove the dustcover and all staples and tacks on the bottom of the frame first. With your nondominant hand, hold the staple remover and place the prongs under a staple or tack. Use your dominant hand to hammer the end of the staple remover with the pliers. When the staple remover is nudged under the staple or tack, roll it back to lift the staple or tack out of the frame.

3. After you’ve lifted a few feet of staples, go back with the pliers and remove them completely from the frame. With the pliers gripping the staple, roll the nose of the pliers back against the frame instead of trying to pull the staples straight out of the wood.

4. There will be several layers of materials attached to the bottom of the frame such as welt cord, fabric, and webbing. Continue stripping until you’re down to bare wood.

5. After the bottom is stripped, remove the outside back and outside arms. If you’re not keeping the fabric and padding, try ripping off multiple layers to remove several staples at once.

6. Once the outside back and arms are removed, it’s often easier to work with the furniture upright. To remove the inside back and arms, you’ll need to release the fabric pulls. Most of the time, the pulls are attached beneath the back and arms and between the back and arms. After releasing the pulls, remove the tacks and staples for the seat fabric, since they’re usually attached to the same location.

7. With all of the staples and tacks removed, pull off the inside back, inside arms, and seat (or deck).

8. If your furniture has springs, cut off the old twine and remove any coil springs from jute webbing.

9. Stripping can be rough on furniture. If you chip off wood in the process, use wood glue to attach it to its original location and use painter’s tape to hold in place as it dries.

10. With the frame completely stripped of fabric, padding, staples, and tacks, use a fine-grit sandpaper to buff finished wood, and apply furniture polish to bring out its original luster.

Lost and Found

There’s no telling what you’ll find while stripping furniture. From toys to TV remotes, photos to keys, we’ve found it all. At Spruce, we’re frequently asked, “Will you look for my diamond earring, gold necklace, ring. . . ?” So far, we’ve come up empty-handed, but we do have a pretty hefty change jar we’ve been filling for the last several years.

Sewing Tips and Tricks

People always tell me they can’t do upholstery because they don’t know how to sew. First of all, you can learn how to do anything. Second of all, if you haven’t already, you will notice that there is very little sewing in these projects, and what there is requires no prior familiarity with the sewing machine. Although the project instructions thoroughly cover sewing decks, boxed arms, and cushions, I thought it may be helpful to put some tips and tricks in one handy section for easy reference.

The Machine

Let’s start with the most obvious: the sewing machine. If you plan on making upholstery your favorite hobby or your career, consider investing in an industrial sewing machine. When I started upholstery, I had very little sewing experience and an $80 sewing machine from Walmart. I imagined a fancy, professional machine to be one with hundreds of stitches. To my surprise, professional upholstery only requires one stitch. The biggest difference between a home sewing machine and an industrial machine is brute strength. Although lighter-weight fabrics like linen and cotton easily pass through a home machine, upholstery-weight fabrics, including velvets, vinyl, and leather, can get very thick. These require a machine that has the power to go through all layers.

A compound-feed sewing machine has drop feed (a mechanism that moves under the fabric to help push it through) and needle feed (two-part presser feet that move individually to guide and move fabric from above). This machine is a no-frills workhorse and a bit of an investment ($1,000+ new), but it will get you through any upholstery project. If you’d rather test your hand at upholstery before laying down the bucks, a home sewing machine will work well. Just know that you’ll have limitations with the weight of fabrics you can use.

Top 3 Sewing Machine Attachments

1. Single-welt cord foot. This is singlehandedly my most used attachment. From sewing single welt cord to zippers to topstitching seams, I leave this attached for all of them. It’s available in a variety of diameters so you can get a snug fit around different welt cord sizes.

2. Double-welt cord foot. Make decorative trim from any fabric with this sewing foot.

3. Zipper foot. If you’re working with a home machine, this is a good substitute for the single-welt cord foot. Otherwise, use it to stitch closely on either side of a zipper.

Using the Single-Welt Cord Foot to Attach Zipper Chain to Fabric

I mentioned that a single-welt cord foot can be used to attach a zipper; now let’s see how it’s done on zipper boxing (see pages 210–211 for attaching hidden zippers).

1.Press under the seam allowances on the edges that attach to the zipper chain and center an ironed edge over the teeth of the zipper. Starting from one end of the zipper, place the zipper teeth under the groove of the welt cord foot and stitch along the right side of the zipper chain to attach it to the fabric.

2.When you reach the other end of the zipper, remove the fabric from the sewing machine and repeat step 1 to attach the fabric to the other side of the zipper.

Keep it Together

I’ve struggled through many sewing projects. With cushions, I’ve always had trouble keeping the corners lined up. Difficult fabrics such as velvet and leather move as you stitch, causing patterns to misalign and seams to pucker. The absolute, number one, key ingredient to successful sewing is pinning or stapling layers together.

I prefer the stapler, but in the event that your material is too thick for the staples to go through or you’ve run out of staples, pin it with T-pins. Line up your layers and insert pins perpendicular to the stitch line. Use as many or as few pins as you’d like as long as they’re doing an ample job of holding the materials in place. As you stitch, remove the pins before the presser foot reaches them to avoid breaking the sewing needle or your machine.

Using a hand-stapling plier is a much faster way of keeping fabrics together. Align the fabrics and staple near the cut edges so the needle never stitches over the staples. Remove the staples with the tip of your scissors or a staple remover when you’re finished sewing.

Locking and Tying Off Stitches

Just as important as keeping the fabric together when you sew is keeping the seams from coming apart. Stitches at the beginning and end of a seam will loosen over time, so it’s important to backstitch or tie the threads to prevent this.

To backstitch, stitch ¹⁄₂", reverse the machine to stitch backward to where you started, and stitch forward over the first ¹⁄₂" again. This method is best used for hidden areas since the repeated sewing of the first ¹⁄₂" does create a noticeable buildup of threads.

For visible seams, like topstitching, pull the top thread from the first stitch through to the back of the fabric and tie it in a double knot with the bottom thread.

Sharp Turns Ahead

Although stapling and pinning keep puckers from occurring (caused by fabric stretching or bunching unevenly), they don’t prevent all wrinkles and puckering along seams. Keeping fabric flat and smooth while you stitch is another essential component for clean and professional-looking sewing, and curves and corners are often problem areas.

When sewing around curved edges, make small release cuts in the seam allowances of both layers of fabric.

At 90-degree turns, perform release cuts and pivot the fabric under the sewing machine to prevent fabric from bunching at the corners. Here’s how:

1. As you approach the corner, make two or three release cuts in the seam allowance of the fabric that is turning the corner. If you’re attaching welt cord around the edge of pillow, make the release cuts in the welt cord rather than the pillow face. The same applies to boxing that is sewn around the edge of the cushion. Pre-bend the cut material so it’s in the desired location around the corner when the sewing needle reaches it.

2. For projects with welt cord, raise the presser foot when the needle reaches the corner and pivot the fabric 45 degrees. Hand-turn the sewing needle two stitches to stitch across the corner.

3. Lift the presser foot and pivot the fabric another 45 degrees and continue sewing along the next side.

4. For projects without welt cord, pivot the fabric 90 degrees when you reach the corner. Then continue stitching along the next side.

Topstitching

Is your project sewn together but missing that finishing touch? Topstitch for extra stability and to keep seams flat and clean.

After seaming fabric together, turn the fabric right side out and lay the seam flat. For a single topstitch, stitch ¹⁄₄" to ¹⁄₂" to the right of the seam with both seam allowances lying flat underneath. With this method, you may choose to topstitch either side of the seam.

Single topstitch

For a more decorative finish, lay the sewn seam flat with seam allowances under their respective sides. Topstitch one side of the seam then turn the fabric around to topstitch the other side.

Double topstitch

Making Single Welt Cord

Since welt cord is so common in upholstery projects, keep this step-by-step instruction for cutting and sewing cording at your fingertips.

Supplies

Fabric

Welt cord stick or yardstick

White or yellow chalk

Scissors

Sewing machine

Single- and double-welt cord feet (match the size of your fiber flex welt cord)

Thread

Fiber flex welt cord (to the desired diameter)

1. Use the welt cord stick or a yardstick to draw 1¹⁄₂"-wide strips of fabric on the bias (at a 45-degree angle). Continue drawing until you have the necessary length for your project and mark the top ends of all the strips.

2. Cut out the fabric strips and line up a marked end next to an unmarked end. Cut the ends to be complementary 45-degree angles.

3. Place the strips together with good sides facing and the complementary edges aligned to form the shape of an A. Move the strip on top toward the bottom strip by ¹⁄₂". Stitch from points A to B to connect the ends.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all the strips of fabric are sewn together to make one continuous length of welt cord fabric.

5. Starting with an end, center cord on the wrong side of the fabric and fold the fabric around it until the edges meet. Place the fabric-wrapped cord under the single-welt cord foot and stitch along the right side.

6. Open up and lay fabric seams flat to minimize bulk. Continue stitching until you reach the other end of the fabric.

Making Double Welt Cord

1. Repeat steps 1–4 from making single welt cord but make the strips 3" wide instead of 1¹⁄₂". Center one cord on the wrong side of the fabric and fold the fabric around it until the edges meet. Cut out a second piece of cording as long as the strip of fabric and place it on top of the fabric, directly next to the first piece of cording.

2. While holding the cords tightly together, flip both to the right so fabric encapsulates them.

3. Hold the double welt cord tightly together and place it under the double-welt cord foot with one cord under each groove and the needle in between. Stitch from one end to the other, stopping to split seams, and wrap the fabric around both cords as you go.

4. After the double welt cord is sewn, cut the excess fabric off the back as short as possible without cutting the double welt cord.

When All Else Fails, Hand-Sew

For small areas that can’t be sewn with a machine, use the slipstitch.

1. Thread a curved needle, meet the ends of the thread, and tie them off with a knot. Insert the needle into the seam and pull it through from the backside of the fabric just beyond the area that needs to be sewn together.

2. Insert the needle directly next to where it came out in the last step and pull it out approximately ¹⁄₄" below.

3. Repeat step 2, moving back and forth across the two pieces that need to be sewn together. When you have closed up the seam, use the curved needle to make a tiny knot in the fabric so the hand sewing does not loosen or come undone.

FASQ (Frequently Asked Sewing Questions)

What needles do I need?

Your sewing machine will require specific size needles depending on the model and brand, so check the user’s manual for this information. Needle types also vary depending on the type of material you’re sewing. If you’re sewing leather, look for needles made for sewing leather. Quick tip: If your thread is breaking frequently, check your needle. Dull or improperly positioned needles will be the culprits every time.

What type of thread should I use?

An important component of durable seams is the thread. Use a bonded nylon thread for all sewing, including outdoor projects. If you’re having trouble finding nylon thread for your machine, read thread labels and use one that is rated for heavy sewing.

When should I change the stitch length?

Choosing a stitch length is a matter of aesthetics and functionality. Before sewing any fabric, do a test run to check the stitch length and tension on the fabric you’re sewing. A small stitch length (more stitches per inch of seam) is best used for looser weave fabrics, where the threads of the fabric are more likely to loosen and come out of a seam. For materials like vinyl and leather, use a longer stitch length, and for topstitching and most other fabrics, use a medium stitch length.

If you’re sewing something where the seams will never be seen and are not the primary method of holding it together, such as welt cord, use a longer stitch length for faster sewing and to conserve thread.

If you have a question you don’t see here, check the sewing machine user’s manual for information on threading the machine, bobbin winding, and other useful tips.

Glossary

Air blower: This attachment for an air compressor can be used to test chalk and blow dust and dirt off of your furniture.

Air blower

Air compressor: This machine pressurizes air for pneumatic tools such as brad nailers, staple guns, and air blowers, and makes stapling into wood a breeze.

Air compressor

Air hose: Available in a variety of materials and sizes, this long tube feeds air from the compressor to pneumatic tools.

Air hose

Arm pads: Small upholstered pads frequently found atop the wooden arms of Louis chairs and settees.

Back scroll: Separate upholstered section on the sides of the back.

Bias: The diagonal direction of fabric, preferably 45 degrees. With upholstery, we draw welt cord on the bias.

Blind tacking: Attaching a material so that the method of attaching it is hidden. Fabric can be blind-tacked by stapling on the backside of the fabric and folding the material over the staples to cover the staple line.

Bolster: A long, cylindrical pillow frequently used on beds and sofas.

Boxed arm: An arm with boxing between the inside and outside arms.

Boxed cushion: A cushion with boxing between the top and bottom, or back and front, faces.

Boxed seat: A seat whose fabric is divided into a top face and a boxing to wrap the sides.

Boxing: The part sewn between two faces of fabric to form a boxed edge. On cushions, this is the part between the top and bottom faces.

Bridle ties: Hand-sewn stitches used to attach padding to a piece of furniture.

Burlap: A loosely woven material made of jute or synthetic fibers, used to create a smooth plane and to seal holes and spaces beneath padding.

Burlap

Button dies: Attachments that accompany a button machine to make buttons of a particular size.

Button die

Button machine: Metal, hand-operated machine used to make fabric-covered buttons.

Button machine

Button needle: A long needle with an eye, used to string and pull buttons through thick padding. Also used for sewing springs to webbing. See also square-point tufting needle and spring-loaded tufting needle.

Button needle

Button tufting: Using buttons to pull in fabric and make indentations in its surface.

Button twine: The size of this string is dainty enough to thread through the eye of a button needle, yet strong enough to hold buttons tightly in place.

Button twine

Cambric: See dustcover.

Cardboard tack strip: Rolled ¹⁄₂"-wide strip of cardboard, used to reinforce staple lines and make clean, straight edges.

Cardboard tack strip

Carving knife: Electric knife used for slicing meat and cutting foam to the desired shape.

Chalk: Mark guidelines on fabric with white or yellow chalk and use the air blower to erase them.

Chalk test: Draw small lines in white and yellow chalk. Then use the air blower to see which color comes out the easiest.

Chalk test

Channel stuffer: Two-part metal cylinder used for filling channels with padding.

Channel stuffer

Clamps: Tighten clamps around split wood to hold it together while the glue dries, or use clamps to hold furniture to the sawhorses while stripping and upholstering.

Clamps

Coil spring: Steel wire shaped into a coil and used for padding seats, backs, and in rare cases, arms. Available in a variety of heights and densities.

Coil springs

Cotton batting: Padding material made from raw cotton and rolled into a thick sheet.

Cotton batting

Cotton fabric: Fabric made from the cotton plant, washable and ideal for draperies and slipcovers.

Crown: In upholstery, the peak or top of a rounded surface.

Curve Ease: See Pli-Grip.

Curved needles: C-shaped needles that make hand sewing easy when you have limited access to the backside of the fabric.

Curved needles

Dacron: Rolled sheet of polyester batting typically used as the last layer of padding to smooth out lumpiness and imperfections.

Dacron

Damask: A reversible, monochromatic, patterned fabric or a fabric with a raised, ornate pattern, usually made of silk.

Deck: The upholstered part of a piece of furniture that covers the seat beneath the cushion(s).

Decking: Material, usually beige denim, used to cover the back or hidden portion of the deck.

Decking

Decorative nailhead: Nails with a metallic finish or ornate shape, used to cover the raw edges of fabric and give a piece a finished look.

Decorative nailheads

Decorative trim: Any embellishment added to a piece of furniture for cosmetic purposes.

Diamond tufting: Decorative surface treatment where buttons are pulled in to create indentations, and excess fabric is pleated in between the buttons to create a diamond pattern.

Double-rub count: A measure of a fabric’s durability.

Double welt cord: Decorative trim made by wrapping and stitching fabric around two cords.

Double welt cord

Double-welt cord foot: Sewing machine attachment with two grooves centered on either side of the sewing needle. Used for making double welt cord.

Double-welt cord foot

Down: The soft portion of feathers closest to the body of a bird. Although many refer to any feather filling as “down,” most feather padding is a combination of this soft part with full feathers.

Dressmaker’s tape: Soft and flexible measuring tape ideal for more precise measurements over curved surfaces.

Dressmaker’s tape

Dry cleaning pad: Small, powder-filled bag used to erase smudges on drawings but also useful as a gentle method for removing dirt on fabric.

Dry cleaning pad

Dustcover: Material placed on the bottom of furniture to catch dust and cover exposed innards. Also known as Cambric.

Dust mask: Wear a dust mask to filter the air of dust and dirt before it enters your lungs.

Earplugs: Hammering and stapling can get very loud, so wear earplugs to protect your hearing.

Edge roll: Fibrous material densely packed in a tube shape; keeps padding from wearing thin when attached to hard, heavily used areas. Available in various diameter sizes.

Edge roll

Edge wire: Wire bound to springs; helps create and shape the edges of the seat or inside back.

Eight-way tie: A tying method where coil springs are bound together in four directions (vertically, horizontally, and diagonally both directions), creating eight points of connection on each spring.

Fabric-covered buttons: Custom-made buttons covered in the material of your choice.

Fabric-covered buttons

Fabric cutter: An attachment for the button machine that cuts fabric into circles that are the appropriate size for button making.

Fabric repeat: On patterned fabric, the distance between duplicate parts of the pattern. Often there is a vertical and horizontal repeat.

Fabric width: The width of usable fabric from selvage to selvage.

Fiberfill: Loose, synthetic (usually polyester) filling used primarily for stuffing throw pillows.

Finished wood: The wood on a piece of furniture that is stained and/or finished and intended to be left uncovered and visible.

First-aid kit: Keep your bandages handy for the occasional cut, scratch, or scrape.

Foam: Common padding material used in modern upholstery; comes in a variety of densities and thicknesses. Although most foam is made of polyurethane, soy-based and rubber foams are also available.

Foam

Front scroll: Separate upholstered section on the front of arms.

Gimp: Woven decorative trim used to embellish edges and cover exposed staples and tacks.

Gimp stapler: Small-nosed stapler used for attaching decorative trim with discreet, tiny staples.

Gimp stapler

Gloves: This safety gear protects your hands and helps you grip and rip fabric while stripping furniture. Any type of gloves will do as long as they’re a snug fit and protective.

Goggles: If you don’t wear glasses, put these on to protect your eyes from flying tacks and staples.

Hair: Padding material used in traditional upholstery, made from the hair of animals such as the hog and horse. Modern suppliers also produce rubberized hair, a synthetic padding product with the traits of natural hair.

Horsehair

Hand-sewing twine: Thin but strong string used for sewing fabric and Dacron to decks by hand.

Hand-stapling plier: Handheld stapler used in place of pins to hold fabrics together while sewing.

Hand-stapling plier

Hard welt cord: Firm welt cord with very little give, typically made of plastic. Great for outdoor upholstery and difficult sewing projects.

Hessian: See burlap.

Hog rings: Small, metal rings that clinch edge wire and/or springs to padding.

Hog rings

Hole saw: Cylindrical metal drill bit with teeth on the end, used for cutting out circular holes in wood. In upholstery, a hole saw is used to remove foam around buttonholes for deep button tufting.

Hole saw

Hot glue gun: An electric gun that heats adhesive to a high temperature, used for gluing objects quickly and permanently. Great for invisibly attaching decorative trim to furniture.

Hot glue gun

Inside arm: The upholstered section of an arm that faces the interior of a piece of furniture.

Inside back: The upholstered section of the back that faces the interior of a piece of furniture.

Inside wing: The upholstered section adjacent to the inside back and above the inside arms that faces the interior of a piece of furniture.

Jute webbing: See webbing.

Kapok: Natural, loose fiber sourced from the tropical kapok tree used as a padding material.

Kick pleat: Small, sewn pieces of fabric that attach behind splits in a skirt.

Klinch-It: Hand-operated machine that attaches coil springs to webbing using special staples.

Klinch-it

Knife-edge: In sewing, the edge created by a case (usually a pillow) that is sewn with a plain seam and stuffed to create a plump middle that tapers out as it approaches the edges.

Knife-edge pillows

Leather hide: Tanned or treated animal skin that is stripped of hair and preserved, used as an upholstery material or for other goods.

Linen: Natural fabric made from flax yarns.

Loose back: An inside back that is upholstered with removable padding and fabric, such as cushions.

Loose seat: A seat that is upholstered with removable padding and fabric, such as cushions.

Magnetic tack hammer: Hammer with a magnetic tip on one side and a hard metal end on the other.

Magnetic tack hammer

Marshall unit: Springs bound together as a single unit, used for padding cushions, seats, and inside backs.

Masking tape: Thick manila tape used for blunting and protecting fabric from sharp corners of Pli-Grip.

Masking tape

Matelassé: Fabric with a raised pattern.

Measuring tape: Rolled metal ruler ideal for measuring broad dimensions.

Measuring tape

Mohair: Incredibly durable fabric made from the hair of the Angora goat.

Moiré: Fabric with a wavy or watery appearance, produced by pressing the material with the wavelike design.

nap: The fuzzy ends of fibers of a fabric. With velvet, we feel the nap of the material to determine which direction is smooth for proper orientation on a piece of furniture.

Naugahyde: A brand of leather-like vinyl, often used to describe any faux leather or vinyl material.

Outside arm: The upholstered section of an arm that faces the exterior of a piece of furniture.

Outside back: The upholstered section of a back that faces the exterior of a piece of furniture.

Outside wing: The upholstered section adjacent to the back and above the arm facing the exterior of a piece of furniture.

Painter’s tape: Tape that gently attaches to surfaces without damaging the paint or finish. Use painter’s tape to hold wood chips in place as the glue dries.

Painter’s tape

Panelboard: Thick and stiff cardboard material used for constructing detachable panels or creating a solid plane over the hollow frame of a piece of furniture.

Pattern matching: The act of matching a fabric pattern across seams or from one piece to the next to create a fluid transition of fabric across a piece of furniture.

Permanent marker: Use a permanent marker to mark guidelines on hidden layers of padding.

Permanent marker

Permanent staples: Staples attached with both prongs going all the way into the wood.

Picture back: An outside back that attaches to the front face of the chair and peeks through a finished wooden frame surrounding the outside back.

Pleat: Carefully folded fabric used to neatly tuck under excess material.

Pli-Grip: Continuous length of metal material that attaches to the frame and invisibly secures fabric by gripping it with metal teeth.

Pli-Grip

Pliers: Handheld tool used for tightly gripping fabric, staples, and tacks.

Pliers

Polyester: Synthetic material used in fabrics and blended with other natural and synthetic fibers for added durability and stain resistance.

Pop line: A length of string tightly attached to either side of a piece of furniture, providing an anchor for sewing fabric to the deck.

Power drill: Electric or battery-operated tool used for quickly screwing and drilling.

Power drill

Printed fabric: Fabric whose pattern is applied topically with ink and dyes instead of woven into the fibers of the material.

Pull: Flap of material made from scrap fabric or burlap that aids in attaching and shaping foam.

Railroad: To orient fabric with the top and bottom toward the selvages and right and left sides at the cut and rolled ends.

Regulator: A long, needle-shaped tool with a pointed end and a flat end used for tucking in fabric and strings.

Regulator

Ripping chisel: Flat-nosed hand tool used for prying up multiple layers of material during the stripping process.

Ripping chisel

Rubber mallet: A broad hammer with a large rubber head used for gently tapping down Pli-Grip or Curve Ease.

Rubber mallet

Ruler: The 12" size is handy for small, precise measurements such as boxing height.

Rung: A single loop in a coil spring.

Sawhorses: Flat-top wooden structures used for holding furniture at waist height while upholstering.

Scissors: Sharp scissors are key to making detailed cuts, and long ones are ideal for cutting large pieces of fabric. Keep a pair of inexpensive scissors around for cutting metal and cardboard.

Screwdrivers: These hand tools can easily remove hard-to-reach screws when a power drill is too large to fit.

screwdrivers

Seam allowance: Extra fabric that extends past the seam (typically ¹⁄₂").

Self welt cord: Welt cord made with the same fabric to which it attaches.

Selvage: The finished edges of fabric woven to prevent unraveling.

Sewing machine: The best sewing machine for upholstery has compound feed (drop feed and needle feed) and the ability to attach single- and double-welt cord feet.

Silicone spray: Invisible lubricant in an aerosol can.

silicone spray

Silk: Fabric made from the fibers produced by the silkworm.

Single welt cord: Decorative trim made by wrapping and stitching fabric around a length of cord.

Single-welt cord foot: Sewing machine foot with a groove made to fit on top of a cord while stitching.

Single-welt cord foot

Sinuous springs: Zigzag-shaped steel used as a padding material in seats and inside backs.

Skirt: Made in a variety of styles, such as box-pleated and ruffled, skirts attach to the bottom edge of furniture to cover the legs and the space between the ground and the seat.

Skirt stiffener: Stiff material that is cut to size and placed inside skirt panels to help hold their shape.

Slipknot: The most common knot used by upholsterers; one side of string moves freely to pull out slack while the other side holds the tension with a knot.

Slipstitch: A hand-sewing technique that invisibly closes fabric by stitching back and forth across a seam.

Spray adhesive: Glue in an aerosol can, used for attaching padding materials.

Spray adhesive

Spring clips: Small metal clips that hold the ends of sinuous springs to a wooden frame.

Spring clips

Spring-loaded tufting needle: Button needle that projects a metal tab into the padding, allowing buttons to be attached after a piece is upholstered.

Spring-loaded tufting needle

Spring twine: Twine made of jute used to tie springs.

Spring twine

Square: L-shaped measuring device used to mark square edges on fabric.

Square

Square-point tufting needle: The extra-sharp diamond point on this tufting needle makes it a great alternative to the regular button needle for stringing buttons through tough materials.

Square-point tufting needle

Square-point upholstery knife: A sharp knife used to cut through edge roll.

Square-point upholstery knife

Staple gun: Available in pneumatic, electric, and hand-operated versions, staple guns quickly attach materials to wood. Pneumatic guns shoot staples with the most force, making them the most effortless and time-effective option for upholstery.

staple gun

Staple line: The space designated for attaching staples to the frame, usually in a row.

Staple remover: The sharp tips of this hand tool nudge their way under staples and tacks, making them easy to lift out of the furniture frame.

Staple remover

Staples: Use ⅜"- and ¹⁄₂"-long staples in the staple gun to attach materials to the furniture frame.

Stitched Dacron: Rolled sheet of extra-lofty Dacron held together with cheesecloth stitched to one side. This is primarily used for plump cushions and diamond tufting.

Straight cut: A release cut in the shape of a straight line that allows fabric to fold under and around posts in the furniture frame.

Sub-stapling: Attaching temporary staples by lifting one side of the nose away from the wood so that only one side of the staple attaches.

T-cut: A release cut where excess fabric is folded back and a straight cut is made into the corner of a post, allowing the fabric to be folded under on either side.

T-pins: Straight pins with a horizontal head used for holding fabrics in place while stapling or sewing.

T-pins

T-shaped deck: A deck with a front edge that extends out in front of the arms.

Tack band: A small strip of fabric typically used as a decorative element to make a bordered edge or break up a large plane of fabric.

Tack hammer with nylon tip: Hammer used for decorative nailheads. The magnetic side picks up tacks while the nylon tip hammers them in without denting or scratching them.

Tack hammer with nylon tip

Thread: For long-lasting seams, opt for nylon thread made for heavy use.

Thread

Tight back: An inside back upholstered with permanently attached padding and fabric.

Tight seat: A seat upholstered with permanently attached padding and fabric.

Topstitch: A visible stitch made on the front face of the fabric after it has been seamed together. A topstitch can be made on one or both sides of the seam and is typically used to hold the seam allowance(s) in place.

Torsion springs: Coiled spring with two straight ends used to add tension and support to an edge wire.

Torsion springs

Upholstery tacks, 10 ounce and 12 ounce: Before staple guns, upholsterers used upholstery tacks to attach layers of padding and fabric to furniture. Now we use them to firmly secure spring twine and seat webbing.

Upholstery tacks

Utility knife: Sharp cutting tool used to precisely trim excess fabric just beyond the staple line.

Vandyking: A method used to join two pieces of fabric with a seam that is hidden beneath the folds of diamond tufting.

Velour: A fabric with a soft, velvet-like texture and nap.

Velvet: Fabric commonly made from cotton or silk with a thick pile and soft texture.

Velveteen: Cotton fabric with short thick pile and soft texture.

Vinyl: Nonporous fabric with a smooth or sculpted surface modeled after leather.

Water-soluble marker: Marker used for drawing guidelines on fabric; the lines disappear when blotted with a damp cloth.

Water-soluble marker

Webbing: Rolled strip of jute or synthetic material used to create a structured surface for padding and upholstery.

Jute webbing

Webbing stretcher: Goosenecked hand tool with sharp teeth, used to stretch webbing tightly.

Webbing stretcher

Welt cord: Cord with a circular cross section, available in a variety of diameters and densities. Used to make decorative single and double welt cord.

welt cord

Welt cord stick: Long, 1¹⁄₂"-wide straight edge cut from Masonite and used to draw fabric strips for single and double welt cord.

Welt cord stick

Wood glue: Keep wood glue handy for accidental frame damage during the stripping and upholstery process.

Wool: Naturally stain-resistant fabric made from the fleece of sheep.

Y-Cut: Cut made in the shape of a Y to release fabric around the flat side of a post in a furniture frame.

Yard: When referring to fabric, a yard is 36" in length. The width of a yard of fabric varies, though upholstery fabric is generally 54"–57" wide.

Yardstick: 36"-long ruler used for measuring and marking straight edges.

Zigzag springs: See sinuous springs.

Zipper chain: Strip of material with teeth that open and close by pulling a complementary attachment called the zipper pull.

Zipper chain

Zipper foot: Sewing machine foot that is slender on one side, used for sewing closely to the teeth of zipper chain.

Zipper foot

Zipper pull: Small attachment made to open and close the teeth of zipper chain.

Zipper pulls

Resources

Upholstery Tools and Supplies

C.S. Osborne & Co.

www.csosborne.com

DecorativeNails.com

King Richard Co.

www.decorativenails.com

DIY Upholstery Supply LLC

www.diyupholsterysupply.com

Home Depot

www.homedepot.com

Rochford Supply

www.rochfordsupply.com

Ronco Industries

www.roncofurniture.com

Van Dyke’s Restorers

www.vandykes.com

Waddell Manufacturing Company

www.waddellmfg.com

Sewing Machines

Consew

www.consew.com

Juki Corporation

www.juki.com

Fabrics

Christopher Farr Cloth

www.christopherfarrcloth.com

Designers Guild

www.designersguild.com

The Design Connection, Inc.

www.thedesignconnection.us

Fabrics, continued

Fabricut, Inc.

www.fabricut.com

Garrett Leather Corp.

www.garrettleather.com

GlobalWeave, LLC

www.global-weave.com

Joanne Fabrics, Inc./JF Fabrics, Inc.

www.joannefabrics.com

Jim Thompson Fabrics

www.jimthompsonfabrics.com

Larsen

Cowtan & Tout

www.cowtan.com/larsen

Quadrille Fabrics and Wallpapers, Inc.

www.quadrillefabrics.com

To purchase any of the fabrics in this book, contact Spruce (www.spruceaustin.com) or visit www.spruceaustin.com/fabrics for a list of all the fabrics I love.

Recommended Reading

Barnard, Nicholas. Soft Furnishings: Sewing Home Decorating Projects. Creative Home Arts Club, 2003.

Cooke, Jr., Edward S., ed. Upholstery in America & Europe from the Seventeenth Century to World War I. Barra Foundation, 1987.

Dampierre, Florence de. Chairs: A History. Abrams, 2006.

James, David. Upholstery: A Complete Course, rev. ed. Guild of Master Craftsman Publications, 1999.

Acknowledgments

I know, from experience, that the acknowledgments in a book are often overlooked or only read by the few people who know they may get a shout-out. I hope that you will take the time to read these last few paragraphs and see who the real authors of this book are, the ones whose names didn’t make the front cover but were as important to its creation.

To Deborah Balmuth, whose persistent and encouraging e-mails to submit a book proposal made this project come to fruition much sooner than expected. And to the other ladies and gentlemen at Storey, especially Pam Art, Alethea Morrison, and Pam Thompson, whose countless hours editing, designing, and believing in the importance of this book have made it my biggest professional achievement and have made them all expert upholsterers.

To two people with the patience of saints, Ryann Ford and Sean Johnson. Ryann, thank you for your positivity and perfectionism for every photo of every step of every project. This would be half the book (literally) without you.

And for the sprinkling of carefully drafted and colored illustrations, I thank Allegra Lockstadt, whom I look forward to working with again.

Martha Hopkins, agent, editor, idea-inspirer, lunch-mate, and friend, you gave me realistic yet positive expectations for this process and made foreign territory seem familiar and surprisingly attainable.

SPRUCETTES, you kept the Spruce ship sailing full steam ahead while I went on a hiatus. Without your months of dedication, hard work, and professional and personal support, there would be no book. From running the business and helping with the book in so many ways (Meredith Carmichael), to keeping me virtually connected to the team (Clar Mapes), jumping on any needed task from upholstery to baking (Katherine Baronet), and powering through countless client projects (Frank Barnhouse), you all are amazing, and I could not do it without you!

To Jenny O’Connor (photo stylist), Jemima Dawson (designer and friend), and Meredith Carmichael, your feedback and design inspiration have been invaluable in creating this picture-perfect room.

To the #1 Spruce fan and head cheerleader, my mom, whom I have amazed every day of my life (she tells me every day) and who amazes me with her tireless support through every tantrum and success, and to my dad and brother, whose calm and happy demeanors bring me peace. Jennifer, your daily video chats have been my connection to the outside world during the writing of this book, and thank you and Justin for making precious baby Kate, who makes me smile.

Keith, you are my battery charger. Thank goodness I have you. Your support, in every way, has made Spruce possible. You always know what to say to lift me up, calm me down, and when to show up with a pizza and six-pack of beer. Here’s to spending more time together for many more years, and to listening to me recite upholstery instruction in senility as we grow old together.

Contributors

Thank you, thank you to the special companies and their representatives who showed their support for this project through their time and textile donations.

Christopher Farr Cloth: vibrant floral linen used on the boxed pillows.

The Design Connection (TDC) and Mitch Martin: plush orange velvet on the sofa.

Designers Guild and Brad Wright of ID Collection: Louis chair and blue pillow fabric.

Fabricut and Margie Gomez: cream and black linen for the draperies.

Garrett leather: green leather on cocktail ottoman.

GlobalWeave and Mohit Thukral: custom-made wool rug featured in the living room.

JF Fabrics and Stacy Coulter: drapery hardware.

Jim Thompson Fabrics, Tim Johnson and Mark Farmer of Culp Associates: fire-breathing dragon fabric of the wingback chair.

Jonathan Adler: lamps featured in finished room.

Larsen: striped fabric featured on the bolster pillows.

Quadrille Fabrics and Wallpapers, Inc. and Diane Wood: speckled fabric used on the slipper chairs.

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Deborah Balmuth and Pam Thompson

Art direction and book design by Alethea Morrison

Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith

Photography by © Ryann Ford, except for © Amanda Brown: design inspiration sections, wingback chair (Chapter 18), zipper feet and welt cord foot (Appendix); © Nataliya Dvukhimenna/123RF.com: diamond tufting diagram background (Chapter 19); and © 7io/iStockphoto.com: dragon drawing background (Chapter 1)

Photo styling of interiors by Jenny O’Connor

Illustrations by Allegra Lockstadt, with an additional illustration: dragon drawing (Chapter 1) by © Amanda Brown

Fabric pattern illustrations by Allegra Lockstadt

Cutting layout illustrations by Ilona Sherratt

© 2013 by Amanda Brown

Ebook design and production by Dan O. Williams

Ebook version 1.0

October 28, 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.

Storey Publishing

210 MASS MoCA Way

North Adams, MA 01247

www.storey.com

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