Reupholstering a Chair

I've tried several times to nail these wily decorative panels to the front of the arms, every time I try, even with a mallet, even by putting a flat surface over the front, even after reinforcing the inside shape with extra plywood, the nails pop through the top of the fabric. So I gave up and just sewed them onto the front of the arms. It was a very frustrating few days. I can only imagine the original carpenters put a metal strip inside to hammer on, and then removed it. But I only thought of that after I had sewed them on.



It is annoying to me that I can never take a good look at how the chair is progressing because it is always covered with lint! All the bits of stuffing keep migrating around. I guess it can't be helped. The under-cushion part of the seat, that wraps around the front edge is just laid on right now.
Already they are trying to sit on it.

Reupholstering Furniture. Easy as Pie, Sometimes.

I am trying to figure out how these decorative front upholstered panels were attached to the front of the arms. I have to attach the upholstered cord to the panel and get the panel on the front of the arm, without any nails or staples showing. I put the nails through the cardboard form, stretched the fabric over it, and over the nails. Then tried to hammer it onto the front, but the back of the nails came through the fabric way before they would go into the wood on the front of the arm. Good thing I have that extra fabric. I'll get back to you later, wily arm decoration.




Putting the fabric over the arms was not too difficult. It is secured with staples, then I go back and hammer in some tacks. The back piece is just draped on because I'm getting ahead of myself.



All my buttons.



I sewed the covers on half my buttons and took a coffee break.

Old Furniture

Here is my very spare living room after a good spring cleaning. I got the sofa and matching chair from my grandmother. I adore both of them, but they are in terrible shape. I keep sewing them up. The chair I gave up on and just threw a blanket over it. I recently got it in my mind that I would reupholster these myself. I have read a lot of blogs that promise it's not too hard. There are a lot of reasons I want to save/rehabilitate this furniture. It came from my grandma, my original Good Babushka. It has retro class and style, which I love more and more all the time. And this is a lo-o-o-o-o-ng sofa It would cost too much to buy a new one like it.

Now my objections to new sofas: They are too fat and overstuffed. They don't have any detailing like the trim and buttons like this one has. You have a choice between dirt brown and dirt gray and dirt green. No color, no class, no way.

I have taken the plunge (and I'm taking you all with me). I ordered some upholstery fabric online. Enough for both projects according to their yardage calculator (hope I did it right!) The fabric and trim came to $180.00!!! You can't get brand spanking new fancy furniture for that, can you? Let's see if it's as easy as they say...