Reupholstering. Day One

The first piece I took off was the back of the chair. Everything I've read about reupholstering says that it is a good place to start. Once the back is off, you can get a much better idea of how the rest of the chair is put together. I am carefully labeling my pieces, and also writing down, in order, what I am doing so when the time comes to build it back up, I can follow my list back up to the top, and hopefully, have a nice chair.


Here is something funny. I took my husband's pliers in my enthusiasm and didn't tell him. He uses them everyday for his chainmaille jewelry making. He was looking all over for them while I was taking a bath. Then he took a break and just by coincidence, took a picture of the sky from our backyard. As he checked on our camera to see how the picture came out, he found this picture of his pliers in my tupperware container that I am using to put all the tacks and staples in. He gave me an earful after my bath! Jeez! I'm just trying to make HIM a nice place to sit! He should just chill.



This is how a chair looks, tipped over with the back off.


These are two dangerous looking metal strips with tacks in them, that I hope I can re-use.


Then I put the chair back, enough for one day. Justin came running into the room to see something on TV and he got in my shot.

The New Upholstery is Here! The New Upholstery is Here!

The first fabric is velvety with small checks of very subtle light and dark variations of red. The cording is very pretty, but hard to photograph. It has red and gold and also pale blue. I plan to use these on the chair. The other fabric is very textural, with a raised chenille-like red floral pattern on a ground of very fine gold and blue threaded base. I got all this for $180!!! The reds don't match exactly, but I did the best I could with the online pictures provided. I think with gold curtains and maybe a nice blue wool afghan on the back of the chair, it won't be a very obtrusive difference.

I know that is not the total expenditure because I still need upholstery tacks, batting, staples, and foam cushions, and probably some cording because I'm going to make my own piping for the sofa out of the sofa fabric. But the sofa is for later on. First thing's first. As soon as I got the fabric, I started to take the chair apart right in the middle of the living room!