Sooooo Close!

Seeing how the cushion will look. The zipper isn't in place on the cushion cover yet.



For the back, I stretched a piece of a vintage bed sheet that I used to like on my bed when I was little. There was not too much of it left. I think strips were torn off to tie up tomato plants or something. I'm a little sorry that it won't show, but I'm glad I was able to save it and use it. Maybe my grandkids will get the reupholstering bug someday, and they will see it!

Prest-o, change-o!

Reupholstering. Home Stretch?

In no particular order, putting the side on the chair. And the last one is the cushion cover, beginning to get sewn together.

Reupholstery

The trim at the top and bottom is a strip of fabric with the cording sewn into one side. It is stapled and tacked down close to the cording, in the seam allowance, then folded back over.

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 and a Family Tree.

My Family Tree from my Maternal Grandma's side. I don't know how big this will enlarge. Hope you can see it.



All my buttons finally covered.




I got all the buttons in place! I was holding my breath the whole time I had to poke the prongs through the fabric, so I didn't take too many pictures. I just pulled the fabric reasonably taut, but not to tight. Lined everything up and popped them in. It got a little difficult to reach in behind and slip on the cardboard bits and spread the prongs because there are a lot of springs in the way. And you still have to keep the button in place from the front, so your stuffing doesn't do awry. It's starting to look like a chair, though. Whoopeee!

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.

Repuholstering Some Furniture.

I will probably be blogging sporadically for a while. This is a challenging season for My Good Babushka, I will leave it at that.



Progress on the arm covers. First I sewed the cord in place, then I sewed the channels deep enough so that they didn't show from the front side. Then I realized I had to take out my stitches that were holding the cords in place, or I wouldn't be able to draw them tight without puckering the fabric. Did I mention I'm sewing every thing by hand?



Old and new



Putting the arm cover in place. Trying to imagine the future.



My messy notes. The instructions I am following backwards.



How things stand

Cutting Out The Pieces

It is unavoidable. At some point you have to actually cut your fabric. This part made me really sweaty.



I cut all the pieces and rolled them up with the old pieces that I labeled and used as pattern pieces.



I even have a generous portion leftover, for mistakes which I assume I will make.



Here I am beginning with the arm cover. It has three channels sewn in, through which cording was enclosed to be pulled and tied to the frame, giving the arms a more tufted appearance.

Reupholstering is Sometimes Ouchy

I've taken a few pieces of the old fabric off. I didn't find stacks of money or stock certificates concealed inside the chair, but I did find a bingo marker and a length of yarn the perfect size for a hook rug. My grandmother liked to go to the bingo and my grandfather liked to do hook rugs. So it was kind of nice, I sort of felt like these little tokens meant that they were with me, and, you know, watching over me so I wouldn't get tetanus.


I was really curious about how the buttons were attached to the front. I took one off. It seemed painless enough. The prongs just poke through the front, then the stuffing. Then you slip on the cardstock and spread the prongs apart. I can probably manage that.

I have been using a small screwdriver, pliers, and a dental implement to remove the various tacks and staples. There are A LOT of staples. The middle of my right palm is starting to get very sore from digging with the screwdriver. Hence, the potholder. I fold it up and use it to pad my palm. No pain, no gain.. of nice furniture.

My Good Babushka, Dave and I, and even our helpers Matthew and Justin, will be appearing at New Castle's First Riverwalk Arts Festival. Come down and say "hi" if you are in the western Pennsylvania area.
New Castle Riverwalk Arts Festival info here!

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!