Adventures in Upholstery!

As I mentioned, I signed up for a chair upholstery class through Me & Mrs. Jones shop in Midtown. It was a 4 week introduction to upholstery class that met every Saturday afternoon in February for 2.5 hours. We had to send in pics of the chairs we wanted to work on in advance for her to approve. I was told that my chair was an aggressive first choice, but if I was willing to work on it some in between classes, then it was approved. Here are some before pics of the chair I chose.

A little bit of history on this chair...my Mom found it on the side of the road about 10 years ago. The upholstery was in pretty bad shape but the chair itself was solid. I begged her for it since I had just bought a new house and needed furniture to fill it. I actually had my aunt recover it in the fabric that you see above, but I did not love it and had been wanting to recover it in something more updated and modern. This chair is at least 100 years old.

So, when I saw that Me & Mrs. Jones was offering this class, I jumped on it! Ms. Gloria was our teacher...she is a local, self-taught upholstery expert. This is the 2nd or 3rd class she has taught at M&MJ and the classes always book up fast!! I signed up even though I knew I would have to miss the 2nd class.

In the first class she showed us from start to finish how to take apart a chair seat, add additional foam and padding to reinforce it and put it back together with new fabric. This was a very simple project, but it showed us all the steps that we would be doing over the course of the 4 week class. She also went over fabric selection and we all showed her our sample fabrics for her to advise on. Then we all set out to start demo on our own chairs. This was TOUGH! I learned that you need the right tools (i.e. a good staple puller) in order to be successful here. Since I was missing the next class, I made it my goal to be finished with demo in time for the 3rd class since I would have ground to make up.

What the inside of the back of the chair looked like when I started taking it apart.

For class 3, I was able to add new foam and padding to the seat of my chair to reinforce it. I kept all the original padding, which included horse hair!!, and added a layer of foam and then a layer of batting. All of that had to be stapled to the frame. I was also able to attach my new fabric to the back of the chair. The was HUGE for me because it seemed like I was finally making progress towards the finished product.

Gluing the foam on the horse hair...

Check out the horse hair and all that old burlap.

What I finished after class #3...

I got the rest of the batting stapled on at home.

Between classes 3 and 4, I was able to get the arms recovered, get the seat fabric cut and partially attached. A big tip I learned was to save the original fabric when you demo to be used as a pattern for cutting your new fabric. I just needed to add several inches to all sides to account for the cushier seat. It was also recommended to start with the back legs first and work your way forward.

Class 4 was our last class. We all brought snacks for a potluck to celebrate our progress. I was determined to finish my chair (except for the trim) in this class. I was able to get the seat finished with some guidance on the front corners.

Then I moved on to the front of the back of the chair. This is the part that intimidated me the most and I knew I needed help. But, honestly, it actually was really easy! I added some cotton to soften up the back and stapled it on the chair frame. Then I just had to cut my fabric and staple it. It was easy-peasy compared to the bottom because there were no crazy angles and legs to work around. I was able to complete the entire job before class ended and I was THRILLED!

Adding cotton to the back of the chair before attaching it.

All fabric is attached!!

I was SO proud!

Later that week, I finished up the trim. I used a cheap burlap-like rope trim and doubled it up. I wanted something to add contrast and give the chair a more causal look. I think it added just the right touch! I really, really love the end result and I still can't believe I took this chair apart and put it back together!

This chair will live in our master bedroom, which will also be getting a full makeover in the coming months when we upgrade to a king sized bed! Woohoo!!

Needless to say, I am hooked on upholstery! I am so glad I learned because I have quite a few other pieces that I want to tackle...2 cane back chairs, 6 dining room chairs and a cedar chest with an upholstered top that will go in Caroline's big girl room. All the items are antique and I plan to paint the wood on all of them first. I will be busy-busy...you know I've always got a project! :)