Upholstering the Inside Back of a Chair: Chapter 3

Today,

 class,

 I am going to show you what Gilles showed me, 

when I went over to Drape It (my drapery and upholstery workroom) with my tail tucked between my legs, begging for assistance.

But first, 

here's a shot of how far I've gotten since last we met.

For those of you just tuning in.....

this is how the chair looked when Kris and I found it at an auction.

Sooooo.....

in my last post, I told you that I went to Drape It and Gilles gave me a tutorial.

I took lots of pictures, and I will now show you, step by step, the way to figure out the fabric cover for a chair with a curved back.

If you want to see the tutorial on how to do the foam and Dacron,

 click here.

I had gotten to this point, and realized that the fabric wasn't cut right, and wouldn't fit.

I freaked out big time.

OY OY OY OY OY

Sooooooo.....

Gilles took some lining fabric to use for his template pattern.

He cut some to fit the back and tacked it in place at the top and pulled it through to the back at the bottom, and tacked it there too.

Then he tacked both sides.

When you use a staple gun to tack fabric, angle the gun so that only one side of the staple bites into the wood.

This will work as a temporary hold, and is easier to pull out.

He then took some string, and tied it around the arms where we decided the seams should go.

Then he took a marker, and using the string as a guide, drew a line where we wanted the seam.

Then he did it on the other side.

 Then he marked the center line at the seat, on the lining fabric, with the black marker.

Then he marked the center line at the top.

Then he used tailor's chalk to mark the center line of the deck. 

Then he cut out a piece for the arm, cutting slashes in the bottom that allowed the fabric to ease into curves.

He lined the fabric up to the string that was tied around the arm.

He pulled the arm fabric down and out to the back of the chair at the seat and smoothed it out.

Then he folded the fabric where the seam would be and cut slashes in the edge for the curve.

The slashes allow the fabric to give at the curve and not pull.

Then he folded the fabric open and used the string as a guide to draw where the seam will go.

You can feel the string through the fabric.

Then he very carefully (so as not to get ink on the deck) used a pen and drew a line all the way around where the deck met the back.

He was going to have me sew a welt at the bottom and then sew gathered fabric to the bottom for pulling through to the back.

the gathering would allow for the curve.

I'll show you in my next post.

He clipped the curve along the front edge of the arm for easing the fabric.

 He then used a straight edge to draw a line down the center of the back.

He then lay the arm piece on a flat surface (work table) and drew a line 1/2" outside the seam line for the seam allowance. 

(This is the line he drew using the string as a guide.)

He used a straight edge to clean up the bottom line where the arm met the deck and added 1/2" for a seam allowance.

Then he drew a line along the top of the arm to allow some extra fabric for working the piece onto the chair.

Then he cut along the lines, creating his pattern template for the arms.

This would be the pattern for both arms.

Then, taking pity on my ineptitude, 

He helped me figure out how to set the stripe on the arms.

He wanted the stripes centered, but you have to eyeball it, and see what is going to look the best.

You want them to be vertical, and that can be a challenge with a curved arm. 

To cut out the final shape for the back, you want to make sure it's symmetrical.

Sooooo....

fold the back template that you've worked on so far in half.

This will give you a straighter line than the one you drew with the straight edge.

The line you drew is just for help with this fold.

Then iron the fold for a crisp reference line.

Lay the folded pattern on a new piece of lining and outline the shape.

Then fold that piece in half and cut through both layers to create your symmetrical template.

Then lay it back on the chair and clip the sides to allow the fabric to ease into the curves.

And there you have your patterns cut for the the inside back!!!!!!!

Then Gilles had me write down the next steps for when I went back to my house fancy smancy workshop, so that I wouldn't keep bothering him.

So,

I've gotten this far, and I'll show you that next time.

Today I'm putting the buttons on the back, and I will show you how to do that too.

For those of you who think this is a lot of work......

you're right!!!!!

Gilles told me that upholsterers know not to do stripes on curved back chairs.

Welllllll

now I know.

Kris feels bad, that you guys are going to think she's running a sweat shop.....

but this is the stuff that keeps me sane.

Everybody should have a project!!!!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah