Update from tech challenged

[bobbin]

You may recall my questions about taking on the re-cover of these chairs (never done anything like this before):
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/398503725.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

The idea was to rework the deck and make the seat and back cushions separate.  Kody warned me about reworking the deck and it presented some challenges for a non-upholsterer but also made me think about how the pieces of upholstery must work together for a sturdy, smooth result.  I had to fiddle with the shape of the deck piece and how to join it to the sides along with the draw strips.  Took 2 tries but I got it! I had to leave a portion of the front corners "open" about an inch because stapling pulled the fabric out of wack:
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620598.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620594.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
How do you guys handle tight places like these?

I had some trouble with the back corners of the deck, too.  I stitched the sides to the deck and backtacked and then added a handstitched tack "just in case", but I still ended up with an open place:
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620604.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620606.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620609.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

The outside back is stitched in place.  I used a curved needle and thanked Carolyn for all the time she lavished on me teaching me the finer points of tailoring.  It was easy and fast, and that spikey stuff scared me too much, lol.  Also, I was worried that the fabric was too light to withstand the combination of the spikes and a fumbly beginner:
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620709.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620715.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">

And here is the finished product (almost!):
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/399620706.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
You will note that the seat cushion no longer sits down nicely into the deck area (Kody!), so we decided to replace the original stiffer foam insert with a feather mix that will settle into the slight well created by the reworking of the deck.  I have added elastic "leashes" to secure the cushion to the piece and the softer insert should improve the evident "gaposis" shown in this shot.  

Overall, I'm pleased with the result.  And I want you to know how much I appreciate the time and expertise you've shared with me.  And I will be interested to read your thoughts on the issues I've raised above.  Thanks a million for your time.  Means a lot.  

[kodydog]

The outside back is stitched in place.  I used a curved needle and thanked Carolyn for all the time she lavished on me teaching me the finer points of tailoring.  It was easy and fast, and that spikey stuff scared me too much, lol.  Also, I was worried that the fabric was too light to withstand the combination of the spikes and a fumbly beginner:

I'd say over all you did a fantastic job. Look how straight the welt is on that knife edge seat cushion.

Those three sided seat fronts are always kind of tricky. But you found a way to resolve the problem. Nice job.

Those tack strips are also tricky. If you don't place them just right they can be too tight or too loose. On thin fabric I like to take a piece of Dacron the length of the tack strip, about 2" wide and split it twice. Then apply that to the tack strip before you poke the nails through the fabric. This helps to protect the fabric when you go to pound it into the wood. Stitching is fine too. I've seen upholsterers close a back with a needle and thread almost as fast as I can do it with tack strip. Mike said he is going to stitch his back closed on his wing chair video. That will be fun to watch.

Your customer will be very pleased.

[gene]

Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of professional upholstery! That's a difficult job that you did very well. Thanks for sharing the pics.

I like the knife edge seat cushion. When you first talked about this project I wondered if you would make a boxed seat cushion. I think the fabric lends itself to a very casual/fun look and the knife edge seat cushion adds to this.

Another benefit to this fabric is that salsa spills only add to the pattern. LOL

Back corners take practice. I remember planning out every cut so I wouldn't mess things up and have to take the entire deck off and start over. I've even laid scrap fabric over the deck and cut that to see how it would fold and tuck into the corners.

My only fear of tac strips is stepping on them. I don't know why, but I was able to do tack strips very easily from the beginning.

Sewing the back is no problem if you understand the ladder stitch and you have a curved needle. I can do a tack strip faster which is why I use them unless the furniture seems to be asking for a ladder stitch.

gene

[sofadoc]

You may consider yourself to be "Tech challenged", but I see no evidence that your handicap has spilled over into furniture upholstery.
Probably the only attribute that you're lacking now, is speed. Once some of the little details become second nature, you'll not only turn out nice work (which you already have), but you'll be able to do it in a timely manner.
Converting an attached deck to a separate one isn't "cut & dry" for any of us. I can't imagine it looking any better.

As for the "spikes", I use the plastic sleeves over the nail strip when I'm dealing with a delicate fabric.
I used to be quite good with a curved needle, but I've been using nail strip, and Pli-grip for so long, that I've actually become a little rusty at hand stitching. Maybe I'll get a refresher course from Mike as well.

[Mike8560]

Well oviously bobbin it looks sweet . But  that is one odd fabric pattern

[JuneC]

I think it's very kool!  I love that chair.  And you did a great job on it too, Bobbin.  ;D

June

[baileyuph]

Nice work Bobbin:

Regarding the original configuration of the chair, was the bottom cushion fox edged on three sides as you did on the final recover?  In review of photo #1, I could not detect that the original back cushion was foxed at all?
Am I correct?  Springs, bottom were zig zag type?

Also was the original bottom and back cushjions basically cored with about a two or three inch foam, crowned to some degree, and finally wrapped with perhaps dacron?

It appears your replacement loose pillows were perhaps rebuilt and covered by this general approach as loose pillows?

In the rebuild/reupholstery process, the deck with the edges built on three sides, I am wondering if the original was designed somewhat like that?  Further it could not be interpreted that the back rest was built with any edging on the original or the recreated product, correct?  Oh, and on the deck, is the boxing one piece all around with mitered corners joined to the center deck component?

My questions are to primarily understand what you had to work with at the start?

The chair appeared to be approximately 20 years old?

Like I said, nice work.  Now what is the bottom line from this experience, do feel the same passion for furniture compared to tailoring ?

I would expect more of this work will come your way, if not already.

Doyle

[bobbin]

Answers to questions:
1 )  I am not sure what fox edged means.  Both the back cushion and the deck cushion were sewn to flanges and those were pulled around the frame (for the back) and down between the front and sides and the sprung deck (on the seat).  The zippers that allowed the inserts to be put inside the skins were on the back side of the cushions and were buried in the assembly process.   
 
2.) The front and sides are one continuous piece and I stitched a mitre at the top of the front corners.  I then stitched the deck to the sides, and added draw strips along the sides that I could pull down between the sides and deck and staple in place.  I simply stapled the front to the inside of the frame since the spring attachments didn't allow me to pull the fabric down underneath.

3.)  Springs in both the deck and the back were zig-zag springs.

4.)  Back cushion was a feather mix, seat cushion was foam and proved a bit too large in the retrofit.  That is why we opted to replace it with a softer,for inviting feather mix.  Also, yo to the final product.  I like that.  u will notice that the seat cushion seems to be perched on the deck, and the softer mix of feathers should allow it to setting into the well of the reworked deck. 

Once I got over my initial nervousness and started doing the work it was really fun.  I didn't expect this to be a money maker, more of a learning experience, which it proved to be.  It was fun and I really learned a lot , allowing myself time to think about the desired result and how best to achieve it.  Interestingly, upholstery seems a lot like classic tailoring, basically a building process with lots of little steps to get you to a pleasing end result.

[Mojo]

Fantastic job Bobbin. It came out great. :)

I got very used to using curved needles when I was serving my apprenticeship as a mortician back when I was younger. I stitched over 350 bodies during my apprenticeship. When I started doing upholstery work and grabbed a curved a needle for the first time it was weird sticking it into fabric instead of skin. :)

I have two chairs here at the house that need recovering. Feel like a vacation to Florida ?   ;D

Great job Bobbin.

Chris

[baileyuph]

Again good job Bobbin and your answers were clear.

Yes, to the fabrication and assembly of upholstery, furniture or any of it is similar and actually anything is built is a sequence of steps to make the final whole.

I think one explanation for fox edging is it is a buildup product that sets the profile of the built up edge that cradles the lower cushion you built.  I take it you built up the three sides either using a previous edge that came on the chair or by hand filling as you went through the installation process.  As you travel down the halls of furniture rebuilding, the term will become more common and familiar.

I understand the use of zippers as you built the deck and inside back. I presume that was the way the original was accomplished.  What I mean is the bottom unit was made up and the filling was inserted through the zipper opening and presto, that unit was ready for installation.

As I work on furniture or anything for tht matter, the age of the piece is noted and after a while one will notice a degree of correlation with technique with techniques through the historical review of furniture building and assembly.  A chair isn't just a chair.  There are many technical issues associated with furniture as any other product.

I never made money learning anything, not uncommon. 

Again, congratulations.

Doyle

[bobbin]

I don't mean to belabor this thread but I've been having a terrible time with a "jumping cursor" on this laptop and I'm "practicing" to see if I've managed to figure out the solution to that annoying issue.  I reread my morning post and the disjointed language was the result of the the JC and faulty proof reading.  Sorry, 'bout that! 

I didn't build up the sides of the piece at all.  They had been built up to receive the "all in one" cushion/deck/draw strip unit.  My discovery was that without the flanges (draw strips) to pull the cushion down into the "well" it sat up too proud and looked too large and uninviting.  Again, the solution was to replace the harder formed insert with a more forgiving feather mix that would settle down into the well and flatten out more. 

The feather mix inserts arrived this afternoon and I am going to play around with them later today and see if I like the result.  There are 2 of those chairs and they were built in different plants and it was interesting to note the variation in upholstery materials and construction technique between the 2.  Esp. interesting for me because seeing them side by side they looked identical, but once ripped down the differences were striking. 

OK, cursor is still bouncing, though not as badly.  And when I get to the bottom of a set number of lines in the dialogue box the bottom line bounces up and down.  Can anyone help me with this problem?

[sofadoc]

OK, cursor is still bouncing, though not as badly.  And when I get to the bottom of a set number of lines in the dialogue box the bottom line bounces up and down.  Can anyone help me with this problem?

What works for me sometimes when I have a lengthy post, is to type my last paragraph first, preview it, and then go back above it and type my first paragraph. You kinda have to think out of sequence when writing.

BTW I too had never heard the term "fox edged". But before I joined this forum, I had never heard of "chip strip", or "slip seats", or a zipper panel being referred to as simply a "zip". I think some of these terms are regional.

[kodydog]

OK, cursor is still bouncing, though not as badly.  And when I get to the bottom of a set number of lines in the dialogue box the bottom line bounces up and down.  Can anyone help me with this problem?

I had the cursor problem once. Ended up being a bad mouse or bad mouse wire. New mouse fixed it.
Also had the dialogue box problem once when camping with free Wi-Fi. Annoying as hell. Couldn't see what I was typing. That's the only time its ever happened so I thought it had something to do with the Wi-Fi. Odd.