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Do any of you who make slipcovers fit them in a customer's home?  It's not my first choice by a longshot, but I see it as a necessary evil.  I've now done 3 that way.  I'm pretty organized in general, but working "in the field" certainly reveals chinks in the armour pretty quickly. 

Results have been good, but the pin fitting is time consuming any way you slice it.  Any thoughts on how to streamline the operation?  I have precut blank pcs. and cut on site; I prefer the former. 

Paul,  I don't know if I own my domain or not.  How do I find out and  how do I correct the oversight and switch from renting to owning?  Is owning a hugely expensive prospect or just one of those things that requires some money but doesn't leave you totally strapped?

Mike 802's comments on his website and Mojo's experience in marketing have me thinking about websites.  I don't have one and know I ought to.  But I'm not sure where to start.  There is so much I just don't know and I'm watching every penny as I work toward putting together a work portfolio reflective of the work I really want to do in the future.  So maybe we could start with some basics.

1.)  I have a domain name (I think!, the GoDaddy thing, right?)
2.)  Who hosts your website? how do you select a host?
3.)  How do you pay for that (monthly/yearly?) and are there free options for the cash-strapped?
4.)  Do the number of pages affect the price you pay?
5.)  Can you use free "templates" to create your own website? if yes, how do you find them? Pros/cons?

OK, that ought to get things started.  Clearly, I need really basic information so I will have a sort of framework to use as a starting point. 

I have a chair and stool to do.  "Danish Modern", does the name Frem Rojli mean anything to any of you?  It looks like it's mahogany and the joinery is interesting, screws and hinges to assemble it are brass (I think), and lines are clean and graceful:
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Here's the back edge of the seat where it's hinged to the back of the piece:
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The back and arm attachment:
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The webbing was attached with 10 small staples (5mm x7mm?):
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I have 2" Elasbelt and this gizmo that I've never used before:
<IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/400262750.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
right tool?wrong tool?

Last minute grocery run (red wine and walnuts), one last Christmas item to pick up, now into laundry.  The world's easiest and best cranberry cake's in the oven, and next up is boiling eggs for tomorrow's devilled eggs... .  And I have to do less rappin' and more wrappin'...

YOU?

I have been good about entering the many notions/supplies/materials in my book keeping system.  It was kind of tedious at first, but now I'm glad I did it; makes invoicing easy (although I'm still slow at it).  I have a couple of questions about how you charge for upholstery materials;  1/4 deck padding, and the thicker padding (looks like cotton, but is polyester, I think).  Do you charge by the foot or the inch? how?

I price welting and zipper chain by the foot and foam by the inch.  But I'm curious how you price the other items. 

Have any of you had the pleasure of reconfiguring a feather pillow?  I got to do it today!  I had to create a new casing for a seat cushion and then transfer feathers from 1 1/2 inserts to get the new one sufficiently "plumped up".  (Naturally I put on a black turtleneck today).  What a thoroughly miserable job.  I didn't make too much of a mess, but it was fiddly and a little nerve wracking.  How do you do it quickly, efficiently, with minimal mess?

I am no upholsterer.  I am a sewing machine jockey.  BUT, how important is the difference between the webbing for seats and that for backs? how do you tell the difference between the two?

Every year I try to do some Christmas sewing.  Usually it's some clothing for the husband, but this year I've been thinking about some nice thermally lined drapery panels for the guest room.  And the elusive Christmas tree skirt I've been longing to make for a decade now (chin on chest in shame).  You?

OK, the prayerful customer gives you yardage that is "short" but you think you can "make it work".  Where do you look first to "save" fabric?  The deck area? the hidden portion of the boxing? do you eliminate welting?

How do you guys "make it work"?

I have been asked to reweb a set of contemporary furniture (chair, "ottoman", sofa).  Have NO idea about the stuff used in place of webbing and springs.  It has Pirelli rubber webbing and they're all old, dry, and there is no support left in the "webbing" strips.  The webbing is simply stapled to the frame... really basic (right).

I know the webbing is still available.  But:
1.)   how do you determine how long to cut the strips?
2.)   how do you determine how much tension to put on them to get the right amount of support for the seat?
3.)  should I use the metal end thingys or just staple the webbing to the frame as they did originally?

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:
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<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:
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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:
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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.  

I think it was Gene who posted how to properly close the twisted lip cord when you apply it to a cushion piece.  I did a quick You Tube search but couldn't find it.  Any chance any of you who know how to do this neatly could post instructions or a link?  I have two pillows to make and I would like to know how to neatly finsh the lip cord. 

Do any of you use a balancer to take the weight off commonly used power tools in your shops?  I worked for a drycleaner many moons ago and they used them to relieve the weight of the irons at the pressing stations.  Properly adjusted, the iron was suspended over the press and the iron was nearly weightless (they can be quite heavy).  I am interested in getting one for my own iron and would like to know if you've ever had any experience with them.  The only source I've thusfar found is Universal Sewing Supply. 

Paul's question reminded me of something I read awhile ago.  It was about software that assists in estimating fabric.  Have any of you ever seen any of these programs or used them?  I find estimating cloth requirements sort of tedious, but it is getting easier.  I have to wonder how much time is saved by using a program to do it, don't you still have to plug in basic numbers to get it started?

I now have a laptop (Toshiba) and am struggling to get up to speed using it.  The "master plan" is to take it to customer meetings and use it as a replacement for the spiral notebooks I've always used.  How many of you guys do this?  I still have to figure out the camera thing (mine is nearly 10 yrs. old and it's time to think about replacing it).  My question is about integrating book-keeping software... does your software allow you to set up customer accounts/information in addition to the accounting basics (I'm not fully up to speed with Peachtree)?  At present, I'm simply creating documents and storing them in a folder.  How do you guys do this basic stuff? 

OK, checked out the job and the chairs aren't parsons chairs.   What do you think?

They look like this:  <IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/398503725.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
deck/seat cushion:  <IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/398503736.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
back/back cushion:  <IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/398503748.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">
Front leg:  <IMG SRC="http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9107531/398503759.jpg"; border="0" alt="Image Hosting by PictureTrail.com">     (do these just screw off?)

Cushions are to be loose so they may be turned over.  I am thinking of a "leash" to secure the seat; they are to be an "occasional" chairs and won't see heavy use.   I don't think they look that tough, am I kidding myself?

I received a call from a designer to ask if I could recover two chairs.  They're basically straight backed chairs with trimly upholstered legs.  They are basically brand new but the room is being redone and they need new fabric.  I've fooled around recovering things for myself, but I've never "done it for money".  Would I be nuts to take these on? are they deceivingly difficult?  Could you give me any notion of potential pitfalls?

I've been off this week (furloughed, actually) and decided to do the awnings for my shop:

Fabrics are all Sattler offerings, the bullion fringe is 100% acrylic (5" and increasingly hard to find!). 

4 small windows:  40"wX24"hX24"p
2 triple mullions:  111"wX24"hX24"p
                        111"wX26"hX26"p (front windows)

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894901.jpg ; this is the basic plan and explains the way the blank is cut.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894902.jpg ; this is a close up of the side of one of the awnings.
Adding the welting to the lower edge of the frill:  http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894903.jpg
Clean finishing the inside edge of the frill:  http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894906.jpg
Tassel making 101:  http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894939.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894936.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894938.jpg
How to afix tassels to the frill:  http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894920.jpg

And here's the finished product:
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894944.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL889/1214523/9177286/397894941.jpg

I live in coastal New England.  It can get really hot and sticky here but it's not the norm, usually gone in 2-3 days.  But the hot and sticky weather is a lot more frequent than it was when I was a kid.  I've never lived in a home with AC and when AC has konked out in my car I've never bothered to fix it. 

We have awnings on our home and they cut the interior temperature by nearly 10 degrees.  But I would like to know how those of you  in areas that routinely see high humidity and temperatures address the maintenance of basic comfort in a work place. 

Talk to me!