Chair pic

[DDandJ]

Here is the third of the four parson's chairs.  Feel free to critique :)

[MinUph]

Nice job,
  If you are looking for a critique. The pulls on the sides of the back could be from not taking out the stretch first. Place a staple at the bottom the stretch to the top, possibly redoing the bottom staple. This tightens up the fabric and then just take the slack out for the rest. No pulling, just lay it on. Top to bottom will be your tightening areas, the sides just get the slack out. With the palm of your hand. This is for the type chair. Others are different when the are concave areas.
  But over all the chair looks good. Some stream might help the skirt. Looks like the center is a bit low at the welt letting it drape unevenly. Might be in the attachment or in the sewing.
  You asked for it  :) You're doing great. I've seen work from Upholsterers that have 20-30 yrs experience not do this well.
  I'll bet these legs are straight and good for a sock.

[DDandJ]

Thanks, Paul, for the compliment and the critique.

I think I did the opposite of what you suggest.  Ha ha.  I pulled the fabric tight on the sides first and then went to the top and bottom.  You're saying to work the top and bottom tight and then work out the slack in the sides, right?  I'll reverse my strategy on the next chair.  The roll on the top back of the chair can be a little tricky, getting it smooth with no pull marks.

I also wondered about the skirt.  I marked evenly for the skirt around the chair.  I marked 15 1/2" all the way around, with the skirt finishing at 14 1/2".  Maybe my mark wasn't as even as I thought.  I also made sure all the skirt pieces lined up when sewing it all together.  So, now that I think of it, I was off on my chalk mark.

Thank you again for your advice.  I try to learn with each piece.  Between you guys on the forum, Youtube and a couple of upholstery instruction books, I'll get the hang of it one day ;)

Jeremy

[MinUph]

Hey Jeremy,
  You got the hang of it already. We all get better with time. Well most do that care anyways. Yes when working the back inside or out. Do the top and bottom first working from center out. On an inside back just pin it in place and get the bottom done. Center first then pull side to side the smooth out the rest of the bottom. Then work the top from center. Then the sides like I explained.

  A chalk line can be from a 1/32 to a 3/8" mark. Keep it sharp. Get use to cutting on the chalk like where it meet the ruler.

[momto3fatdogs]

FWIW - On light colored fabrics I have been using a pen. It's by Pilot & they call them FriXion. it becomes permanent after it's left on the fabric for a long period of time. i don't know how long that "period of time" is becasue I don't leave it in that long, but it disappears with an iron or steam. These are not those fading blue koolaid looking pens. these are new on the market. They make a very fine 5mm line. I think you can get them in blue , black & red. I use the heck out of them - and nothing I have used them on has ever had the marks reappear.

Sam

[MinUph]

Sam I'll have to give these FriXions a try.

[baileyuph]

De De,

This is actually not a critique of your work but a though or two about performing skirts on furnituer for my benefit.

I do have a question that you probably have already answered; did you use buckram (stiffner)?  If so, how was it attached in the panel?

Great job BTW!  What you are dealing with is challenging because all fabrics do not skirt the same.  Your skirt, by some standards, is preferred because it gains credibility with that look (nothing is perfect - if so, becomes artificial). 

There is a phenomena involved in what is happening.  I believe without a doubt that you cut perfect rectangle panels and sewed with perfection and didn't stop until the skirt was hung with equal precision.  Now, I am inquisitive about the little bit of fullness on the side panel at the cord line.  It is intuitive that the panel will not naturally hang perfect, near perfect maybe, but not perfect because the consistency of the panel changes from side to side.  I say that because of the turn back fabric at each end (layer added), plus the nature of fabric (hang property) will vary with the inducement of seams in the panel.  You have turn back fabric on each end and seams. These two variables plus the sag point of the panel is greater in the center of width.

All that said the results that not only you get but anyone gets are going to be the same.  Sure, as stated many times, steaming may help over come the hang properties.

I asked about the buckram because in my mind, handled in such a way might also help overcome the way the panel hangs.  Was the stiffener stapled in (if stiffner was used)?

Please understand I have limited understanding of the physical properties of hanging materials in a skirt fashion on a piece of furniture.  Techniques over the years have varied, one that included sewing the stiffner in place is one that I wonder would be of advantage here, but am not sure.

I used to use that technique but not much lately because newer furniture has fewer skirts and to make a living in this business one has to watch their hours.  The way things are done is often driven by cost.

On a different slant, there is one idea I would try on that side panel (your situation)  and that is remove the staples along the cording where fullness is experienced, to allow adjustment of the cord, merely to see if it counters the fullness at all.  This isn't critiquing your work, it is all about part of the analytical thoughts I have about that issue.

Again, If I could produce chairs like you have, it would be a pleasure to present them.

You did not do a GOOD job!  It is a Great job!!

Doyle

[west coast]

Alot of the skirts I sew, I sew with a piece of the cardboard back tack strip sewn in the bottom seam so it hangs straight and even.