DIY Network

'30s-Era Chair: Finishing '30s-Era Chair: Finishing From "Trade School" episode DTRS-112

In the previous segment, upholstery student Shanna Vigil began re-upholstering a 1930s-style chair left behind by a former upholstery student. In this segment, learn how Shanna finishes the chair ....

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Figure A

• The chair is now ready for covering with the final fabric. Shanna refers to her notebook and draws the fabric layout on graph paper. Then, she transfers these drawings to the back of the final fabric and cuts out the various pieces (figure A).

• Shanna applies the final fabric over each section of the chair and begins tacking it to the frame (figure B).Again, she only tacks in halfway as she adjusts the fabric to the desired shape. She cuts the fabric around the framework obstacles and joins the cut edges. Then she drives the tacks all the way in. Shanna blind stitches the outside arms to the outside back hiding the joined fabric sections of the chair (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

• Next, Shanna begins crafting the seat cushion for the chair. She starts by sewing the welt cord that will outline the top and bottom of the cushion (figure D). She sandwiches the piping in a long strip of fabric and sews with monofilament thread along the length of the cord. She then trims the welt cord to a width of 1/2-inch and sets aside for later (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

• Using the paper patterns from the muslin stage, she traces and cuts the fabric for the top, bottom and boxing of the cushion. Then using the top piece as a template, she traces the shape onto a piece of five-inch foam (figure F). She cuts the foam to shape with a special foam-cutting saw (figure G). Then she wraps the foam in a sheet of Dacron polyester fiber and loop stitches with monofilament thread along the sides (figure H). Similar in appearance to cotton, Dacron resists stretching and is very durable.

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

• Then, she sews the welt cord to the top section and bottom section separately, carefully maneuvering around the corners (figure I). To meet the ends of the welt cord, she cuts the cord so that the ends overlap at one inch. Then, she peels back the machine stitching and snips the piping so that the ends butt together. The fabric is folded over this joint and stitched to create a smooth transition (figure J).

Figure I

Figure J

• Next, she sews the boxing around the top and bottom sections of the cushion. She remembers to leave one end open for the foam insert (figure K). After fitting the foam into the cover of the seat, Shanna completes the cushion by blind-stitching the open end (figure L).

Figure K

Figure L

• Using the recycled plywood forming the arm panels, Shanna sews welt cord around the shaped fabric (figure M).Then, she inserts a layer of cotton between the wood and the fabric and staples the fabric on the backside of the panel (figure N).

Figure M

Figure N

• Next she hammers in upholstery brads spaced at about four inches apart along the skirt of the panels until the brad pokes through the backside (figure O). Then, the panels are nailed directly onto the front of the arms (figure P). She cuts the ends of the brads off with wire cutters and pulls on the fabric to hide the brads within the panels (figure Q).

Figure O

Figure P

Figure Q

• Shanna completes the chair by securing legs to the bottom of the chair. Using a table-mounted vise, she drills holes into the each leg and screws in a bolt of all-thread (figures R and S). The brackets are then secured to the base of the chair with wood screws (figure T). The legs screw into the bracket, thus completing the chair.

Figure R

Figure S

Figure T

Figure U

• Pleased with her work, Shanna takes her new reading chair home, where it now holds a place of honor in her living room (figure U).

School Contact Information:

Emily Griffith Opportunity School
1250 Welton Street
Denver, CO 80204
Phone: 303-575-4754
Website: www.egos-school.com