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- Upholster a
Slipseat -
Slip seats are most
often found on dining room chairs. They are upholstered seats, usually
fastened by screws from underneath. These really make a great beginner
upholstery project and with experience can be reupholstered in a few
minutes each. Typically they're about an inch thick. Thicker ones may
have a seam sewn into the corners, so look first. The typical slip seat
requires no sewing and no tools more sophisticated than a screwdriver
and a staple gun (you can use a tack hammer and upholstery tacks if you
prefer, just don't try holding the tacks in your mouth like the old
upholsterers do.. they raise heck with fillings, and don't do your
stomach any good either). Also, you'll be adding a lot of time to the
project this way. As you'll be saving yourself a lot of money, buy an
inexpensive stapler and some stiff 1/4" or 5/16" staples at
the hardware store.
Remove the
seat and place it face down on your material (also face down). As with
slipcovers, you might want to start with a scrap fabric or some muslin
to get the idea.
With chalk, mark the
outline of the seat on the fabric. Set the seat aside.
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- Add a few inches
around the chalk marks and cut the fabric.
- As with slipcovers,
your existing upholstery is a good guide, so look over how it was
done. Assuming that it was professionally upholstered, it's probably
the best way to do that seat.
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Judy
uses her first piece to match the stripe and cut the others.
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If the
existing fabric isn't too thick at the corners, leave it. Otherwise,
pull it off using a screwdriver (one you don't care about.. use eye
protection) and a pair of pliers to remove the staples or tacks.
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Take
some cotton or dacron fill and add about a 1/2 to 1" layer over
the top and sides of the seat. Cut the corners so that it is only a
single thickness all over. Trim the fill even with the bottom of the
seat.
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- Turn the seat with
the fill over and place face down on the fabric (also face down).
- All staples go in
the bottom of the seat. Again, your existing seat is a good guide.
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Start
with the front edge of the seat. Making sure that the fabric shows
evenly around the seat, pull the fabric lightly over the bottom of the
seat. Place one staple in the center.
- Pull the fabric
tightly over the back edge and place one staple in the center of the
back.
- Flip the seat face
up and pull one side until the tension is even across the middle of
the seat. Keeping this tension, flip it again and place one staple
in the middle of this side.
- Repeat for the other
side.
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In this example, Judy does the
front and back first, a matter of preference.
She
trims the dacron |
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- Now comes
the part that requires an eye and a bit of touch. This is a
skill that you'll use on every piece you ever upholster, so
this is a good time to learn it. Go back to the front edge
and pull to even out all of the puckers and wrinkles while
keeping the fill compressed. Add a staple every 1/2"
(closer at the corners). Pull and staple toward a corner,
but stop about 1 1/2" away.
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- Go
back to the middle and work toward the opposite corner,
stopping about 1 1/2" away.
- Repeat on the back edge and
again on the two sides.
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For
a sharp corner, fold the corner of your fabric over the corner
of the seat and snip it up to the corner of the wood. Pull the
side piece tightly under the front piece and staple. Then pull
the front piece over the side piece and staple.
Repeat with
all four corners, the four side corners under, the front or
back corner over.
For
rounded corners, work evenly side and front toward the corner,
using small pleats to take up the excess fabric. If done
properly, you'll have an even set of small overlapping pleats
all around the corner.
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Trim
the excess fabric all around, making sure that your screw
holes aren't stapled over and replace the seat.
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Judy
finishes the bottom with cambric, folding the edge under and
stapling through. She marks the screw holes with chalk to make
relocating them easier. |
- Pat yourself
on the back, sit down and have a cup of tea.
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For
seats with brass tacks or a gimp or welted edge, stay tuned.
Also coming up! Cornices
and valances. |
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JUDY RICE
has been making custom
slipcovers since her early teens, and in SLIPCOVER
BASICS she
teaches the techniques and skills which have kept her
decorating business at the top in one of Connecticut's
wealthiest areas. Slipcover
Basics: $29.95 plus $4.00
S&H
(CT residents add $1.80 tax)
click here for our Order
Form
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