Carved Chair: From Striped to Serene

Remember this carved chair from a few posts back?

I got to try out my carving skills when repairing that chip in the back. Carved Chair: From Mangled to Mended Now it was time to ditch the old striped fabric and give the upholstery a glow up.

With the old fabric removed — along with about 200 staples — I could start fresh. Thankfully, the batting and foam still looked like new and could simply be recovered.

My client selected a sweet print scattered with little birds. It was important, with this elaborate a pattern, to center the motif just right.

Once I was satisfied with the pattern placement, I stapled the fabric in place with my trusty Surebonder® pneumatic staple gun. We meet again old friend…

To cover the staple line, I made custom double-welt trim. It requires a special foot for my sewing machine that channels the double cord through the fabric. Then I used my hot glue gun to attach the welt over the staples.

Pro tip: Try to make the trim that attaches to the front of your chair carry through the pattern of the fabric just above it on the seat. You won’t notice variation on the sides, but it looks much more professional if it lines up in front.