Learning upholstery

[Getupngo]

Hi everyone,

I have been interested in learning to upholster (or re-upholster, as the case may be), but can't find any local classes. Do you recommend any good books? My jackknife sofa upholstery is beginning to shred, and I think re-upholstering it (and the chair) would be a fun project. What do you think? I have a very good Bernina sewing machine.

[WickedLady]

I would bet that your local library has tons of books on the subject.

[Getupngo]

Oh, you want ME to do some legwork? Geez. (I'll check the online catalog ... )

[mitch5252]

I'd say Go For It, but I'd practice first on something little and not as important!

[VickieP]

I'd say Go For It, but I'd practice first on something little and not as important!

Like Mitch! That's if you can get her to stay still for a minute!

[Getupngo]

Oh, I'd definitely go to a thrift store and do a practice run on a chair or something. I've done very small upholstery
jobs, but to tackle a chair and a couch would be huge. Heck, I've got all winter to work on it. LOL.

[avalen]

that would be fun to learn, many years ago there used to be a couple of guys
that had a program on PBS to teach people how to do that, "The Furniture Guys"
was the program, and there really wasn't much sewing, most of it was staple
gun stuff. Check the community colleges, back in the day, those were the places
that I used to see the classes.

[avalen]

Ok, I had to google it, and I found it!!
http://www.furnitureguys.com/

[Getupngo]

Sigh ... I found a site that had instructions but I'll tell ya. I used to make complex,
exquisite quilts and do work that required me to keep many balls in the air and
remember lots of details. but when DH was killed some brain circuits got fried.
For the longest time I couldn't do anything that required more than two steps
because I couldn't hold it in my brain. I wrote for a living, but I couldn't read.
I knew what the words meant, but I couldn't string them together. I thought I
was getting better, but just looking at these upholstery descriptions, my brain
just shut down.

Still, if I go to a thrift shop, buy a beat-up piece of furniture and just TRY, I know
it'll all work out -- or NOT.

[Paulette]

Janice, I'm of the have to do it to learn it variety. I can read all the directions in the world, but till I've tried it...well, you get the idea. So, do what you had planned and i'm sure you'll figure it out.

[OutandAbout]

Janice, instead of reupholstering, why not just make some kind of slip covers? It might be easier in the long run and would also allow you to change fabrics if you make more than one set. Just a thought. Linda

Tee Hee Vickie. Why are you always picking on Mitch?

[mitch5252]

Tee Hee Vickie. Why are you always picking on Mitch?

This is why...




......

And Linda, I like your idea of slipcovers...easier to change when you get tired of the current fabric!


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