Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures: The Chair

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Chair

I have been inspired. I have always wanted to learn to reupholster. I have read many blogs about it and I was ready to give it a try. I grabbed the first chair I saw on Craigslist for $20. Our thrift stores are not so great. They seem really high priced. I am not so sure it was an awesome deal. My husband went to pick it up for me at an orphanage. People donate things for them to sell. He said he heard the lady in charge of selling the chair yelling yah whooooo as he walked away with my “bargain”. He could hear her through the closed door. He thinks she was dancing too. I am so grateful that not only did he pick it up for me, but he also helped me remove most of the staples. He has strong hands. It is a tough job. He used a screwdriver that he filed thinner on the end so it could slide under the staples and then he used pliers to pull out the ones that stayed stuck.

So here is the “bargain” chair and here is my nice husband helping me out.

Doesn’t he look so happy!?!?!

So apparently the upholstery fabric isn’t the original. The lovely maroon was professionally done. A cat did some handy work on the front of the chair by the legs.

Here is the original fabric.

So I was feeling intimidated and scared. Just look at it. Doesn’t it scare you too? I bought a drop cloth to use for the fabric because I didn’t want to invest much into my experiment. I don’t think I would use it again. It is kinda scratchy. So the chair sat and sat and sat for 2 months. Taunting me. Making me feel like I should list it back on Craigslist for free. I couldn’t stand looking at it anymore and I had a little time off during Spring break. We had another blizzard in Texas. So it was time to tackle the chair. I did it! It isn’t beautiful, but it looks better than it did. I am very proud of myself. I learned a lot and I can now say that I know how to reupholster. Here she is.

I don’t really have room for it so we are going to try it in my son’s room. It sits in front of his armoire that has his television and video games in it.

I am regretting using the taupe cording. I should have used off white. My husband likes it. It is staying for now. My hands are very sore and tired. I am not touching this chair for a long time.

Here are some other views.

I think I am the most proud of sewing the cushion cover. I can whip up a pillow, but sewing a perfect fit for a cushion is not easy and takes a lot of thought. I can’t even explain how I did it. I just know I did. Here is a close up.