next up: the chairs

These chairs are so not us — they're like DG’s corner cabinet: how did they get here? But there’s something likable about them (beyond how cheaply we picked them up). So as noted, they’re next up for upholstery. I stripped one today and will do the other at the start of class Wednesday. Read on if you want to see the “before” and all the gory details.

First off, here’s how they’ve looked sitting in our living room since November. (They’d been out in the loft in Bob’s studio for a couple of years, waiting to see if we’d use them.) We needed them for Thanksgiving and had to disguise the nasty upholstery, so they got IKEA sheepskins and a pair of pillows I made awhile back.

The actual upholstery is filthy, stained, hideous, and they also came with a pair of uselessly thin little throw pillows (which must still be in the loft).

Apart from the spots where the cushion curves in around the uprights, they're pretty straightforward: just a self-welt around the top edge, some decorative braid where the fabric staples to the frame, and some pointless buttons in the seat.

A piece of really nasty burlap on the undersides covered zigzag springs that seem to be in good shape.

So it’s just a matter of prying off the cushion cover, which was happy to oblige. All these seats consist of is the fabric, a layer of cotton (seen stuck to the underside of the fabric), the foam, and the sad little piece of burlap over the springs.

I only stripped one because it’s a five-minute job and I want to see what Mr. Teacher thinks of the thickness of the foam. I think it could be thicker.

Comments

[dgstrong]

"Self-welt." Fancy-talk!

[millie rossman kidd]

I think thicker too. Will make them feel a bit more modern, no?

[Karen Templer]

Can't hurt, anyway.

[Leah]

Wait till she starts talking about "gimp."

[Karen Templer]

Uh oh -- I don't know gimp yet. (Knowing "self-welt," on the other hand, is how I earn my living.)

This week's class was good -- quick progress on the chairs. Haven't had a chance to post yet.