Curved Back Chair Updated Fabric

 

Chair After

Chair Before

This was probably the fastest completion of a chair job I’ve ever done so far in my 14 years of reupholstering. The original fabric was actually in amazing condition, but my customer just wanted to update it to a more modern, contemporary look and chose a lovely beige fabric with a postage stamp design.

This is the first chair I’ve done that had two different boxings. It also had three levels of welting; top edge of seat cushion, beneath the first boxing and at the bottom edge. The back of the chair had an inner and outer back, two separate sections. 

I began this project by removing the inner back first, then the cotton filling, cardboard backing for support and the outer back of the chair. As with most upholstery projects, this one had a lot of staples. Once the staples and fabric was removed, I starting removing the seat area and all its components. I used the original fabric to create templates for the new fabric. This was the most accurate way to get the proper dimensions and measurements, which made the assembly a lot easier.

Surprisingly, the single welting I sewed to the seat went around the tight curves pretty easily. The trick on sewing single welting in place is to pivot at the 90 degree corners and snip the fabric to ease it in place. This worked great! After the single welting was firmly in place, I stitched the upper boxing very close to the seat welting. The seat was then ready to attach to the chair. Once I had the seat all lined up, I stapled it in place and used hot glue to attach the welting to the arms and leg sections. (It’s important to NOT touch the tip of the hot glue gun because it will burn you on contact. I can’t stress this enough. One split nano-second can scorch your fingers!)

After measuring the circumference of the chair, I cut the fabric and sewed the single welting to the second boxing level. I attached the boxing to the chair with a cardboard strip, which got stapled to the underside of the material, then folded it into place and stapled it at the lower edge. The very bottom of the boxing was held in place with heavy duty upholstery tacks on strips. They get attached to the underside of the fabric, then nailed in place right into the body of the chair. This keeps the fabric securely in place and gives a clean, finished look for the chair. The bottom edge was stapled and covered with double welting. That edge was then complete.

I attached the upper back of the chair the reverse of how I removed it. I stapled the outer back in place, allowing for the curve back style of the chair, followed by a curved cardboard to keep it stiff and securely in place then laid a thick layer of raw cotton over the cardboard. Finally I settled the new fabric in place and stapled the edges so that it touched the inset wooden channel of the chair. This area was finished off with double welting, which I hot glued into place. Hot glue is invaluable for this process as it really keeps the welting in place on the fabric. 

Combining my sewing and design skills, I was able to tear this chair apart and put it back together with new fabric from the templates I created in only four days. This was indeed a record for me! But I was quite motivated since the next day I’d be in the hospital for surgery and wanted to complete this job before that happened. That way my customer didn’t have to wait until my recovery to get her chair and I could have a clean slate before my surgery. All in all, a productive few days.

Side by side

Chairs Get New Spline Caning

Spline Cane Before

Spline Cane After

If someone were to ask what our most common refinishing job is, I’d have to answer “Chairs.” The reason is simple. We all use them, so we all have them and at some point in time, they will need to be either refinished, reupholstered, restored or in this case, re-caned. This dining chair was in need of a new spline caned back (only) as the seat covers would remain fabric (to be done at a later date).

This is one of a set of four chairs in need of new back cane. It is a “spline” cane style, which means that the back portion is made of a single sheet of caning then kept in place with a spline that keeps the cane sheet in place. This is the first time I have worked with this particular style of caning, which is known as Swedish woven. The difference between this type of cane and the more commonly seen antique cane is that these are double rows of perpendicular lines that criss-cross compared to “hole” style of cane.

When ordering caning supplies, it is very important to measure the width of the channel to get the right size of spline. If you order spline that is too large, it won’t fit into the channel, which can cause damage during the tapping which is an essential part of the installation. If you order spline that is smaller than the channel, it won’t fit tight enough to keep the cane from coming out, so ordering the proper size is key.

Cleaned out channel

The hardest part of this process is removing the old spline. For these chairs, I used a combination of tools; chisel, needle-nose pliers, wood-carving tools, hammer, and then later (after I ordered it) a spline-removal tool, which is exactly the perfect tool to get beneath the old spline and smack it until it lifts up. I then used a small chisel to loosen any remaining spline that stuck to the inside of the channel.

Note: Cane must be soaked prior to installation. I soaked the cane and

Soaking Cane in Tub

spline (in my bathtub) for over an hour. (My little cat, Sadie is supervising!) Soaking spline and cane together is necessary, so that the spline can be manipulated around the tight corners that bend along the edges of the chair. It is okay to leave the everything soaking while you continue to work on each chair. By the time you get to the last chair, your cane and spline will be pliable enough to work easily. The first one is always the hardest one to work on.

I used Frog tape to protect the chair from accidental scratches while removing the old spline. Once the spline was removed and the channel cleaned out, (see photo at left), it is ready to accept the new cane and spline, which gets tapped into place with hammer and caning wedges. This process is tedious and time consuming and you really must focus on the work, which means no distractions!

The basic dynamic of installation is the same as hole cane, but the challenge of this style is to keep the rows straight vertically as well as horizontally, as they tend to shift while you install the spline. Once you have tapped the cane down enough to accept the spline (keep it in place with caning wedges) you can then carefully apply clear drying glue into the channel, then follow it with the new spline, being conscious of carefully bending and fitting it around those tight corners. (If your chairs have larger curves, it is much easier to install spline).

Of the two ways of cane installation, spline or hand weave, this is the “easier” way to do it, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple. It takes precision, patience and the right tools to do it right.

Bar Stool Gets New Upholstery

Bar Stool Before

Bar Stool After

This bar stool was in desperate need of new fabric, otherwise it had great bones. The fabric was circa 1980 and had seen better days. Ripped on the seat it needed replacing.

The wood was teak as it was originally used on a boat. Still in great condition and sturdy, this heavy chair only needed new an updated look.

In order to reupholster the seat, I removed the arms and flipped the chair upside down to remove the staples which held the old, outdated and very stiff fabric in place. The foam was yellowed, but otherwise still usable. I decided to use the old fabric as a template, which needed to be taken apart so I could design a new seat with the existing fabric to get the right measurements, which is essential to get a good fit. It was much easier than I thought it would be and I was satisfied with the way the new fabric hugged the seat perfectly.

French Dining Chairs Reupholstered

Armchair Before

If you have ever wondered why reupholstering a chair is costly, this is why. It's a LOT of work! Today I finished working on six dining room chairs which included two French armchairs and four regular chairs with caning for the back. The French armchairs had a padded back which was open (so the fabric was actually on front and back) as well as the seat. I was uncertain exactly how the fabric was attached to the chair, as there were no nails or staples visible. The reason for that was that the staples were hidden in a 1/2" deep groove, which was created with a router so the welting could be pushed into it.