Contents

foreword by grace bonney........................................................................................... 1

Introduction...................................................................................................................... 2

mix n match upholstery............................................................................................... 4

Chapter 1: Getting Inspired and Designing the Space.......................................... 7

Project 1: An American in Paris: Upholstering a Louis Chair....... 18

Chapter 2: Design Plan and Yardage Estimate................................................ 20
Chapter 3: Tying Coil Springs for a Tight Seat................................................ 28
Chapter 4: Padding and Upholstering a Tight Seat........................................ 41
Chapter 5: Upholstering Arm Pads, a Picture Back,
and Finishing the Chair................................................................... 55

Project 2: A New Pair of Slippers................................................................. 70

Chapter 6: Determining Yardage for a Small Pattern................................... 72
Chapter 7: Prepping Sinuous Springs and Padding
a Tight, Boxed Seat............................................................................. 82
Chapter 8: Sewing and Attaching Fabric to a Boxed Seat............................. 94
Chapter 9: Upholstering a Channel Back....................................................... 102
Chapter 10: Finishing the Frame of the Slipper Chair................................... 118
Chapter 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back
Scroll Panels....................................................................................... 126

Project 3: Spread Your Wings.......................................................................136

Chapter 12: Calculating Yardage for a Large Pattern...................................... 138
Chapter 13: Spring Tying for a Loose Seat........................................................ 148
Chapter 14: Padding a T-Shaped Deck...............................................................155
Chapter 15: Sewing and Attaching the Deck Fabric...................................... 164
Chapter 16: Upholstering the Inside Arms and Wings................................. 175
Chapter 17: Upholstering the Inside Back........................................................ 187
Chapter 18: Finishing the Outside of the Wingback and
Applying Nailhead Trim..................................................................194
Chapter 19: Constructing a T-Cushion.............................................................205

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 Project 4: Three-Seater Tune-Up.........................................218
Chapter 20: Determining Yardage for Railroaded
Fabric............................................................................220
Chapter 21: Spring Tying with an Edge Wire........................... 233
Chapter 22: Padding a Straight Deck..........................................243
Chapter 23: Sewing and Attaching the Deck Fabric
and Tack Band............................................................ 252
Chapter 24: Padding and Constructing Boxed Arms............. 262
Chapter 25: Upholstering an Inside Back with
Back Cushions........................................................... 275
Chapter 26: Attaching the Outside Back and Completing
the Sofa Frame...........................................................284
Chapter 27: Fitting and Sewing Boxed Cushions....................294

Project 5: Ottoman Empire..................................................... 306

Chapter 28: Material Requirements for Diamond
Tufting and Leather Upholstery 101.................... 308
Chapter 29: Diamond Tufting the Cocktail Ottoman..............318

project 6: Topping It Off........................................................... 332

Chapter 30: Sewing Knife-Edge Pillows, Bolsters,
and Boxed Pillows.....................................................334

Appendix........................................................................................ 348

Setting up Shop...................................................................... 349

Stripping Furniture.............................................................. 353

Sewing Tips and Tricks......................................................... 358

Glossary................................................................................. 369

Resources............................................................................... 385

Acknowledgments......................................................................... 386

Contributors.................................................................................. 387

Index.................................................................................................. 388

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This is a sampling of pages from
Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery
and Design
2013 by Amanda Brown
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
without written permission from the publisher, except
by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce
illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may
any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
other without written permission from the publisher.

Photography by Ryann Ford

Illustrations by Allegra Lockstadt
Cutting layout illustrations by Ilona Sherratt
 page
1

Foreword
Ive been known to saythat if I ever won the lottery, the first thing I would do is
have all of my furniture upholstered in beautiful patterned fabric. And if I had my
first choice of upholsterers, that person would be Amanda Brown.
When I was younger, I thought of upholstery as something only fancy or stuffy
people had done. I remembered all of the scratchy formal couches my grandparents
had and couldnt imagine ever being interested in such a thing. But in 2003, every-
thing changed. I moved to Brooklyn, started immersing myself in the design world,
and was blown away by all of the beautiful textile designs coming out from younger
artists. Their fabrics were affordable, fun, and the opposite of stuffy. But unfortu-
nately, no one seemed to be doing anything with them other than making pillow
after pillow. Then I discovered Spruce.
Amanda Brown led the wave of upholsterers who started looking at found and
vintage furniture and reimagining it with bold, contemporary fabrics. In Amandas
skillful hands, old sofas, chairs, and ottomans were transformed into hip new fur-
niture for younger families, and the community noticed. Spruce may have started
as a local Austin business, but the influence of Amandas work and taste has spread
across the country.
Whether youre looking to reupholster your very first thrift store score or want
to tackle every piece of furniture in your home, Amanda can teach you how. But she
doesnt stop there. Her ideas for combining different fabrics and using found materi-
als like vintage embroideries will open your eyes to all of the incredible ways you can
give your old or used furniture new life. Trust Amanda. Shes been teaching students
to reupholster for years now and youre all about to get a master class from a seriously
talented and tastemaking master.

Grace Bonney,
founder of Design* Sponge

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 Project 2

A New Pair
of Slippers

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 page
126 Chapter 11

Making and
Attaching the
Skirt and Back
Scroll Panels
I agree, the days of ruffled skirtshave passed, but it doesnt mean a well-tailored skirt cant
add a bit of sophistication to a piece of furniture. Although these slipper chairs would look equally
as dashing without a skirt, Ive decided to attach one to minimize the legginess in the room and
add a little variation. On rockers or furniture with unsightly legs, a skirt may be a necessity, so
pay attention, even if youre skipping the skirt.

Measuring and Cutting out the

SkirtPanels

Supplies
Ruler
White or yellow chalk or water-soluble
fabric marker
Cardboard tack strip
Pencil
Paper
Fabric
Square
Yardstick
Scissors
Decking material
Welt cord stick (optional)

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 page
127

slipper chair
1. As we discussed earlier, well staple the skirt
to the top edge of the wooden beam around
the bottom of the chair (see step 1 illustration,
page 95). Since this beam is 1" thick, make sev-
eral marks 1" above the bottom edge around the
perimeter of the chair. Use a piece of cardboard

Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels
tack strip and chalk to connect the marks with a
line all the way around the chair. Since my fab-
ric is white and yellow chalk doesnt come out of
the fabric completely, Im using a water-soluble
marker to draw the line.

2. Measure from the floor to the marked line 3. Measure and write down the distance between
above every leg and record the measurements on each of the four legs.
a piece of paper.

4. Using the measurements from steps 2 and 3,

draw a diagram to illustrate the finished dimen-
sions of the four main skirt flaps. As is common
in most chairs, the chairs back legs are shorter
than the front legs, so the side flaps will be a trap-
ezoid rather than a rectangle.

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 page
finished Dimensions of skirt fabric
128
slipper chair

5" front panel 5" 5" back panel 5"

31" 23"

5" left panel 5" 5" right panel 5"

19" 19"
Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels

5" 5"
5. A small skirt flap called a kick pleat
will cover each leg and attach behind
5" 5"
the split in the skirt panels. Well
make them all 5" wide. The ones over
front kick back kick
pleats (2) pleats (2) the front legs will be the same height
as the front skirt flap, while the back
panels will be the same height as the
back flap.

Cut Dimensions of skirt fabric

6" front panel 6" 6" back panel 6"

33" 25"

left panel right panel

front
front

back
back

6" 6" 6" 6"

19" 19"

21" 21"

6" 6" 6. The fabric will wrap around to

the back of each large skirt flap by
" on both sides and will require an
11" 11" additional " seam allowance on all
sides for sewing and stapling at the
top. The small kick pleats will be one
piece of fabric that folds in half width-
front kick back kick
pleats (2) pleats (2) wise. Well sew the right and left sides
shut and attach them at the top, so
add " seam allowance to all four
sides. Draw a diagram to illustrate the
dimensions of the fabric when cut.

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 page
Cut Dimensions of decking material
129

slipper chair
6" front panel

7. Decking material will line the back of the

31"
skirts. Since the fabric covers 1" of the backside as
it wraps around, well subtract 1" from the width
of the decking material, but well still need "
6" back panel
allowance on all sides for sewing and stapling.
Draw out the cut sizes of the decking material for
23"

Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels
the backs of the skirts.

6" left panel 6" 6" right panel 6"

19" 19"

33"
614"
Front

25"
6"
Back

21" 21"
6" 614" 614" 6"
Left Right

6" 6"

Front
1112" 11" Back
corner
corner
(2)
(2)

8. Well match the pattern from the tack band
to the skirt panels. The front and back flaps will
be centered over the same part of the pattern as
the seat, inside and outside back. For matching
the skirt flaps to the right and left sides of the
tack band and boxing, use the illustration from
chapter 8, step 5 (page 96) as a reference. Well
begin the front edges of the side skirt flaps "
closer to the center of the fabric roll than we did
the side pieces for the boxing and tack band to
accommodate the " wrap around to the back of
the skirt flaps. Corner panels can be drawn any-
where theres room since theyre barely visible.
9. Cut out all fabric pieces, including enough
single welt cord to reach around the chair (80")
(see Sewing Tips and Tricks, page 358). Cut the
decking material to the sizes noted in the illustra-
tion for step 7.

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 page
130
Sewing and Attaching Skirt Panels
slipper chair

Supplies
Sewing machine
Single-welt cord foot attachment
Thread
Fabric pieces cut to size
Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels

5/32" fiber flex welt cord

Scissors
T-pins or hand-stapling plier and staples
Iron
Skirt stiffener
Masking tape
Goggles
Staple gun
1/2" staples
Cardboard tack strip
10. Stitch all of the single welt cord (see page 364)
for the skirt. Fold a kick pleat in half width-wise
with good sides facing and stitch the right and left
sides shut. Repeat for the other three kick pleats.

11. With good sides facing, pin or staple the sides
of the fabric to the sides of the decking pieces for
the front skirt flap. With cut edges aligned, stitch
the left side and then the right, and remove the
staples or T-pins.
12. On the bottom edge of the skirt flap, line up
the centers of the fabric and decking material and
stitch from one side to the other. When the bot-
tom is sewn, there should be " of fabric on each
side of the back of the skirt flap. Repeat steps 11
and 12 for the other three flaps.

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13. The key to a crisp and tailored skirt is ironing.
Turn the flaps right side out and use your fingers
to push out the corners and all the seams to the
fullest extent. Press the panels so the edges and
seams are flat.
15. Well use the welt cord to hold skirt flaps
together side by side. Lay an end of the welt cord
on top of the middle of the back skirt flap with
the edge of the welt cord tail lined up with the top
edge of the back skirt flap. Stitch from the middle
to the right side of the flap. When youre 1" from
the right side, lay the left skirt flap adjacent to the
back flap.
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page
131
slipper chair
Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels
14. Lay each flap on top of the skirt stiffener and
cut it to the size of the flap minus " in height.
Insert the stiffener into the flaps. Its not neces-
sary to add skirt stiffener to the kick pleats.
16. Continue sewing and attaching the flaps side
by side until you get back to where you started.
Cut off the excess welt cord 1" past the middle of
the back flap. Open up the ends of the welt cord
fabric and cut the cording inside so the ends meet.
7/9/13 11:56 AM
 page
132
slipper chair
Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels
17. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the ends
to hold them together.
20. Center a kick pleat over a split in the skirt
with its top edge " above the edge of the welt
cord tail and stitch across the flap. Repeat for the
other three kick pleats to complete the skirt sew-
ing. Attach the kick pleat " higher than the other
flaps to make sure they hang slightly above the
bottom edge of the four main flaps. You could cut
the kick pleats so theyre " shorter, but I find it
easier to adjust the height this way.
622137_Spruce_FinalPgs_i-217.indd 132
18. Lay the fabric from the right side straight out
and around the welt cord. The fabric from the
other side should fold under and wrap around the
cording and fabric so no raw edges show.
19. Stitch over the connection of the welt cord ends.
21. Slip the skirt on and line up the pattern. When
the skirt is positioned correctly, flip it up and sta-
ple the seam allowance to the chair. As you staple,
be sure the top edge of the cording is lined up
with the marked line from step 1.
22. After stapling, go back and attach cardboard
tack strip on top of the seam allowance. Push the
cardboard into the welt cord to get a tight connec-
tion between the skirt and chair.
7/9/13 11:56 AM

29. Line up the panels in the correct location and
use the rubber mallet to gingerly tap the nails into
the wood. Work in small increments by tapping
all the nails from top to bottom in " at a time.
Continue hammering, little by little, until the
panels are flush to the wooden frame. Use the air
blower to dust off the chair and you are finished!
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page
135
For hard floors, the skirt should hang 1/4"
from the bottom of the legs, but for carpeted
slipper chair
floors, increase that distance to 1/2". When
furniture sits on carpet, the weight pushes
the legs through the fluff, causing the skirt to
touch the ground.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
I must confess: When we did the photo
Ch. 11: Making and Attaching the Skirt and Back Scroll Panels
shoot for this chair, the dragon rug hadnt
been completed, so I made the skirt as if the
chairs would be sitting on the hardwoods.
When the rug arrived, I laid out my furniture
as planned and realized I had goofed! The
front legs sit on the carpet, causing the
skirts to graze the floor oops! So this pair
made another trip back to Spruce for a skirt
adjustment.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
the finished
chair!
7/9/13 11:56 AM
 Project 3

Spread Your
Wings

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 page
140
design inspiration

If youre looking for a crowd-pleaser, choose Box shapely decks to avoid

blue! Its by far the most popular selection at pleats and wrinkles.
Spruce. Can you tell?
from the spruce archives

A solid-colored exterior on this wingback

saves money and directs your attention to the
striking velvet pattern on the interior.

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 Chapter 17 page
187

Upholstering the
Inside Back
In addition to horsehairand steel webbing, I also found coil springs when I stripped this
chair. Its rare to find pieces with coil-sprung backs, and when you do, its a sign of great qual-
ity. Tying coil springs in the back is very similar to tying springs in the seat. Because the back
does not provide as much support as the seat, the springs are less firm, smaller, and only need
to be tied vertically and horizontally to stay in place. I also use a lightweight jute twine since the
springs are thin and easily held in place with thinner rope. If you are upholstering arms that
require no seaming, follow the steps from this chapter to complete them.

Attaching Webbing and Tying Springs on

the Inside Back
No coil springs? No problem!Youre prob-
ably working with a chair that doesnt have
Supplies
coil springs in the back. If you have sinuous
Jute webbing
(zigzag) springs, see page 83 for tying
Goggles
instructions, and then continue with step 6. Staple gun
Ifyou dont have any springs, after completing 3/8" staples
steps 13, skip straight to step 6. Webbing stretcher
Scissors
Back springs
Klinch-It (optional)
Klinch-It staples (optional)
Button needle
Button twine
Magnetic tack hammer
10-ounce tacks
Lightweight spring twine

1. Attach vertical strips of webbing to the inside

back. Staple the webbing to the bottom bar with 2"
of extra length beyond the staples. Fold the excess
back and staple again.

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 page
188
wingback chair
Ch. 17: Upholstering the Inside Back
2. Pull the webbing to the top of the inside back
and over the teeth of the webbing stretcher.
Leverage the stretcher against the frame and
staple as you stretch the webbing tightly. Leave
the webbing connected to the roll until youve
attached both ends to the chair, and then cut 2"
beyond the staples at the top of the chair. Fold
over and staple the excess down. Because the back
needs less support, its acceptable to leave small
gaps between the strips. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until
all vertical rows are stapled.
4. Lay the chair on its back and evenly space the
back springs on the webbing. Use the Klinch-It
tool to attach the springs to the webbing (page
237) or hand-sew springs to the webbing with a
button needle and button twine (page 32).
622137_Spruce_FinalPgs_i-217.indd 188
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to staple all horizontal
strips. Because the support beams at the top and
bottom of the back are recessed behind the beams
on the left and right, Im pulling the horizontal
strips of webbing behind the vertical ones instead
of weaving back and forth. This method pushes
the vertical strips forward so the inside back isnt
concave.
5. Repeat steps 1834 (pages 3439) to tie the
springs with a domed shape. Since back springs
are smaller and less resistant, use cheaper, light-
weight spring twine for tying.
7/9/13 12:00 PM
 page
189
Padding and Upholstering

wingback chair
the Inside Back

Supplies
Measuring tape
Burlap
Scissors

Ch. 17: Upholstering the Inside Back

Goggles
Staple gun
3/8" staples
Cotton batting or horsehair
Large curved needle (optional)
Button twine (optional)
2"3"-thick low-density foam (optional)
Permanent marker
Electric carving knife (optional)
Dacron
Fabric
Square
White or yellow chalk
Yardstick
Staple remover
Pliers

6. Cut out a piece of burlap large enough to cover

the inside back with a few extra inches for pulling
and stapling. Stretch and staple it to the beams
where we stapled the webbing, fold back the
excess and staple again.

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 page
7. If youre only using cotton for padding, cover
190
the inside back with three to five layers. I will
reuse the horsehair from the original chair and
wingback chair

plump it up with an additional layer of cotton.

There should be enough layers so you dont feel
the individual springs through the padding. If
foam is your padding of choice, start with a light,
allover layer of cotton followed by 2"-thick low-
density foam (see pages 277278, steps 4 and
6, for tracing and attaching foam). Staple the pad-
ding along the top edge of the back and tuck in
Ch. 17: Upholstering the Inside Back

the other sides.

8. Before attaching Dacron, hand-sew bridle ties, 9. Measure the largest width and height of the
if necessary (step 8, page 178). Cut a sheet of inside back and add 4"6" to each dimension for
Dacron large enough to cover the inside back. Pull pulling and stapling (26" wide 37" tall).
it through the bottom and staple it to the top of the
outside back. Trim the excess from the sides so
they barely tuck into the pull-through space. Trim
off the excess Dacron at the bottom and just past
the staples at the top.

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 page
1" 191

wingback chair
Ch. 17: Upholstering the Inside Back
37" Inside back fabric

A
6"
26"

10. We already determined the pattern placement
on the inside back when we cut out the deck fabric
(see page 165). Since the marks we made in that
illustration denoted the edges of the visible fabric
(from the top of the cushion to the top edge of the
inside back), we need to add a few inches to the
top and bottom for pulling and stapling. At the
bottom, add 3" to reach the deck and 3" for pulling
through the bottom and stapling. At the top, add
1" for pulling and stapling. Draw lines to indicate
the edges of the inside back fabric.

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 page
192
wingback chair
Ch. 17: Upholstering the Inside Back

11. Cut out the fabric and drape it over the inside
back. Center the dragon between the arms and
sub-staple 1" of fabric to the top of the outside
back. Tightly pull the fabric through the bottom
and sub-staple. The distance from the deck to
mark A should be 3". Make adjustments to the
vertical positioning of the fabric until the pattern
is correctly placed, and then sub-staple the mid-
dles of the right and left sides.
12. Perform release cuts around the bars at the
bottom and top of the inside back. Fold under
the excess fabric where the inside back meets the
top of the wings and staple to the outside back.
Continue sub-stapling the fabric on all four sides.
Double-check the pattern placement, and then
replace sub-staples with permanent staples.

wingback chair Deck, inside arms, and inside back complete

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Its not (always) easy being green.
Theres a fine balance to be struck between eco-
friendly, economical, and long-lasting uphol-
stery. Over the years, Ive done a lot of research
in an effort to provide clients with the most
affordable and healthy options for their homes.
In a perfect world, traditional upholstery materi-
als, such as horsehair, would be applied with the
techniques developed by our upholstery ances-
tors. But the time and cost associated with these
methods and materials are cost-prohibitive for
most people. When considering how to pad
your furniture, ask yourself these questions:
1. How much use will this piece get, and how
long do I expect it to last?
2. Do I or family members have allergy issues?
3. Am I willing to compromise the cosmetics of
my furniture to use natural or organic pad-
ding and fabric?
4. Am I on a stringent budget?
Dont worry: Your character and values are not
being judged. One of the great things about
custom upholstery is that you have the chance
to answer these personal questions and tailor
your furniture to your needs. The recipe Ive
found that works for most people is a combi-
nation of natural and synthetic materials. With
projects like this wingback surface, I always rec-
ommended reusing as much of the horsehair as
possible, provided that it hasnt lived in a barn
622137_Spruce_FinalPgs_i-217.indd 193
page
193
for the last 20 years. For other projects, I rec-
ommend starting fresh with padding you know
is clean. Here are some tips for combining eco-
friendly and modern upholstery materials to
achieve a happy medium.
Research foam options
From natural rubber to polyurethane foam, the
options are vast. Natural latex foams are long-
lasting and the most eco-friendly, but are also
costly. If youre on a tight budget, choose a syn-
thetic foam without the added chemicals that
can jeopardize the health of your home.
Use natural products to
supplement
Supplement foam with layers of cotton to signifi-
cantly reduce the percentage of synthetic pad-
ding without decreasing the comfort. Cushions
wrapped in feathers use 5066 percent less
foam than standard foam cushions.
Dont forget the fabric
Many times we consider the innards of our furni-
ture without examining the fabric. Dont forget
that the fabric is our first point of contact with
a piece of furniture. Although fabric companies
are developing more eco-friendly fabrics for the
home, do your own research and make informed
decisions about what you consider healthy and
practical for your space.
7/9/13 12:00 PM
 page
217

wingback chair
the finished
chair!

Ch. 19: Constructing a T-Cushion

Stealing the Show
Im always pleasantly surprised when a pattern actually comes together as planned.
Although Im rarely timid about going bold with pattern, at times even the most striking
fabric is better saved for another project. Consider these factors before you create your
next showstopper.

1. Size. Larger patterns are displayed well on furniture with a lot of surface area. On a chair like
the Louis chair, only the dragon head would fit on the inside back, and while the head is striking,
its far less impressive without its body. For smaller pieces, go for a smaller scale pattern or a
large print with an allover abstract design instead of one main attraction.

2. Cost. On a budget? Remember that large-scale patterns require more yardage. For this
wingback, we used 12 yards of fabric when 8 would be sufficient with a small pattern or solid. A
great way to go bold without going broke is to cover the inside of a piece with a solid and the
outside with a pattern, or vice versa.

3. Focal point. Use pattern to draw attention to a particular part of a room or connect sev-
eral pieces of furniture by using a multicolored fabric that ties them all together, as we did in
this room.

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 Project 4

Three-Seater
Tune-Up

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 page
224
Measuring for Fabric
three-seater sofa

1. To determine yardage, lets begin by writing

down all of the fabric pieces on the sofa so we
dont forget anything:
Deck and tack band
Inside arms (ISAs)
Inside back (ISB)
Outside arms (OSAs)
Outside back (OSB)
Ch. 20: Determining Yardage for Railroaded Fabric

Seat cushion (SC)

Seat cushion front boxing (SCFB)
Seat cushion zipper boxing (SCZB)
Back cushions (BC)
Back cushion top boxing (BCTB)
Back cushion zipper boxing (BCZB)

inside back
(behind cushions)

left inside right inside

arm back cushion back cushion back cushion arm

seat cushion

front boxing

deck
tack band

left outside right outside

arm arm

outside back

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2. Dont forget to measure at the largest parts of
each fabric piece. The width of the deck begins
just inside the left arm and ends at the right arm
(74").
4. Start where the inside arm meets the inside
back and measure to the front edge of the sofa to
get the width of the inside arm (33").
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page
225
three-seater sofa
Ch. 20: Determining Yardage for Railroaded Fabric
3. Well measure the deck and tack band as one
piece. The front portion of the deck thats covered
with the fabric begins 4" behind the front edge of
the sofa and the tack band ends at the bottom edge
of the sofa (11").
5. Measure from the deck to the top of the inside
arm for the height (17").
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 Chapter 22 page
243

Padding a
Straight Deck
The journey to padding and upholsteringthe deck is often a long and labor-intensive process.
There are hours of stripping, being covered from head to toe in dirt and dust, sweating, and flex-
ing muscles. And then theres the marathon of spring tying. Fear not: Youve already wrestled
your way through the backbreaking work. Now its time for padding, fabric, and seeing the sofa
come back to life.
Since the cushion will do most of the work keeping the seat comfortable, well apply a light
layer of padding on the deck, as opposed to the thick padding we attached to the seats in projects
1 and 2.

Covering the Springs with Burlap

Supplies
Measuring tape
Burlap
Scissors
Goggles
Staple gun
3/8" staples
Permanent marker

1. First, well cover the springs with burlap so the

padding doesnt squish through. Measure across
the springs from the back to the front tacks to get
the depth of the burlap.

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three-seater sofa
Ch. 22: Padding a Straight Deck
2. Measure from the tacks on the left to the ones
on the right side to determine the width of the
burlap. Add 4" to the depth and width for pull-
ing and stapling, and then cut out a piece to these
dimensions.
4. After stapling the front middle, pull the burlap
tightly to the back middle. Since I have a wooden
post in the way of my burlap, Ill make a Y-cut
to release the burlap around it (see page 44 for
release cut instructions).
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3. Center the burlap over the springs and staple
the front middle, being careful to avoid tacks as
you staple.
Staples should be placed around the seat on
the top face of the frame where we attached
the tacks for spring tying. Tacks deflect
staples, so staple around them to avoid flying
metal and sparks.
5. Fold under the burlap on either side of the post
and staple. When the front and back middles are
secured, staple the middles of the right and left
sides.
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three-seater sofa
Ch. 22: Padding a Straight Deck
6. Staple the rest of the front, back, left, and right 7. Trim the excess burlap to 2", fold back, and
sides (in that order). As you staple, make cuts to staple again.
release the burlap around wooden posts that are
in the way.

Attaching Edge Roll

The firm yet forgiving density ofedge roll
keeps padding from breaking down and wear- Supplies
ing out quickly, so well attach it to the front 1" edge roll
edge of the deck where theres constant pres- Permanent marker
sure from sitting and standing. On sofa decks, Square-point upholstery knife
I prefer a larger 1" edge roll, which helps build Large curved needle
Button twine
up the height of the front edge to keep the
Scissors
cushion in place.
If you tied springs without an edge wire,
staple the edge roll to the frame and skip
to step 17 (see Attaching Edge Roll, pages
4546 and 157158).

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 page
290
Attaching Welt Cord and Dustcover to
three-seater sofa

the Bottom of the Sofa

Supplies
Sewn welt cord
Goggles
Staple gun
1/2" staples
Ch. 26: Attaching the Outside Back and Completing the Sofa Frame

Scissors
Painters or masking tape
Measuring tape
Dustcover
Cardboard tack strip
White or yellow chalk

22. For the rest of the steps, flip the sofa upside
down. Staple the welt cord made in step 3 around
the bottom edge of the sofa, starting at the back
middle. When you begin, leave an extra 1" of
cording, which well connect to the other side at
the end.

23. Use your forefinger and thumb to line up
the edge of the cording with the wooden edge of
the sofa frame. Pre-bend corners before stapling
them down and cut out the excess fabric to mini-
mize bulk.
24. Continue stapling around the bottom edge of
the sofa until youre 2" from where you started.
Cut off the excess cording 1" past the middle.

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25. Open up the seams of the stitched cording
about 3" on both ends to expose the cord inside.
Lay the raw cords (without fabric) side-by-side and
cut through both so they meet.
27. Lay the fabric from one side straight out and
around the cording. Fold under the fabric on the
other side and wrap it around the fabric and cord-
ing so no raw fabric or cording shows. Finish the
welt cord by stapling the connected ends to the sofa.
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page
291
three-seater sofa
Ch. 26: Attaching the Outside Back and Completing the Sofa Frame
26. Wrap a piece of tape around the ends of the
cords to connect them together.
28. Cut a piece of dustcover large enough to cover
the bottom of the sofa with an additional 3" in
width and height for pulling and stapling. Center
the dustcover over the front edge of the sofa and
staple " of its front edge on top of the welt cord
tail. Reinforce this first stapled edge by pushing
cardboard tack strip into the welt cord and sta-
pling it on top of the dustcover.
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three-seater sofa
Ch. 26: Attaching the Outside Back and Completing the Sofa Frame

29. Before we continue stapling the dustcover,
staple cardboard tack strip into the welt cord on
the other three sides. This keeps the welt cord
tight to the frame.
30. Pull the dustcover tightly to the backside of
the sofa and make release cuts around the legs.
Since these legs are a few inches from the edges
of the sofa, Ill cut an X in the dustcover to make a
square hole for the legs to poke through.

31. Slip the dustcover over the legs and pull it to 32. To prevent the release cut flaps from falling
the backside of the frame. Pull tightly enough to out, staple the dustcover around the legs. Flip over
smooth out the dustcover without stretching it out. the sofa and admire the finished frame.
Fold the dustcover under so the folded edge meets
the welt cord, and then staple it down. Continue
folding under and stapling until the entire back-
side is stapled. Repeat this step to attach the right
and left sides.

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three-seater sofa
Case of the Disappearing Scissors
If doctors can sew up a patient with forceps inside, imagine how easy it is to close up a
sofa with tools left in the inside back or under the dustcover. The first piece of furniture I
ever upholstered was finished with a pair of scissors inside. When I turned the chair over
to admire my hard work, the loud metal clanking against the frame startled me. Since then,
Ialways do a spot check before closing up my project.

Ch. 26: Attaching the Outside Back and Completing the Sofa Frame
three-seater sofa Frame complete

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 page
16 the completed space!

Always leave
room for
adding to your
collection of
knickknacks.

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 page
17

Pillows
connect colors,
patterns, and
textures across
the room.

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