Upholstery

 This is my old Victorian nursing chair. It came to me through my mum. She had noticed someone she worked for was throwing it out and they were happy for her to take it off their hands.

It was being thrown out because of an ENORMOUS rip down the back where the fabric had literally worn away and pulled off from the edge. Not to mention that it was unpicking all over and the legs that were painted in a varnish had been scuffed and chipped over time. 

Before I start I should probably say that I have never done any sort of upholstery before so thinking for a second I could reupholster this chair was completely madness.

 But for some reason over the years that this had sat in my room I kept looking at it and thinking 'Yer I could do that. Why not?'

I've always been logical, I suppose I have my aspergers to thank for that. Also growing up my parents would always let me and my brother take things apart and put them back again. Or not, it didn't matter because we were learning. So I've always learnt best by doing.

I knew it was mad but after having a look around at how much it would cost to have it done professionally I have to admit that my cheap side came out and I thought what the hell I might as well give it a try myself.

So I took it apart bit by bit and took a million photographs before and as I went. 

It was far more physically difficult than I expected. Whoever did it originally must have gone mental with the staple gun and nails, because I pulled out so many. I never thought it would end. It took forever !

Then I cut the new pieces of fabric, using the old bits as templates and then stapled and nailed them on. To be fair it was crazy difficult and I had a few strongly worded arguments with it. Even though it is an inanimate object it did seem to help. There were weird folds and bits that had to be pulled through and a specific order to do everything in. It was a proper headache and took awhile but it was fun to do.

My aim was always to keep as much as I could. Sadly the fabric couldn't be saved but I'm in love with the fact that the buttons could be. It's a little fun and keeps a bit of it's history. I also managed to re use the little bits of leather that attach to the button string to stop them from being pulled through. It's hidden but it weirdly pleased me. Luckily for me as well most of the padding inside was able to be kept. I only had to buy a little more cotton fleece to pad the cushion because most of that had disintegrated over time, I suppose.

 

On an odd note I am simultaneously in love and terrified of my new upholstery buttoning needle. That thing is so god damn sharp and massive. Only once or twice but still more than there should have been, I had to stop myself when I was pushing towards a limb. The amount of force behind it, it would go through you no issue. I do love old school tools like that though. Stuff that has been used for generations and were clearly made before any sense of  health and safety.

In the end I love it. It took a few weeks to stop fretting and focusing on all the little imperfections I could notice. But once I let that all go I was absolutely chuffed with the job I've done. 

It goes to show you can always learn something new.