The story of Lulu - The Mid Century Armchair

Hello Friends

I'll be getting back to 'Tool' week, which has turned into 'Tool few weeks' due to lots of exciting things happening in the workshop!

One of those exciting things was finishing Lulu - the mid century armchair.

Here's the before shot.....

The foam inside had crumbled to dust but once the frame was bare you could see the angles and the chairs potential......

A new layer of strong canvass gives the arms some body and slip stitching the piping is time consuming but worth it to get a crisp finish.

Springs are secured to the canvass to keep them straight and comfortable and the border is hand sewn on - many tiny slip stitches!

Then - all of a sudden - Lulu is finished and off to her new home!

The customer, Karen, chose a gorgeous fabric; 'Tarna Mauve' from Romo's Arran collection and it's piped in 'Tarna Mulberry' from the same collection.  

Karen very kindly left some feedback on my Facebook page which I'm going to share with you....

Karen Walker

Michelle is a warm enthusiastic person who has shown a real passion for her craft, she took on my project, guided me with fabric whilst listening to my wishes. I am over the moon with the end result the chair is mid century that has been given a new beginning whilst keeping the integrity of the original design, I would certainly return to Michelle in the future. Highly recommended.

Thanks Karen - what a lovely lady and a fab customer :)

This type of chair frame can often be found on ebay or at auctions and they're well worth the investment as when they're reupholstered they can be valuable. There's a real trend towards vintage and they fit the bill nicely.

This week I'm working with Laura from Laura's Attic on Cleo, the Chesterfield sofa and doing some more development work on my new product..The Baaa Stool which will be coming to a shop near you soon!

Meet a TOOL week - Day 3: The Ripping Chisel

Hello Friends

It's 10pm on day 3...I'm late but I think we can still call this a daily update...JUST!  I'll make it a quick one.

This evening I am introducing some really ferocious members of a upholstresses toolkit.

Firstly;

The Ripping Chisel

Designed for the fast, easy removal of tacks and staples.  It should be struck with a wooden mallet, not a tack hammer.  The above chisel has a strong, heavy blade ad a built n shock absorber set in front of the brass ring were the blade is joined to the handle.  The tip is ground flat to near-sharp at the chisel point.

The other tools that are used to remove old coverings and stuffings or 'rip out' include;

Tack Lifter, Wooden Mallet and Steel Pincers

The head of the tack lifter is forked to fit underneath a tack then rolled to 'lift' it out and sharp so it slips under pesky staples with a sharp tap from a mallet.  The pincers have been specially blunted so they do not cut through staples when pulling.

I shall be back 'on point' tomorrow and provide the next exciting installment ...  'Needles'.  (See what I did there).  

Meet a TOOL week - Day 2: The Web Stretcher

Hello Friends

After some lovely feedback on day one from someone who insists that talking about upholstery tools is not geeky at all...here's day 2..

The Webbing Strainer

The Webbing Strainer is used to make sure the webbing attached to the base of the seat is firm and will take the pressure of thousands of bottoms over its lifetime.  They are usually made from a good quality beech, 20mm thick with a 16mm diameter dowel peg.

I tried to import a video from by the lovely Joan Milton from J A Milton Upholstery Supplies to show you how the web strainer is used but I can't seem to make it work so here's the link: How to use a Webbing Strainer

It's not a particularly dangerous tool - unless you bop someone on the head with it.

Tomorrow....The Ripping Chisel..now that sounds very dangerous.

Meet a TOOL week - Day 1 - Tack Hammer

Hello Friends

I'm designating this week 'Meet a TOOL week' and will be introducing a different traditional upholstery tool each day.  Admittedly this is very upholstery geek.  I happily wear that badge.

Day 1

The Tack Hammer

Tack Hammer

An upholstery hammer (also called a tack hammer) is a lightweight hammer usually with a hickory handle used for securing fabric to furniture frames using tacks or small nails.

I love mine - regardless of the number of vicious attacks it has made on my thumb.

It's magnetic at one end so you can easily collect the tack from your lips and carry them straight to the fabric - the other face then hammers them home. To improve speed we keep a handful of tacks in our mouth and spit them onto the hammer when needed - pretty gross isn't it!!  Important to ensure there isn't already a tack attached to the hammer when presenting it to your lip or you'll get a very cheap piercing.  It's also advisable to empty the tacks from your mouth before eating - although one upholsterer I know can munch through a pasty and a vanilla slice with a mouth full of tacks without perforating his esophagus.  Be warned people.... upholstery's a dangerous game.

Tomorrow - The Web Strainer.  Try to contain your excitement.  :)

Denbigh and Flint County Show

Hello Friends

Yesterday was a corker!  I was demonstrating at the Denbigh and Flint Show and it was great!

You can see the piece I was working on in the background.  It's a very funky 50's chair that originally looked like this:

The lovely client, Karen, chose some Romo (Arran) zig zag fabric with a complimenting purple piping and I got busy slip stitching and pattern matching!

Front of the arm

The show also gave me the opportunity to gather feedback on a n'ewe project..the 'Baaa Stool'...

The 'Baaa Stool'

More to come on this particular product...it's in development at the moment.  The footstool frame is crafted from locally felled beech and finished with the cutest turned sheep's hoove feet. It's covered in real sheepskin which is removeable so it can be cleaned.  I'm hoping to have the design and packaging finished in time for Christmas.  They'll make great presents!  If you're interested in reserving one please drop me a line and I'll add you to the list :)

It was great to meet so many upholstery fans and to talk chairs and sofas all day. I'm looking forward to working on the many projects that were discussed...I should be busy until Christmas!

I'd love to post some pictures of the show itself but I didn't leave my stand all day.  Big thanks to Clare from Accord PR for suggesting I go, to Joan and the team at J A Milton for lending me the half done demonstration chair and to my lovely hubby for being the Logistics, Maintenance and Catering department for the day  It's a family business!

Cleopatra - The Chesterfield Challenge Part 1

Hello Friends

Another interesting collaboration with Laura's Attic is currently on the trestles:

The client bought this authentic Chesterfield on Ebay for a bargain price and had it delivered straight to us.  In a few weeks she'll have a gorgeous new addition to her living room, a genuine vintage piece, renovated and updated to fit in exactly with her colour scheme.  She chose the fabric from Prints 'N' Plains in Ruthin who have a large selection of upholstery fabrics.

Laura and I took advantage of the recent hot spell to rip out the old coverings and stuffings but firstly, we had to choose a name!  Looking at the old fabric which definitely has an Egyptian theme we settled on Cleopatra.

Egyptian Fabric

It was HOT HOT HOT but we still had to wear face masks to avoid all the dust!

Health and Safety in Action

Cagney and Lacey  wanted to help out but just ended up sleeping in the shade.

We uncovered a old independent sprung edge created by lashing cane to the front springs - this makes it easier to get up from the sofa as the springs help to push you out.

Independent Sprung Edge


We removed hundreds of staples.....

and after a long, hot day of hard work we were down to the bare frame.......

and Laura was off to the tip with 12 bin bags full of old stuffing!

You'd never believe there was so much in it!

In part 2 you'll see us rebuild Cleopatra from the springs up.

If you're thinking about buying a new sofa, talk to us about having a old frame renovated - you'll be surprised how easy and cost effective it can be. 

Margaret - The Victorian Drop-Arm Sofa

Hello Friends

Allow me to introduce you to Margaret, the Victorian Drop-Arm Sofa

Margaret with her old, baggy clothes on.

I like to give the pieces I work on names so I can talk to them while I'm working....well...it's a lonely old job upholstery you know!  Margaret got her name because she's so heavy - the Iron Lady.

Margaret's owner has had her for over 40 years and she holds sentimental value.  However, she faced a dilemma.  She could buy a new sofa for less than it would cost to restore Margaret.  This is an issue that presents itself time and time again in my line of work.  With sofa's going out the doors of big warehouses for under £500 it's often cheaper to replace rather than re-cover.  However, that new sofa will last a fraction of the time a traditionally upholstered piece will last, so it's the old adage 'Buy cheap, buy twice'!

As you can see from the picture, Margaret was looking a bit worse for wear.  Her piping was ragged and her drop arm was looking decidedly saggy.  All in all she was ready for a makeover.

Things were not much better inside!  Springs were held together with shoelaces and there was a big crack in her frame.  Someone's been having a good old bounce on this sofa!

The best solution to this girl's problem is to start again from the beginning.

New stuffing for the arms

Nice new scrolls

Negotiating the mechanism of the drop arm was tricky - but I managed!

I'm so pleased the client decided to keep Margaret and bring her up to date.  She now has a solidly constructed, comfortable and stylish sofa that will last years and hold many memories.

Selling Chairs to Trendy Chorltonites

Hello Friends

Fellow Upholstress Laura from Laura's Attic invited me to join her at the Beech Road Festival in Chorlton this weekend and we had a gorgeous day for it!

Our very colourful stall

Before I started to specialise in traditional upholstery I bought several modern chairs to practice and experiment on so this was the perfect opportunity to give them the TLC they needed and find them new homes.

The trendy Chorltonites turned up in droves and almost emptied our stall!

Fresh lime, grey and cream combine to make this chair POP!

This little Parker Knoll chair sold to a lady who saw it, squealed, ran home and came back with a sample of her new wallpaper...it matched the chair exactly so she went home with the chair, a matching table and a big smile :)

This tapestry on hessian has a dusky pink colour match to the ottoman

This original Lloyd Loom by Lusty ottoman is also off to a new home....lots of people were interested during the day but it's a big piece to carry round!

My favourite sale of the day was this ornately carved kiddies chair to gorgeous little Talitha.  She doesn't look very happy in this picture but I can assure you, she was....she has great taste and she wanted everything!  The kiddies chairs were a great success - I only have two left!

Big thanks to Laura for inviting me along - maybe see you next year Chorlton :)

Sofa School

Hello Friends

A customer asked me recently about my upholstery qualifications.  I initially thought that quite naturally she was checking out my credentials, but actually she was interested in learning some basic upholstery skills herself.

When I made the decision to re-train in upholstery I took some time to research the courses available.  Ideally I wanted something high quality, local and accredited by a professional body that would get me to a level that allowed me to start my own business

I discovered The Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers (AMUSF), an organisation that was founded in 1947 to protect the interests of upholsterers, small furniture makers, and soft furnishers.  They have a great website; http://www.upholsterers.co.uk/

The Association is highly active in training as it sees this as a vital contribution to the long term well-being and continuing strength of the upholstery and soft furnishing trades.    Having been concerned by the lack of good practical craft skills being offered, the AMUSF has, over the past few years, developed their our own range of Upholstery and Soft Furnishings qualifications.

They now have a suite of qualifications that have been devised by professionals within the industry and are assessed by industry experts.

Training is offered by AMUSF Approved Training Centres; look for this logo;

For a complete list of approved centres click here.

There are two levels of qualification; 2 and 3 (not sure what happened to 1!).  I finished Level 2 last year and and will soon complete Level 3.  For Level 2 you study and/or produce the following:

•    Basic Design Skills: sketching, colour co-ordination and scale drawings
•    Health and Safety issues relevant to the work place
•    Use of Tools and Materials
•    Basic sewing machine skills
•    Fabric pattern matching and trimmings
•    An understanding of the Fire Regulations
•    Upholster a Drop-in Seat using traditional methods
•    Upholster a Stitched and Stuffed Seat
•    Upholster a Stitched and Stuffed sprung side-chair
•    Upholster a Sprung Arm
•    Upholster a modern Stool or Headboard to be deep-buttoned
•    Upholster a sprung TV/Fireside/Nursing Chair - traditionally
•    Make a Boxed Cushion with Zip
•    Produce a project on 20th Century Furniture Design

I chose to study at J A Milton in Ellesmere, Shropshire.  It's only about an hours drive from Ruthin and they have a great reputation.

Our tutor is Stephen Franklin.  We are so lucky!  Steve is a Freeman and a Director of The AMUSF, has been given the Freedom of the City of London and is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Upholders - an ancient Livery Company of the City of London. He's also a member of The Furniture History Society, The Georgian Group and the Heritage Craft Association.  He's basically Mr Upholstery and he also happens to be a brilliant teacher.  He has a real passion for the craft and pushes hard for quality while supporting us through steep learning curves!

Steve cracking the whip!

The course ran for one week a month for 7 months and it was tough but so rewarding.  Level 3 is just as challenging but with a bit of experience under my belt I have more confidence..which helps!  

If you're interested in learning some basic upholstery skills J A Milton run short courses where you can learn how to refurbish your own chair or if you're just looking for some pointers you can always bring your project to me and we can work together on it.  Just contact me for more information.

Cheerio for now - I'm off to make another headboard like this one for a very lovely, stylish customer!

New Beginnings.....

Hello Friends.  

A year ago today I was made redundant from a job I thought I'd loved for 25 years.  I was devastated but also strangely excited. Could this be an opportunity to make some long overdue changes in my professional life to mirror the enormous changes in my personal life? 

A year earlier I married my teenage sweetheart having met up with him again after 21 years.  OK, that makes it sound like we bumped into each other in Tesco...the truth is that I cyber stalked him for 2 years before finally biting the bullet and contacting him...2 years later and we're hitched!  (Thank You Facebook!)

Medieval Wedding at Ruthin Castle - Loving the Stocks!!

We moved to a little village outside of Ruthin, close to where we both grew up, to finally settle down.  I didn't realise how much I'd missed being in the Welsh hills having spent most of my working life in Manchester, London and Lincoln being a typical girl about town. ('it bag', mani/pedi/tan, glass of fizz - oh the shame!) 

We plonked ourselves in a lovely house with a bit of land and started to do the 'Good Life' thing..in fact we often get called 'Tom' and Barbara' in the village pub as we're forever asking the local farmers 'which breed of pig shall we get' or 'what's wrong with my chicken?'. 

Our new home with Labradoodles Cagney and Lacey

Unfortunately, my work often took me away for days and I was starting to resent being away from our new animal family and think about my options when redundancy loomed.  Initially I hopped on the interview roundabout and was offered alternative roles which I should have jumped at but something was holding me back.  

Around this time a friend invited me to a fortune telling night.  Now, I'm generally sceptical about these things, but as I was at a bit of a crossroads I thought I'd go along and see what the spirits had in store for me.  The fortune teller told me she saw me surrounded by pin cushions, needles and chairs.  Crikey!  Am I going to be an upholsterer?

Over the next few days the idea started to sink in....and feel right....really right.  In fact, it felt amazing!  I could get out of the rat race.  I could be self employed.  Could I be an upholsterer / upholstress / upholdstress???  (Still haven't decided which I am yet!)

I researched courses and found one accredited by the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers run by J A Milton in Ellesmere in Shropshire, about an hour away.  The AMUSF has recognised that there are not enough new upholsterers coming through the ranks with traditional skills.  They have devised a set of qualifications designed to ensure the traditional methods are passed onto a new generation who can continue to rebuild and re-cover antique furniture to traditional standards.  This appealed to my love of history so I took the plunge (helped by my paltry redundancy package and savings) and I started two weeks later.  The first time I picked up a tack hammer I knew...this is the job for me!!

It's been a steep learning curve and a big commitment.  The course is one week a month for 18 months but I've loved every minute including every spine twinge, every hammered thumb and black fingernail!    

One year in and I am proud to have launched North Wales Upholstery, (click the name for the Facebook Page and 'Like' to stay in touch) a traditional upholstery service covering North Wales. I'll be using this blog to showcase projects I complete and to talk about upholstery related topics, demonstrate basic techniques, provide the latest news and trends, promote the traditional upholstery trade and hopefully make you laugh!  I may not be able to resist sneaking in the odd animal related update and as we're starting a kitchen garden this year there may well be some vegetable content.

I hope you enjoy it!