Are you thinking about purchasing a used upholstered sofa or chair? How much should pay for it? Will you have it reupholstered, or will you be using it as it is?

Each Piece of Furniture Has 3 Values

When going out to buy used furniture, the buyer should keep the following three values in mind, the true value, the value to the owner, and the value to the buyer. This knowledge will help to negotiate when you want to purchase used furniture.

True Value

The true value is based upon the market value of the item. How much would a number of reasonable buyers pay for the item. In some case, the true value may be based upon the appraised value. But for most common used furniture, there is no appraised value. To prepare yourself for purchasing used furniture, you need to have at least a vague sense what used furniture is worth. Here are some ways to educate yourself.

List the type of furniture that you will be looking for. Then look through the classified section of the newspaper to see what similar furniture is selling for. Look at online advertising, such as Craig's list. You may not be willing or have the time and resources to go out and look at each piece of furniture, but look at as many as you can in person. One of the best places to look at used furniture is at second hand stores and thrift stores. This will give you an idea of what prices are being asked for what condition of furniture. Keep a list of the prices you have found for each type of furniture.

Value to Owner

The value that the owner assigns to their furniture may vary greatly depending how badly they want to get rid of the item, how much sentiment they have in the item, how much they remember they paid for it. The owner may value it a lot more or a lot less than the true value of the item. This will vary from seller to seller. For the exact same item, 3 different sellers may ask 3 widely different prices. The price they ask reflects the value that the item has to them.

Value to the Buyer

The value of any item to any buyer depends upon how badly the buyer wants or needs the item and how much he is willing to pay.

The Strategy of the Deal

Buyers and sellers come together with different motives. The buyer is often thinking, “What's the most that someone will pay for this? (along with, “What is the least that I would take for this?” which becomes his low benchmark. And then he will set a higher price to allow himself to come down in price. He won't go to his low benchmark unless he has to.) Sometimes they don't set a price hoping that a buyer will pay them more than they would ask. Conversely, a client comes to the deal thinking, “What's the least I can pay for this furniture (or he might be asking himself, what is the most I would pay for this? So I'll start at a lower figure in case I have to

Some sellers aren't used to haggling, or don't wnatn to negotiate, so they put the price they want in their add and there price is “firm!” They won't come down in price. A Savvy buyer learns to recognize the difference between the two types of sellers, and adjusts his offers accordingly.

If you really want the item, but are unwilling or unable to meet the asking price, leave your name and contact info on a card or paper with the price that your are willing to pay. If the seller is unable to sell it for their price, and they really want to get rid of it, they may call you later and accept your offer.

  Sometimes you find pictures of used furniture online, such as on Craig's List. I would never offer a price just from a picture onle.  I can’t tell from the small pictures how worn they are, however I don’t see any obvious wear or soil spots. I can’t tell what quality they are from a picture, so I’m just going to assume that they are typical new furniture quality (lower mid range). I’m not an appraiser, but I can give you how I’d make an offer. My rule of thumb is: my top price for a used item is ½ of new price if the item is in like new condition, then I would go down from there.
 
With all that said, let me give you an example. I wouldn’t make an offer without actually seeing a sofa or chair in person. As an example, let us assume that you saw a picture of a couple wing chairs on Craig's list. How much should you pay for them. From my perspective, if these chairs were in like new quality I probably wouldn’t offer more than $100 to $150 each. (but since I’m more thrifty, I’d probably offer closer to $100 each AND wouldn’t offer even this much unless they were in really good shape AND my wife and I really want them). If they were in moderate condition, perhaps I’d offer $50 to $75 each. If they show signs of wear or soil, perhaps $25 each, or less.
 
With that said, I’d go there and ask how much they want for the chair. Many times, if you let the other person set the price they often will ask less than you might offer, so try hard to make the other person give a price. Then, if you think it is too much, make a counter offer of a lesser price.
 
Before agreeing on a price, sit in the chairs. Try them both out. Sometimes one chair gets used more than the other. Are they comfortable to you? Is the foam too soft? Lift up the seat cushion. Is the deck under the cushion new and crisp, or do you see a lot of dust, etc. which indicate a chair that has been used more. Unzip the back of the cushion and look at the foam to see if it’s mashed down (indicating an older chair).
 
Also, ask them how old the chairs are. If they are only a few months or a year old the fabric could be assumed to have more wear left in it than if the chair was 5 or 10 years old.
 
Ask them why they are getting rid of the chairs. What is the history of the chairs.

We were asked a question if it was possible to change the style of a tufted semi-attached pillowback to be plain, like a living room chair.

Here are a couple things to consider.

• It depends greatly on your skill level. If you are an experience professional upholsterer you will be able to change it any way you like, and therefore you probably don't need my suggestions here..
• If you have a digital camera, take pictures your recliner before you tear it apart, and also take pictures of everything you do, step by step. It will make it much easier to figure out how to put the recliner back together.
• But if you are an amatuer, then you should consider the following when thinking about changing the style on an attached pillow recliner.
  • When recovering a recliner you are safer to use the old cover as a pattern to make the new cover. It is a lot less work to copy the existing style than to change the style of the backrest. If you use the old cover as a pattern (which I'd recommend), before you take the attached pillow apart, mark all the seams. For example, on every seam, draw a match-up line on every seam with a corresponding letter (A - A, B - B, C - C, etc.) on each side of the seam. These will help you reassemble the pillow back as you sew it.
    
  • If the existing foam is in good shape and comfortable, you may want to reuse it.
  • Lazyboy recliners generally have a curved backrest, which almost necessiates have an attached pillowback. (You can make the backrest plain, but that involves some special considerations which I won't into here yet.)
    
  • If you do decide to change the style of the backrest, I'd strongly advise that you get some cheap or scrap fabric and make up a prototype. This would save you a lot of grief later on.
    
• One of the beauties and attractions of using a recliner is the padding is generally shaped to fit your back (Lumbar support, an indent for your shoulders, and have it support your neck and head at a comfortable angle). Unless you are knowledgeable about how to shape the new foam to fit your back, you could have problems. If you replace the back padding, then the padding in the backrest may no longer fit your back and therefore not be comfortable any more.
  
  • If you do decide to change the style of the backrest, Then you will need to do some fittings along the way. I recommend that after you have recovered the inside arms and seat, and are ready to work on the backrest:
    • put the the recliner together and put the bare wood of the backrest on the recliner.
      
    • you put the foam in place and try out how it feels. On a recliner, to get the foam in the backrest to be comfortable, you often have to layer and glue sections of the new foam to make it fit and be comfortable for your back. You'll especially want to put in some foam for lumbar support. If you are an amatuer, then you may make some mistakes (which is OK and is part of the learning process).
      
    • that you make a prototype of your new style of the backrest and try that out. That would involve you:
      
      • fitting the prototype fabric on the chair with the backrest in the chair
      • sewing up the prototype cover
      • stuffing the foam into the the prototype cover
      • taking the backrest off the chair
      • attaching the sewn prototype cover to the frame with very few staples (just enough to hold the cover in place.)
      • putting the assembled prototype backrest back on the recliner frame
      • test out how it fits.
      • You may have to go through this whole process several times or more to get it to look good and feel comfortable for you.
    • Sometimes, especially if you are an amatuer, you may have to make several, or more, prototypes to get the look and feel you want. (This is OK and to be expected.) Even professionals often make more than one prototype when necessary.
    • When you have your prototype the way you want it, use it as a pattern to cut and sew your new cover.
      
      

Note: on most recliners the backrest has an attached pillow back, which is assumed with the above instructions. However, if you decide to put the foam directly on the chair backrest frame, you'd first need to put burlap over the springs and staple it to the frame. (assuming that the backrest frame is straight rather than curved) Then you'd layer (cut and glue) the foam to the frame. After that you'd make a prototype to use as a pattern.

The exact process you go through may vary depending up the existing style of the backrest and the new style that you want to me. It would greatly help if you had a picture of the recliner and the existing backrest.

Many types of cushions, for the seat and backrest, of sofas, loveseats and chairs are available. Some of your choices are listed below......

Many types of cushions, for the seat and backrest, of sofas, loveseats and chairs are available. Some of your choices are listed below.

1. Cushions with a Solid Fill

Foam filled cushions, wrapped with a pillow wrap.

Spring cushions, wrapped with cotton fill.

Spring cushions, surrounded by foam

2. Cushions with a Loose Filling

Feather/Down Cushions

Shredded Polyfoam Cushions

Polyester Cushions

3. Cushions with a Solid Core with Loose Fill Exterior 

Feather/Down Cushions with a foam or spring inner core

Some of these choices are explained in more detail on the following pages. See link(s) below.

• Ship Cushion covers: Remove the foam from the covers and ship 1 of size of cushion covers to use.
• Ship Whole Cushions: Package and ship 1 of each size of cushions to us. In some cases this might be helpful, but in most cases this is unnecessary.
  

• Plastic Wrap: Should it be shrink wrapped?
  
• Cardboard Boxes:
  

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How do you find a good upholsterer? What is a good upholsterer?

It takes work to find a good tradesman in any profession. Upholstery is no different.

If an upholsterer has been in business for many years, there must be a reason why he is still in business. That is one good sign.

The Upholstery Trade

Upholstery is one trade that allows all levels of competence to find work. Rank amateurs to qualified professionals all have a place. Each skill level of upholsterer can find work from a corresponding type of client. The main problem is when any level or type of upholsterer that is not true about the quality of his workmanship. However, with that said, it is not unusual for an upholsterer to think that he does better work than he actually does.

The services of upholsterers are as varied as the clients seeking upholstery work. Some clients have furniture where the fabric is completely worn through, that has the cotton hanging out in a number of different places. Some of these clients just want some new fabric on the furniture, and they don't want to pay very much. They don't care much about how good the work is, they just want a new cover at not much money. Other clients have high quality, antiques, or sentimental furniture and they want and expect high quality workmanship, and are willing to pay more to get what they want. And there is a whole spectrum of clients between those.

If an upholsterer claims to be “the best” and brags about his workmanship, then be careful. Those who claim to be the best seldom are. Often times those who brag are trying to cover up their lack of ability. An upholsterer who does good quality work doesn't have to brag. His work speaks for itself.

Skill takes years to acquire, although the time to learn can be dramatically lowered if a person is apprenticed to a qualified professional who is also a good teacher.

Upholsterers have various skill levels in a variety of specialties. Some may have lots of experience in one area, but very little in another area.

Resources

Find people in your life or on in your general area if they know of an upholsterer.

1. Ask Your friends, especially your middle aged or older friends, if they have ever used an upholsterer. If so, ask to see the furniture that the upholsterer recovered and inspect it closely

2. Ask your neighbors

3. Ask people at church or other organizations that you below to.

4. Yellow Pages: It might seem too simple, but the yellow pages is a good first place to start.

5. Fabric stores. Many fabric stores who sell upholstery fabrics also keep a list of upholsterers.

6. Antique Shops: They may know of a good upholsterer.

7. Interior decorators. They need upholsterers to do work for their clients. You could have your upholstery work done using the services of the decorator/designer. Hopefully, an experienced Decorator or Designer would have a quality upholster available for them to use.

8. The Internet: Some upholsterers have websites. However, many upholsterers are not very computer literate. So, some of the best may not have websites

9. Better Business Bureau: run a check on any upholsterer and find out if they have had many complaints

10. Chamber of Commerce.

At the upholstery shop

Be Prepared: Before going to the upholstery shop, make a written list of what things are important to you. Inspect your furniture yourself. (From experience I can say, many people never really look at their furniture.) Wiggle all parts of the frame, arms, back, legs, etc. Check the cushions, sit on them. If they have zippers (most do) look inside and see what condition they are in.

Ask to see some of their work, If they don't have anything finished, ask to see whatever is in process. Or come back later when they will have something.

Ask to see pictures of their work.

Expectations

Most upholsterers have ways of doing things that are common to each of them. Also, various upholsterers use different supplies.

Don't take anything for granted. If you want certain supplies used, or if you want something special done, clearly explain, or better yet, explain it in writing.

“No instructions” means, for the upholsterer to do things in his normal ways. So, unless the job is bad, don't complain if it was done differently than you expected. If you have expectations, tell the upholsterer, preferably in writing BEFORE you give him the job.

Quality

Some upholsterers will strip the furniture to the frame, check/repair all joints, springs, etc.

Some will take off the old cover, but not may not repair anything else..

Some upholsterers leave may put the new cover right over all or part of the old cover.

I recently recovered some furniture for someone who lives out on a ranch. When the brought their furniture into me, that smelled so badly that I had to strip everything off of the frame, and I even sealed the frame with a sealant. All new padding was put back on the furniture. When they picked up the furniture, their truck smelled just like the furniture had at the beginning. they happened to mention that they had sick animals in the house for some time, probably on the furniture. The point here is that they have different expectations of their furniture. Having all the pleats be perfectly spaced was not a concern to them. The just wanted the furniture cleaned up.

I've heard it said that you can go across the Mexican border and get your car reupholstered very cheaply, but don't ask what type of padding underneath the fabric.

Work Orders

Be very clear and specific about your expectations and requirements. Make sure that everything that is important to you is written on the work order. Don't sign the work order and don't pay a deposit unless or until you are satisfied that the upholsterer meets your requirements (type of upholsterer, skill and quality level)

Many upholsterers give very minimal work orders, with very little written on them.

It is unreasonable to expect that upholsterers would give a very detailed contract like a building contractor would give. But the work order should included a detailed listing of all extra items, such as new foam, all new padding (if included), spring repair, frame repair, etc.

An upholsterer can say, “the price includes everything”. But what does that mean? In the upholsterer's mind it might mean something as simple as just putting a new cover on the furniture, re-using the old padding and cushions. But the client might be thinking that it includes all new padding, cushions, etc.

Prices

If an upholsterer is the cheapest, there is usually a reason why. Ask yourself, why is he the cheapest. If price is the main issue with the client, then he may go with the cheapest price.

If you are observant, you get what you pay for. I once had a man call me up for a phone quote. He asked me, “You guys (upholsterers) are all the same aren't you? Why shouldn't I go with the cheapest price?” (and he probably did go with the lowest price, which wasn't me.) If you don't care about quality, why pay more to get a better job?

What does the price include? When an upholsterer says that his price includes everything, he may be afraid that if he raises the price for new cushions etc. that he may loose the customer.

Recommendations

Each client has different backgrounds, experiences, temperaments, etc. One client may be focused more on the upholsterer's personality (or lack of it).

One upholsterer may be gruff, and lacking in people skills, but may do a really good job. Another upholsterer may be very personable, love to talk and interact with people, but his skills may be only moderate. Some upholsterers may have both qualities, the may be very social and also do excellent work.

Consequently different clients might rate the same upholsterer differently. One client might be insulted by what they perceive as the first upholsterer's “stand-offish-ness” and ... give bad report of this upholsterer. Another client may be more focused on the quality of his workmanship and give glowing recommendations of the very same upholsterer.

Just like one wife might say, “I've got the best husband in the world” ( he takes me out to dinner every night, he works long hours to give me a large house.. ) Another woman might say, “I want a man who will be home each night, who will be here play with the kids, who will do activities with me and the family."

Similarly, one client might say, “I've got the best upholsterer in the world. He only charged me $300 to recover this sofa.” While another person might say, “I've got the best upholsterer in the world. Look at how all those stripes match, see how fluffy the down cushions are,... He only charged me $3000 to recover my couch. (and both clients could have the same type of couch.)

The point is, when you get a recommendation, whether good or otherwise, ask the speaker what specific things they liked or disliked about the upholsterer.

Reputation

Reputation means public recognition that someone has consistently done a good job to many people in the past. If the reputation is attached to a one-man shop, then that person has the reputation. But , if the reputation is attached to a multi-person shop things get a little trickier. If there is a quality inspector, such as the owner or manager, who consistently checks the quality, then.... But if each person in the shop is responsible for his/her own work, then the quality of your work might vary, depending upon which upholsterer in the shop does your work.

But things can change with time. Reputation is an indicator of past behavior, but it doesn't always predict future behavior, past reputation is not always an indicator of current quality. You might get a referral from a friend who had her sofa recovered twenty years ago, and she was very pleased. Well, a lot can happen in twenty years.

For example, the largest upholstery firm in Salem had a good reputation that it took years to build. Eventually the business passed onto the son. After a period of time, he had marital problems, and his marriage split up. The business then passed over to the x-wife. During the tumultuous years key people left the business, quality began to suffer, customers were unhappy, finances became a problem. Eventually the business suddenly closed.

In another example, an upholsterer in my town had a shop for years along the highway. In recent times he had diabetes and started loosing his vision. He should have stopped doing upholstery, but for some reason he kept doing it. During the last period of business lost most or all of his vision, and the quality of his workmanship dropped considerably. Once happy clients were now disappointed. The point is, things can happen. Always go into any business relationship with your own eyes open. Check for yourself what the current situation is

Finding someone with a good reputation doesn't absolve you of your responsibility to use your eyes and your brain.

Potential Problem Areas

Assuming that both parties are honest and want to do what is right, here are some potential problem areas:

1. Unclear Expectations: The client doesn't clearly explain what she is wanting: she is unclear with herself about what she wants. She may not have thought it out what she is expecting, and so she doesn't clarify her expectation to the upholsterer.
2. Unclear or Lacking Specifications: The upholsterer is unclear about what he will specifically be doing. The upholsterer may just assume that whatever he does will be fine with the client.
3. No, or minimal, written work order. Many upholsterers don't write out many, if any, details on a work order about what he will be doing.
4. Mismatch of client and upholsterer. Not ever upholsterer is a good match for any one client. It often pays to put in a little (or a lot) of effort to find an upholsterer that is a good match for you. To find out more, read this article on Upholsterer Types . (There should also be a corresponding article on "Customer Types") If a client and upholsterer are mismatched, they can drive each other crazy.

Also, see these articles:

1. Finding A Good Upholstery Shop
2. How to Find a Great Upholsterer

This was a root book page for:
Antique Reupholstery
Cushions
Cutting Layouts
Pattern Matching
Quality Standards
Seam Binding
Sewing
Skirts on Furniture
Tear-Down Methods
Trims
Upholstery Methods & Materials
Upholstery Principles
Upholstery Springs
Upholstery Trims
Upholstery Videos
Upholstery supplies
Yardage
Your Shop
Upholstery Videos

In some applications, such as in restaurants that have their booths covered in vinyl, vacuums and floor polishers can run into the corners of the booths and cause damage. How do you protect those corners from getting damaged? I was asked if there was some type of clear plastic corners that just screw on. This was my answer?

 Here's one rule of thumb I go by. Often times there are ideas about what I want to find. Then there is what is actually available. As you know, upholsterers have to be extremely creative, often finding or creating substitute items to replace what the original way. [u][b]What is available that will do the job?[/b][/u] Perhaps you can find the clear plastic corner protectors, perhaps not. Be open to other ideas. Maybe something else will fulfill the same purpose. I did a search on the Internet and here are some ideas for corner protectors:

1. Here are some [url=http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/search.asp?search=corner+protectors&x=0&y=0]Clear Butyrate Corner Guards[/url] .
2. Here are lots of pictures of [url=http://images.google.com/images?q=plastic+corner+guards&hl=en&sa=N&um=1&newwindow=1&imgtype=photo&as_st=y]various Corner Guards on Google[/url] . Flip through the pages of picture until you find what you like.
3. Here is another type of [url=http://hardware.hardwarestore.com/27-111-corner-protectors/corner-guard-222729.aspx]Clear Plastic Corner guards[/url] .
4. Here are [url=http://www.wallprotex.com/corner_guard/]more corner guards[/url] .
5. And here are some more [url=http://www.complast.com/CORNERGUARDS/index.htm]Clear and Colored Corner Guards[/url] .
6. Use some leather, such as tool belt grade leather to put on corners. You can use decorative tacks or screws to hold it on. [url=http://shop.marshcouch.com/picture?table=options&pic=530402&width=80&height=70]See this example[/url] .
7. Call a Janitorial supply company and see what type of corner protectors that they have
8. Paper and Packaging companies have a [url=http://ronstanpaper.dynamiccatalog.com/UDS_OC_DC/dspdetails.asp?ID=2063&cid=0&scID=0&m=0]corner protector like this[/url] .
9. Here are some [url=http://www.cheap-homefurnishings.com/item/42590196/Kidco-4-Pk.-Soft-Corner-Protectors/]Safe Corner Products[/url] . 
10. Perhaps some metal corner protects, [url=http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.handyltd.co.uk/images/divan.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.handyltd.co.uk/bcs.php&usg=__lW4-vmGisVRUU1o93C44XanE38E=&h=225&w=300&sz=77&hl=en&start=4&sig2=Q14rFdMCLsA1shRGahsnQg&um=1&tbnid=OVdxaRLDqInzdM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dupholstery%2B%2522corner%2Bprotectors%2522%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1%26newwindow%3D1&ei=6qgWSrS_OoTUswOOnNDhCA]like this[/url] , would do.
11. Check with your local janitorial supply companies. They often sell corner protectors.
12. Ask local Janitor and house clearning companies where they get their corner protectors.

There are lots of corner guards/protectors. Find out what is actually available and give you client choices. Be flexible.   Best Wishes, Stephen

(This article was written for upholstery professionals. To see a version of this article for clients, go here.)

Upholstery is a very specialized trade. We often take on a wide variety of projects. Sometimes those are one-of -kind projects that we are creating from scratch, or we might be making a number of the same type of furniture items, such as cushions, church pews, or restaurant booths. Other times we may be altering the frame, the style, or the cushions on a piece of furniture.

If we cut the fabric before we have a clear understanding of the job, making mistakes can cost us a lot of money. Planning our jobs ahead will serve both us and the client much better.

As an example of preplanning, before beginning building hundreds or thousands of a product, manufactures will create a prototype so they can see how everything fits together and to see if everything works as it is supposed to. The manufactures do have an advantage over an upholsterer though. They can spread the cost of the prototype over the entire production run, so that the cost of the prototype is very small on a "per piece" cost.

Upholsterers, on the other hand, can't usually spread the cost of a prototype over hundreds of furniture pieces. We can only apply the cost of the prototype to that one job, so we can't afford to spend very much time on making prototypes. However, we also can't afford to make very many mistakes with the client's fabric and/or furniture.

Whenever I'm doing an upholstery job, most of the time I just measure and cut the client's actual fabric. However, sometimes when I'm doing an unusual job, or if I'm uneasy about whether the job will work out as I imagine, I use some substitute fabric to test out my ideas. I keep cheap fabric around to experiment with. Any time I'm trying something new, that I'm unsure about, I'll make a pattern and/or a very simplified (no cording, etc.) prototype out of the cheap fabric to make sure it will fit. If I'm unsure about how to do something, I won't cut the job fabric, but will instead use the cheap fabric. Once I have my prototype the way I want it, I'll use the pattern to make the client's job.

Prototype Materials

Then the question would come up, "What type of material (fabric, vinyl, leather, etc.) should I use to make prototypes?". The answer would depend upon what type of projects you will be making. Ideally, you should use a type of material similar to what you will be actually using on the job. However almost any type of upholstery fabric or vinyl can be used. I even use drapery and clothing fabric, whatever I happen to have around. Lately, because I've had a roll of it around, I've been using some self-lined drapery fabric.

Ideas: Fabric stores (or even upholstery suppliers) often sell off undesirable fabric very cheaply. Watch for sales. Remember, when making prototypes, you don't care what color it is. The cheap fabric may be very ugly or undesirable - That's probably why they are selling it so inexpensively. But, for a prototype, it doesn't matter if it's an ugly color. You are making the prototype to make sure the project will work and that everything fits.

Making the Prototype

There are numerous ways to make prototypes, depending upon what the project is. Since we are not getting paid to make a prototype and we don't have a large run to divide out the cost, we need to make the prototype as simply as possible. So, much of the time I'll make a stripped-down version of whatever I'm making. I'm mainly checking size and how it fits, so I don't need any cording, special designs, etc. I'll also only sew it up enough to make sure it fits. Keep the fitting, cutting, and sewing as simple as possible.

Occasionally the project may require that you put more details and go to more work to make the prototype. That's just part of cost of doing business. Just accept it an go on with the project.

The Cost of the Prototype

Can you charge for the prototype? Sometimes you can, and sometimes you can't. If a making a prototype is necessary or advisable, I will make one whether I get paid for it or not. Being paid for the prototype is not the most important factor. Turning out quality work will repay you for your efforts in the form or happy clients and positive word of mouth advertising.

Making a Pattern

One of the uses of making a prototype is in making a pattern for some furniture that has no original covering, or if you are changing the style of the furniture.

When you ask, "How do I make a pattern?", the unasked question I hear is "How do I make a pattern correctly the first time, without making a mistake?". I would direct you back to this article on making Prototypes. Making a prototype is allowing yourself to make a guess using scrap fabric and then try out the results to see how it fits. From that first prototype you see how far off your first guess was, then, if necessary, make a corrected second prototype and see how that fits. Then, if necessary, make any adjustments to your 2nd prototype pattern. Now you have your pattern that you can use to cut the real fabric. I doubt that even "high-tech" pattern makers make a perfect pattern every time.

What do you do when you picked out a fabric that easily frays at the edge?

Seam binding: Most upholstery fabrics don't need anything done to the edge. Many upholstery fabrics have a special backing the minimized seam unraveling. However, there are a few fabrics that easily unravel. In these cases

• Make a larger seam allowance.
  
  • The further you sew from the edge, the less likely the seams will unravel. having a 3/4" seam allowance when needed will help prevent fraying of the fabric edge.
  • When you use the standard 1/2" seam allowance, be careful to keep a full 1/2". It is only to easy to sew out near the edge, which means that spot will easily unravel.
• Use a seam binding tape.
  • There's a product called "Seams Great " that you can sew around the seam allowance that hinders the seams from fraying. However, it's hard to find in a wide enough roll to wrap around the thick upholstery seams
  • You can make your own seam binding tape by cutting diagonal trip of a light fabric, such as a sheer fabric, cheesecloth, or a thin drapery lining or other thing fabric.. Here is an example of self-made seam binding tape .
• You can get liquid seam binders:
  • There is a product called "Fray Check " that I've used with good success. For liquid products, this is the best I've found so far.
  • Another product is call "No Fray Spray "that I use quite a lot. Besides minimizing fraying, it also makes softer fabrics a little stiffer, making the fabric easier to sew.

Basically, I don't do anything about fraying unless the fabric warrants it. You can tell if the fabric needs some edge treatment by simply picking at the edge of the fabric. If the fabric will fray, it will show itself because you can easily make it fray by picking at the edge with your fingernails. Check it both across the roll and up the roll. Sometimes fabric will fray one way, but not the other way, so check for unraveling both ways.

Should you use a Skirt Stiffener?

To answer the question of whether or not to use a stiffener, you need to look at the purpose and use of a stiffener. Whether or not you need a stiffener often is determined by the type of fabric, the method of skirt construction, and the type of furniture that has the skirt.

There are several methods for making a skirt.

• Many upholsterers sew all the pieces of the skirts and the top welt together. This method usually involves sewing a separate lining fabric to the back of the skirt flaps. This is the way that I used to do it for many years. However, I was never quite happy with the way that skirts looked. Whenever you sew a number of pieces together that all have to hang loose, it is very typical for the pieces to hang a just little uneven. Because of the differences between the weight of the upholstery fabric and the lining fabric, sewing the lining on can make the skirt buckle just a little. Using the skirt stiffener helps to keep the skirt hang smoother. You can get Skirtex (Skirt stiffener) at many upholstery suppliers. In any case, having the skirt stiffener is very helpful.
• Another method of making skirts. In recent years I have learned to staple the welt onto the furniture separately, then to put the skirt flaps on individually. Since the skirt flaps are just a piece of fabric folded over, the only seams in the skirt flaps are just at the ends. By carefully stapling the flaps on individually, it is much easier to have smoother hanging skirts, thus mostly eliminating, or minimizing the need for a skirt stiffener. However, a skirt stiffener may still be needed in some cases.

I generally haven't used skirt stiffeners because folding the fabric over serves a very similar function as the skirt stiffener. Also, because there is no seam along the bottom of the skirt, the skirt is much smoother and has less need for a stiffener to keep it straight.

I'd say, if you want to use the stiffener, go ahead. It is very helpful.

When using the stiffener, you don't need to sew it into any seams. Just put inside the skirt to hang loosely. The make the skirt long enough (or cut the skirt stiffener down) so that it doesn't get sewn in the top seam. The height of the stiffener should fill almost the whole height of the skirt, but just a bit short so that the skirt will fold over at the top.

Stephen

Upholsterers often have challenges in repair/reupholstering furniture that was made years ago. When the original manufacturers made each piece of furniture, they had specific parts and supplies that were available to them. Sometimes they used whatever parts and supplies were used widely and readily available. In some case they had parts or supplies manufactured specifically for use on certain pieces of furniture. Over the years, since the furniture was built, the suppliers for parts and supplies haved change what they have available, or they have went out of business.

 By the time the owner of the furniture bring sofa or chair to the upholsterer, the specific parts or supplies used in the furniture may no longer be available. That leaves the upholsterer to find and use whatever is available. Sometimes he repairs the part or finds some other type of part that will do that same job. Often times upholsterers have to be resourceful and creative to find whatever will work for the job.

Upholstery supply companies have some generic parts of the most commonly uses, but not parts that were only used in very specific furniture types. Often times substitutions are available to fit a similar use, but the parts themselves are much different than what on the furniture.

Upholsterers have to often "think outside the box", meaning: some people get it stuck in their head that there is only one way to do something. This type of thinking can hinder an upholsterer from seeing all the other possible solutions that are possible.

Upholstery Tear-Down Methods & Tools

What Different ways can you tear down a sofa or chair? What tools should you use and what is the best ways to use those tools? This page is just beginning. We will add more to it in the future. 

I use a variety of methods to strip the old fabric off the furniture. Sometimes I use the air powered tools. At other times I use the hand tools. I usually use a variety of methods on every job. Not any one method will work efficiently with every situation. It is important to learn a variety of methods so that you can use the method(s) that work for each jog.

Air Chisels

One of the most useful methods of stripping down furniture I have found involves using the air  powered ripping chisel. To learn more about it, go to Using an Air Ripping Chisel.

Ripping Chisels

Staple Removers

Screwdrivers

This was a TOC for:
A Wingchair's Life
Finding An Upholsterer
The Upholstery Process
Upholsterer Types

• Upholstery Terminology
• A Brief History Of Upholstery
• The Furniture Library"a recognized world center for research on not only furniture, but other interior furnishings, decorating and architecture"
• Antiques Digest - Lost Knowledge From The Past
• Upholstery Cover Materials

Are there any basic rules to upholstery?

Rules are merely guidelines about what works in many cases. The important thing is how the job turns out, not whether or not we followed a rule. The quality of the finished product is more important than the method used to produce it." You use whatever methods, skills, tools, and supplies needed to produce a quality product.

For the sake of clarity, I will use the word "guidelines" instead of rules. Over the years, like any trade or profession, upholsterers have developed different practices and methods that work best in many/most cases. It is much easier to do jobs when you follow one's normal practices. However, (again like any other trade) upholstery cannot be narrowed down to just following the prescribed practices. The upholsterer has to always be aware when other methods may work better than his "regular" methods. It has been said that (something like) "if you don't know how to do something in at least several different ways, then you really don't know how to do it well."

Over the years furniture changes, the tools and supplies available to the upholsterer changes. The expectations of clients change. The upholsterer must adapt to new types of projects and to use his skills to tackle many new challenges.

In the ever changing field of upholstery, more important that the upholsterer's skill is his willingness and his ability to learn new skills and methods, to adapt and change to  be able to tackle whatever projects come his way.