Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design

401 Pages·2013·93.544 MB·English

by  Brown, Amanda

spruce
A STEP-BY-STEP guidE To uPholSTErY And dESign
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ß
Storey Publishing
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a step-by-step guide to
u p h o l st e ry
and design
Amanda Brown
photography by Ryann Ford
ß
Storey Publishing
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The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.
Edited by Deborah Balmuth and Pam Thompson
Art direction and book design by Alethea Morrison
Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith
Photography by © Ryann Ford, except for © Amanda Brown: 22, 23, 74, 75, 140, 141, 194, 222,
223, 310, 311, 359 (top l. & r.), 373 and 380 (welt cord foot), and 384 (zipper foot); © Nataliya
Dvukhimenna/123RF.com: 319 (illustration background); and © 7io/iStockphoto.com:
13 (illustration background)
Photo styling of interiors by Jenny O’Connor
Illustrations by Allegra Lockstadt, with an additional illustration: 13 by © Amanda Brown
Fabric pattern illustrations on iii (title), vi, vii, 6, 18, 22, 23, 70, 74, 75, 136, 140, 141, 218, 222, Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch.
223, 306, 310, 311, 332, and 348 by Allegra Lockstadt
Cutting layout illustrations by Ilona Sherratt
— Unknown
Indexed by Nancy D. Wood
© 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.
The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recom-
mendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The
author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.
Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized
editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
Printed in China by Shenzhen Caimei Printing Co., Ltd.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress CataLoging-in-PubLiCation Data
Brown, Amanda, 1982–
Spruce : a step-by-step guide to upholstery and design / by Amanda Brown.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-61212-137-6 (hardcover : alkaline paper)
ISBN 978-1-60342-903-0 (ebook)
1. Upholstery. I. Title.
TT198.B73 2013
747'.5—dc23
2013012590
Storey Publishing is committed to making environmentally responsible manufacturing decisions.
This book was printed on paper made from sustainably harvested fiber.
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Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch.
— Unknown
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Contents
foreword by grace bonney ..........................................................................................1
IntroductIon .....................................................................................................................2
mIx ’n’ match upholstery ..............................................................................................4
chapter 1: Getting Inspired and Designing the Space .........................................7
an american in paris: upholstering a louis Chair
Project 1: ......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
a new pair of slippers
Project 2: ................................................................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
spread your Wings
Project 3: .......................................................................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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three-seater tune-up
Project 4: ........................................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
ottoman empire
Project 5: ....................................................306
chapter 28: Material Requirements for Diamond
Tufting and Leather Upholstery 101 ...................308
chapter 29: Diamond Tufting the Cocktail Ottoman .............318
topping it off
project 6: ..........................................................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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page
1
Foreword
I’ve been known to say that 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 couldn’t 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 Amanda’s
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 Amanda’s work and taste has spread
across the country.
Whether you’re 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
doesn’t 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. She’s been teaching students
to reupholster for years now and you’re all about to get a master class from a seriously
talented — and tastemaking — master.
— Grace Bonney,
founder of Design*Sponge
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