I am quite brief in my descriptions of the actual process of reupholstering items. If I broke everything down every time I would end up writing a whole book and besides, I am firmly a believer that if you would like to learn how to do this, you should go to a class. However, when … Continue reading How to: Webbing
After the success of my mini raised beds, I definitely had the DIY bug. I had last Friday booked off work but the plans I had fell through so I was daydreaming on the Thursday about what to fill my day with. I ended up sketching out a plan for a bigger version of the … Continue reading Less Mini Raised Beds
A gardening post because of all the sunshine recently! Last autumn, I was watching an inordinate number of episodes of Gok Wan's Fill Your House for Free. While I think I preferred Kirstie Allsop's version, the phrase 'made with pallet wood we sourced for free online', obviously filtered into my head because when I saw some … Continue reading Mini Raised Beds
When I was at Kempton, I had my eye out for a duet or piano stool to use as a wedding gift for a friend getting married this summer. I was really pleased with the one I found as the upholstery was minimal but the stool was in really good condition. I wanted to have … Continue reading The Duet Stool
Remember at school, when you were carrying out some innocuous activity or another, and your teacher made you wear those awful plastic safety googles that were horribly uncool, blurred your vision and made it harder to finish you task? If you were lucky you got safety glasses that were slightly less awful. You only wore … Continue reading PSA: Wear Safety Specs!
Once I had finished the armchair, I was once again in search of a new project. This time I really wanted to do something for myself, either to keep or sell on. I had been systematically trawling the local house clearance and charity shops but nothing had caught my eye. When I moved into my … Continue reading A Visit to Kempton
Nanny was not a person I ever met. She was employed as a nanny for my grandfather when he was a small boy in the late 40s and 50s. Eventually he grew up and she went to work for another family but once she retired, she came back to live with him and his own … Continue reading Nanny’s Armchair
Somewhere between finishing Laura's maternity chair and starting on Nanny's armchair, I started to think about doing paid reupholstery commissions. I mentioned this to a few people and was offered an old stuffover chair to have a go at. I call it the doll's house chair because of its interesting back story. It was designed … Continue reading The Doll’s House and Ethel’s chairs
When I started upholstery, I didn't think I would be doing this for very long so I kept purchases to a minimum. Because I learn at a college, I could get away with having no tools at all and borrow everything during my lessons. However this is definitely not an option as I am horribly … Continue reading Every Upholsterer’s Essential Tools
As I got closer to finishing the piano stool, my mind started to wander to my next project. Eventually, moaning vocally to enough people paid off and I was offered a maternity chair by a friend in my dance class. I'd never heard of a maternity chair before and when I first saw it I … Continue reading Laura’s Maternity Chair
The Accidental Upholsterer 