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Stitching & Crafting Room:  How do you redo sofa cushions ?  |
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theoanne
True Blue Farmgirl
282 Posts
teddie
CARROLLTON
GA
282 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 2:04:19 PM
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I'm in a predicament. We have this LARGE sofa that DH bought when he was single. He slept on it for years and loves it because it is so long.( he is 6'4") It's not my favorite but is still in better than average condition. The pillows(5 back and 2 seat) need recovered and since it seems to be stylish to have cushions in a different fabric from the body of the sofa I can handle this. Now the problem. The foam cushions you sit on have lost their density. They spring back and look pretty good but when you sit on them they have no 'cush'. Your backside goes to the frame. I have put plywood under them for support and this helped some. To replace the foam will be in the 100.00 -150.00 range.By the time I buy the foam and material it's gonna be closer to$250. Not sure I want to invest that much. Any ideas on a cheaper way to stuff the seat cushions? I eventually hope to get rid of this beast but it will have to last a few more years before this happens. Could I use the present foam and add something to it?
I'm open for any option.
Thanks Teddie |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 4:25:07 PM
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My husband and I redid two antique wing back chairs for the cushions and fabric and all was 1000.00 per chair = 2000.00 So your price actually sounds pretty good. It is only good to invest time and money if you really like the item or sentimental. My chairs my grandmother owened. If we had an apholster do them they would have been 2000.00 a chair X 2 = 4000.00 so just by doing it your self you will save money on the labor ( if you know how) if not I can recommend some good books. If you want to add something those over stuffed cushions are popular. I am not sure what hey stuff them with though. But even an over stuffed cushion has a real solid foam base in the middle. This probably does not help much. But it sounds like you are going hte most economical way already.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2006 : 10:51:53 PM
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OK, I've done this...not sure I ever want to again, but it was an experience! LOL I recovered a camel back-sleeper sofa (part of the reason I hated doing it-it was sooooo heavy).
Anyway, I waited until the Waverly upolstery fabric I really wanted went on sale. Then I measured the various areas of the sofa & calculated how much fabric I'd need. I don't remember the total cost but the fabric was $80 when I bought at JoAnne's at 40% off.
I did exactly what you are talking about...I used lots of different-but coordinating fabrics. I think there are about 8 fabrics in all. I get more compliments on that silly sofa! Everyone loves it!
Our sofa had one long cushion across the seat with buttons every foot or so. Hated those buttons, the kids fiddled with them until the area around the button tore out & split the fabric. Anyway, When I was taking the sofa apart, I made notes to help me remember which pieces came off first, then putting it back together I just worked backwards off my list. I also numbered the old pieces of fabric & wrote down what they were from. Sometimes after they aren't on the furniture you look at the fabric parts & go "what the heck is this?". I used new quilt batting to plump up any flat spots, like across the arm rests and on the seat cushion. Oh, where the pesky buttons were I was left with holes-filled them with fiberfill, tightly packed. I wrapped the entire seat cushion in quilt batting-sewing it on firmly so it fit well. My MIL (a master needlewoman!) suggested I make a muslin lining for the seat cushion and then add the final fabric over that. It was an extra step I'm glad I did because the batting has never shifted and it kind of held everything together when I covered the cushion. I'm sure it has helped the general wear on the cushion too.
The old fabric that you remove becomes your pattern for the new pieces. Even making "new" piping is a cinch! I just covered over the old, covered it with strips of new fabric, then sewed on the machine with a zipper foot up against the piping. Easy!
I think you can do the job for not too much. I think $200 is realistic for everything if you are thrifty & watch for a good sale. You will also need a good awl, a heavy duty staple gun & I'd suggest a dust mask. Reupholstering is one of the dustiest jobs I can think of. If you have allergies it will most likey bother you. A pair of heavy workgloves when you are tearing thing apart is a good idea. Maybe hubby can help with the heavy parts since it's "his favorite" sofa! 
If you have more questions I will be glad to help! Good Luck!
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
Edited by - abbasgurl on Jul 04 2006 12:24:39 PM |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9093 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9093 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2006 : 08:01:11 AM
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WOW, that job is way over my skill level, guess I would have to sell the car, buy a new sofa , and then just stay home and sit on it since I couldn't go anywhere.
But good luck, sounds like you have been given some good ideas, let us know what happens.
NANCY JO |
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lovejanet
True Blue Farmgirl
97 Posts
Janet
La Canada
California
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2006 : 11:21:25 AM
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my mom and dad just re-upholstered my sofa. wow, what a great job they did! but, by no means was it cheap. i say, if you have a good quality sofa it is worth it to invest the money. i think foam was about $70.00 to $100.00 and sofa about $200 to $250.
this is an older sofa that i had in storage for about 4 years and finally moved into a house big enough for it.
Rhonda: sounds like you are an expert, my mom has never taught me the piping thing. but, you sound smart to have taken notes to guide you along the way. :)
happy fourth!
love, janet
http://www.lovejanet.typepad.com/ |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2006 : 12:28:35 PM
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By no means am I an expert-a dreamer maybe! LOL I always think "I can do that!" & jump right in. Right now I have two wingback chairs from Ethan Allen that need to be reupholstered. They sit sagging & faded in my living room taunting me! I'm not ready to tackle those babies just yet.
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2006 : 12:46:20 PM
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BE careful are they sagging on the bottom or the top. If the top is crushed no biggey if the bottom is sagging it means you need to rewark the bottom and retie all the spings best is an 8 way tie. Redueing the springs if you know how is about a 6 hour project per chair. My husband and myself did our two wings backs in 1 weeks time. But we worked on them every night from 5 pm till about 1 or 2 in the morning. they are gorgeous now and a real nice strong tapesty fabric that should last for about twenty or more years. I recommend getting the best fabric possible if you are really serious about keeping the item as it is a lot of work to redue them. It will be cheeper in the long run more expensive up front. I took a class a few years back 1/2 the class baught thin cheep cotton fabric ( cheep is relative it was great quality quilting fabric poor choice for apholstery). At the end of class the teacher rated all the items on quality and workmanship. The quilting cotton ones he said would not last 1 year the leather and tapesty like fabric ones he said should last 20 years with nice wear not kids jumping on them but normal adult use. So think when you buy the fabric what the goal is it a long time or short. Spend money on the best quality you can get . A short time buy what ever is the cheepest that you like. We chose long term because we plan on keeping these chairs for the rest of our lives. which means 2 to 3 more recoverings.
We also did piping and (antique brass tacks) which tacks more time and more money than just gimp. I like gimp I have used it on other chairs.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe |
Edited by - sunshine on Jul 05 2006 07:58:11 AM |
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theoanne
True Blue Farmgirl
282 Posts
teddie
CARROLLTON
GA
282 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 06:23:20 AM
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Thanks for all the tips. Some of you are more brave than I am. I've recovered cushions before ( hate doing piping) Thank goodness this is a modern sofa and the cushions will be fairly simple. Rhonda do you think the batting will help firm up the cushions or do I need maybe an extra layer of foam. This is not a sofa that is worth keeping or that I want to keep. At most it might go to a basement family room eventually. Sunshine I have an empire style sewing chair that needs redone,springs and all. where do I get info on spring tying? This little chair is as cute as can be but definetly needs redone. maybe I'll let someone else tie springs and I'll reupolster
Thanks again for all the ideas.
Nancy you can sit on my couch if you want LOL |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 08:01:50 AM
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I took a class at an reupolster shop through community education. But I also know that the reupolster also teaches other classes not through community ed. So you could try your local shops and see if any teach classes and call community ed. You could also check witht the local junior collages and universities I know both COS and BYU had class in upholstery. If none of this work just pay someone to re warp and tie springs. If you do this ask for two prices ask for price of just warping and springs tied and one to do the whole chair ( they may not be that much differnt depending on the size of the chair a small chair they might be close together a large chair like a wing back ( mine a huge) big price differnce. If you have them do just the warp and springs. then Take photos of what the chair looks like now and as you take it apart so you know how to redue it and notes of course also take out every last tack or staple depends on when it was redone last. you will have to take off all the padding if you do have to redue the springs and warps. If you don't then leave the padding on it helps you to know what the chair looked like. Does the chair have buttons that need fabric covers most upholsterers have a machine that will do this bring in the fabric and an old button tell them how many you want and they should be able to make them for you. It gives a nice finish. I hope this helped.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: How do you redo sofa cushions ? |
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How do you redo sofa cushions ?
