Gates of Crystal: Ottoman

March 31, 2015

Reupholstering a Bergere Chair and Ottoman

I finished my daughter's kitchen chairs yesterday, so it's back to my Bergere chairs. I hope to have them done this week. I reupholstered several chairs a few years ago but I am doing something different with my new chairs that I'll share soon.

I bought this chair several years ago but it didn't look like this when I got it.

It was originally covered in zebra? is this zebra? and the piping was very worn. I always laugh that the men at the used furniture store that I haunt must think I have a really ugly house! Most of my chairs are pink underneath so if they're keeping track, they think my decor is pink and zebra! lol

I had never reupholstered anything before but I loved the beautiful wood on this chair and ottoman and felt I had nothing to lose. I wasn't going to leave it at the store and I wasn't going to leave it like this.

I wasn't blogging yet when I did the chair so I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of how I did it but I can show you how I did the ottoman and it's the same steps.

I wanted to make the ottoman cushion fuller so I added some batting under a piece of foam that I cut to fit the shape of the cushion.

This is the same poly-fil batting that I use when I make pillows.

I had already made a cover for the whole thing. You can find how to make a cushion cover here. How to Make A Slipcover - Part Two

I got this blue linen at Hobby Lobby.

On 'How to Make a Slipcover' I show how I make cushion covers fit perfectly and how to add the piping.

I then attached my cushion cover to the ottoman with a staple gun. After pulling it tight everywhere, I stapled right next to the wood and trimmed away the excess fabric.

I wanted the double piping that you see on professionally covered furniture.

I measured out a length of piping long enough to go completely around the ottoman and covered it with my fabric.

I then added a second piece of piping right next to the first, rolled the fabric over it, and covered it, sewing between the two pieces.

I trimmed the fabric off. This unfinished cut will now be under the piping and will not show when you attach it to your chair or ottoman.

I attached my double piping with fabric glue. *Be sure you're not wearing nail polish when doing this step as the glue will dissolve it onto your fabric. I ordered this glue from Amazon.

I held the piping on with straight pins over night until it was good and dry.

And there's my new ottoman!

I used all these same steps to attach the fabric to my chair. We've lived on it now for a couple of years and it's held up well!

The small lumbar pillow came with the chair and I covered it to match and then made my toile pillow to coordinate the chair with the rest of the room.

Have a wonderful day! We woke up to snow on the ground here in Michigan so Spring is not springing 'in my neck of the woods' yet. We'll keep hoping!

love and blessings~

"After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him." Mark 15:20

I'm joining up with these parties:

Between Naps on the Porch - Metamorphosis Monday

A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday

StoneGable - The Scoop

DIY by Design Swing Into Spring

Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesdays

Dixie Delights Share Your Style

From My Front Porch to Yours Treasure Hunt Thursday

February 10, 2014

Reupholstering a Chair

I love Bergere chairs! And if you've ever priced a new one, you know that they can be very expensive. So I was thrilled when I found not one - but two! one day at my used furniture store. One had a pink flame style fabric on it and one had a dark animal print on it. But the second one had beautiful wood-work and a matching ottoman. I quickly stuffed them in the back of my van and drove off.

Since then, they've been covered in a couple of different fabrics and the first time I recovered them, I didn't do a great job. It was really more of an attached slipcover than upholstery. You can see the chair and ottoman here covered in blue toile (third picture down).

But I got bold this time and ripped off the original piping and did it right.

I didn't take pictures of the original chair but this is what the original ottoman looked like.

The people at the used furniture store probably think my house is REALLY UGLY! Right?

I wanted the over-stuffed look and my ottoman was a little flat. I added some Poly-fil...

and topped it with a piece of Poly-fil foam that I had cut to fit.

I had already made a cover.

So I stapled it on to the ottoman and trimmed away the excess fabric.

Then I needed to make the double piping that you usually see on upholstered pieces. If you don't want to do this step, you can use any trim or gimping that you'd like. I measured around the ottoman and cut two pieces of welting long enough to circle it. I covered the first piece by sewing it along the edge of the fabric.

I lay the second piece up against the first and rolled the fabric over on top of it and sewed along it again...

using a piping foot.

Then I trimmed away the excess fabric. This leaves the unfinished cut on the bottom of the double piping.

I used Magna-Tac 809 to glue the piping to the ottoman. It holds very well and dries quickly. Note: Do not wear nail polish while applying this glue. It will cause your nail polish to dissolve and get on your fabric!

As I glued the piping on, I secured it temporarily with push pins.

And here is the finished ottoman.

I've been making lots of changes the last month or so. I got a new lamp for Christmas from my kids and put it next to this chair for a cozy reading spot. I also moved a piece of art I had in our master bedroom and put it over the fireplace.

This is also showing you a sneak peek of the French shutters I have been working on. I've taken down all the drapes in the family room, dining room and living room and have been replacing them with shutters. (I'm waiting on my husband, who's been very busy, to get them hung on the walls.)

I've also moved around several pieces of furniture and will post pictures very soon.