Reupholstering a Wing Chair

So a few months after finishing the Milking Chair my Dad decided to pick up a wing chair from a friend who was planning to reupholster the chair herself but due to moving house couldn't take it with her so Dad bought it!

I soon found out that reupholstering a wing chair is a lot harder and you really do need two people working together!

First job was the completely strip the chair down from his dusty old (hideous) fabric. The next steps were:

• Thoroughly clean it

• Check it's structural integrity

• Add in webbing for the seat

• Re-line it with padding

• Buy a new foam cushion

• Then start the re-upholstery with the chosen fabric

Top Tip: Always use the existing fabric panels as a guide to cut your new sections.

Measuring and figuring out the best way to cut the fabric is key. Be careful when you dismantle and take off old upholstery fabric as it is useful to use the sections as a guide to cut your new fabric for re-upholstering.

We decided to line the chair with some cotton first and this helped act as a practice run of how we were going to cut the fabric and attach it in the right order. Worth doing when you're a novice like me still learning.

Dad having a well earned rest after figuring out the order in which we need to attach all the pieces and getting the back fabric panel fixed in place.

Top Tip: Labelling each panel is helpful so you know where it should go once cut out.

Pinning, tacking, stapling and sewing all the fabric and cording took time and effort, but was well worth it! Having a hooked upholstery needle and a metal thimble really helps!

Finishing off the Wing Chair, I sanded back the legs to their original lighter fruit wood. It gives a warmer, more modern feel to the chair, complementing the fabric.

I must admit, although I tried to cover the T-cushion myself, I decided I wasn't skilled enough (yet) and the chair was sitting for a long time without the cushion finished so I paid someone more skilled to get it done for me.

I still have some of the main material left over so am looking out for a foot stool to re-upholster and pair with the chair...watch this space!