February classes at Woodford

These last few weeks have seen …

Vic take a broken footstool with a tapestry cover and up-cycle it with 'annie sloan' paints to the legs -in red, orange (her favourite colour!) and blue. She rebuilt the stool with a webbing, hessian and coir stuffing, before cover the stool in calico and then hessian ready for a coffee sack top covering - picture of the final piece to follow!

New student Denise, has recovered 2 bedroom chairs in her first term! A new record for speed upholstering, although I like to stress that upholstery should equally be about 'the journey' as 'the destination'! That aside, Denise has almost recovered both the chairs in matching chenille with piping edge. 

Sara's last project is another favour for a friend - she has kindly recovered a deep buttoned footstool in new and beautifully clean (for now) cream cotton. She has transformed the shabby valour footstool into a thing of beauty :)

Jayne powers on with her restoration of a traditional Edwardian armchair - she has rebuilt the arms, seat back and seat base. A quick layer of polyester wadding before the top fabric goes in - Jayne is putting a patch-work effect on and I will post pictures of the finished chair - nice choice of tweeds so it will look quite amazing.

Kate is battling with the buttoning on her majestically 'alpha' chair, in black velvet snake-skin effect fabric with red velvet buttoning - don't mess with this chair!  The back stapled in place, Kate is fitting the seat top fabric.  Thinking about trims - vinyl with black upholstery nails, or red velvet trim?

Pat, new student, brought a soft furnished bedroom chair as her first project. It required a lot of sewing and planning and buttoning but the end result is a far more pleasing chair than the original chair. Pat could not be persuaded to try different coloured buttons  .. this time!

Janice is recovering a Parker Knoll wingback armchair for her daughter in a fabulous pale grey wool herringbone. Recovering the arms was similar to solving the rubic's cube - lots of thinking, planning and working through and then to the execution. Looks simplier than it is.

Lisa is at the stitched edge stage of her chaise. Lots of regulating and checking of the roll size and height throughout, with the odd retry when needed. Second stuffing next and the seat will almost be finished. Traditional upholstery is so satisfying. 

Finally Hilary has almost completed her child's bedroom chair. With care and a few bloodied fingers, she is near to finishing the stitching of the chair edging and back. Hilary's methodical approach and care has proved worth the time and effort. Well, I think so.

More next month ...