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franksmom_2010

How to upholster around inside corners

franksmom_2010
12 years ago

Please help. I've looked all over the internet for hours, and still don't have a clue. The one upholstery book I have has a lame line drawing and then just shows the final product.

I'm recovering a drop-in seat on an old telephone table. It has one outside corner, and 3 inside corners that go around the chair legs. The inside corners are shaped like an "L".

I've just finished the muslin cover, and it doesn't look hideous, but I'd like to get the finish fabric to look better.

The seat actually sits on top of the chair frame, rather than dropping down into it, so all of the edges show.

Comments (17)

  • beausrose
    12 years ago

    Here is a how-to link for you. Look around at Chap 8 and then at Chap 12 where the fabric is wrapped around the chair arms. Actually Chap 3b shows a corner too.

    Try this with a piece of scrap muslin first to make sure you have the corner sized right.

    Good Luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: How to upholster a chair

  • cliff_and_joann
    12 years ago

    Post a pic of the chair so we can 'see' what you mean.

  • franksmom_2010
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I looked at most of those videos. While there's a lot of great info, the corners on that chair are all hidden by the frame, so the construction is different.

    Here's the furniture in question:




    Three of the seat corners go around a leg:




    I've done enough regular chair seats that I can get a pretty smooth, tight corner on the square, but this was as good as it got:




  • celticmoon
    12 years ago

    I will ask my upholstery teacher at my Saturday afternoon class.

  • Circus Peanut
    12 years ago

    You make a diagonal cut inwards from the corner, just at tiny smidge shy of all the way to the inner post corner. Then you fold both sides under to make your L.

    It feels odd at first if you're used to sewing lighter-weight clothing where you always have to edge or hem things -- not in upholstery. The corner won't tear out. Just slice and fold.

  • franksmom_2010
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Circuspeanut, that sure looks like the way to do it. I tried that corner with a scrap of fabric, and I think it's going to work. Maybe I should use a little Fray Check on those cut edges, just in case?

  • Circus Peanut
    12 years ago

    You could, but the texture of the dried fluid might stand out more than you like? Experiment first and see how it looks. Most upholstery fabrics won't need it; they're made to resist fraying.

    Happy cornering! Show us how it turns out --

  • franksmom_2010
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks!

    I'm excited about this project. It's going in my craft room, so it's going to be very, um, colorful...when it's done.

    Our weather has been either too windy, too cold, or too humid to paint anything, so someday it will get finished. Oh, and I had to redo the new chair padding THREE times, because the seat cusion has to actually go under part of the chair frame at the back. The padding can't be taller than 1", not even by a little bit.

  • cliff_and_joann
    12 years ago

    The way circuspeanut displayed is correct...
    just one thing after you make the cut (stopping
    at the edge) pull your fabric STRAIGHT under tightly on both sides --
    paying close attention to the thread of the fabric, in other words,
    the fabric should be straight while pulling.

    You got wrinkles in your fabric because you pulled
    the fabric sideways. Remove the corner staples make
    your cut and pull it straight down and staple.

    Then give us another pic.

  • franksmom_2010
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Look! This is so much better!!! Thanks again!




  • cliff_and_joann
    12 years ago

    yeah, You've nailed it!

  • jb667514
    5 years ago

    I was trying to figure out a similar issue I'm having and stumbled across this post and these comments. Was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a rounded inside corner (as opposed to a 90 degree corner)? The other issue is the piece I'm securing the fabric to extends out from there. I've attached a picture from the Internet as an example of the inside rounded corner I'm referring to. This isn't my project but this is very similar. The fabric was already secured to the top of the table insert with spray adhesive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


  • Martin Halliday
    3 years ago

    I also have an inside corner problem, not not the same one as the original question.

    I have made a curved bench, and the woodwork turned out great, but my upholstery is off the mark. The problem is the inside edge of the bench where the fabric would need to be made of rubber to stretch far enough. I ended up cutting a slit in the fabric and putting a patch piece behind it, but it does not look great.

    Any help would be much appreciated.



  • ratherbesewing
    3 years ago

    I know this is an OLD thread, but let You Tube be your friend. To search, try words like “upholstering rounded cushions” and “ upholstering a rounded cushion with ease”. It’s all about the slow, gentle clipping ( cutting) of the fabric which allows it to stretch vs bunch. Good luck.

  • Martin Halliday
    3 years ago

    Thanks, but I tried YouTube before asking here.

  • Jennifer Wilson
    7 months ago

    This is super late as the post is old, but will hopefully help any new readers who stumble across it like I did.


    For ALL upholstery how to questions, I highly suggest checking out Sailrite.com and their youtube videos. They offer free fabric calculators so you know how much to buy and follow those up with in depth tutorials. Go to the very bottom of their home page to see the quick links to their tutorials and the calculators.


    They’ve changed my life when is comes to upholstery projects. So amazing!