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Upholstery student learns recovery a tough
process
My husband and I are currently taking an upholstery
class taught by a colleague who provides upholstery
services for my clients. I was both surprised and delighted
when my husband decided to take it with me. I'm not
sure if he truly had an interest, or if he just didn't
want me to go to a night class alone, but regardless,
we both have been enjoying a bit of togetherness while
learning a new skill.
We thought we'd start with a relatively easy project--
dining room chairs-- before taking on anything too
complicated (like the cute barrel chair I've been wanting
to have reupholstered). How hard could this upholstery
thing be? After all, I do have some experience with
fabrics and sewing. We'll have our chairs done in no
time, I thought. But as I have learned about most do-it-yourself
projects, it is often harder than it looks. Sure, it
looks easy-- just remove the cushions, cut some fabric,
and use a staple gun to adhere the new fabric. Yes,
that is basically what happens, but it is amazing how
experienced professionals make things look so easy
while the rest of us struggle.
First there's the sheer strength needed to remove
all of the existing staples. I used all of my strength
to pry and pull out some very stubborn staples. My
husband's muscles definitely came in handy. Then there
is the precise centering and measuring before cutting
the fabric. There is the importance of getting your
pattern lined up just right before stapling. And then
there is the difficulty of having to pull the fabric
very tightly with one hand while stapling it with the
other hand.
It's amazing what happens when you learn about how
things are actually made. It makes you appreciate the
skill, time, and knowledge required. We've all called
a professional for a price estimate and wondered why
something that seems so simple costs so much money.
Well, usually it is because seemingly simple tasks
are more complicated and labor intensive than we realize.
With our upholstery project, what I thought would take
three hours, in reality took us about six. And what
I thought was a simple process proved to have many
more details and steps than I was aware of.
My husband and I have taken on many do-it-yourself
projects over the years. We've remodeled bathrooms,
repaired plumbing, installed flooring, baseboards and
light fixtures, painted walls, and more. Every time
we complete a project, we come away more appreciative
of the skill and time required to do it right. And
while we still sometimes bristle at the cost to hire
someone else to do something for us, we realize we
are paying not only for the convenience of not having
to do it ourselves, but also for experience and knowledge
that we may not have.
I'm very happy to have learned a new skill. But I
think I'll hire my upholstery instructor to recover
the cute barrel chair.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on Nov. 25, 2006.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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