Looking for your next upholstery project? Want to spruce up your home in the first half of the New Year?

We have a project that may be just perfect for you – upholster a drop-in chair!

So, what is a drop-in chair?

A drop-in chair is also known as a slip seat or loose seat chair, meaning that a fully insertable and removable seat frame rests within the chair’s frame.

What will you need to upholster this type of chair?

As with any upholstery project you need the right equipment. Here at J A Milton we have all the upholstery you need, from the fabrics to the tacks that hold it all in place.
J A Milton have all the items you'll need to take on this upholstery project, such as:

(Please right-click the photo to follow the link to the product)

Once you have everything you need you can begin upholstering your drop-in chair!

The Process:

Step 1:

Remove the seat frame from the chair. This is done by simply pushing the seat out of the chair from underneath. Strip any existing upholstery and place the frame right side up on a surface. If there are any difficult to life tacks or staples then J A Milton have two tools to help with that; staple and tack removers.

Step 2:

Cut the jute webbing into strips at approximately 8 inches in length longer than the widest part of the seat frame.

• The number of strips needed depends on the size of the seat and what spacing you decide to go with. The smaller the spacing the more support will be given from the chair.

Top Tip: place the jute strips along the seat frame as you cut them out and stop when you have enough over the frame.

Step 3:

Place the first jute strip just at the end of the seat frame and the excess to the side. Then hammer three tacks in to hold the strip in place before folding the excess jute over itself and securing with another three tacks.

Step 4:

Pull jute strip across the frame and stick the strainer prongs into the jute (otherwise known as forking), then lever the strainer down to stretch the webbing straight and taut. Strainer with forks shown in the images above, if you’re wondering what we’re talking about!

Step 5:

Once happy with tightness, hammer three tacks into the strip to hold it in place. Fold the jute strip back over itself and secure it with a further three tacks before trimming excess webbing.

Step 6:

Repeat steps 2 to 5 with the other strips.

Step 7:

Cut the hessian so that it is slightly larger than the seat, folding the edges under then staple to top of the frame – over the webbing.

Step 8:

Cut the foam so it is slightly larger than the chair frame.

Repeat with the wadding and cover fabric – ensuring the fabric can be easily wrapped around the frame.

Step 9:

Stack the layers on a flat surface, right side down.

Step 10:

Wrap some fabric around the frame and secure in the centre with staples.

Continue with rest of the sides.

Step 11:

Stretch the fabric evenly down and towards one corner, then working from the centre out, staple in place.

Stop stapling about 3inches from corner, then repeat on other sides.

Top Tip: Occasionally look at the top side of the seat to ensure everything is neat.

Step 12:

You can use one of the following three corner techniques to finish your corner:

Butterfly Pleat:

This is the most common corner finish and is completed as follows;

Pull the fabric from the centre of the corner diagonally towards the opposite corner, stapling in place once taut enough. Then fold both sides of the remaining fabric and staple in place, creating two pleats.

Tailored Pleat:

This creates a clean folded corner. Straighten out the corner fabric and, creating a neat fold line, pull one side of the fabric under the frame and staple in place. Then fold the remaining fabric under the frame to create a neat, clean fold line and fix in place with staples.

Pleat Free:

This technique requires you to pull the fabric as taut as possible while stapling it to the frame. Trim any excess visible fabric, although there should not be much of it due to this method preventing fabric gathering in the corners.

Step 13:

Trim excess fabric, then cut the calico (muslin) so that it is larger than the frame, folding the edges under and fixing to the bottom of the seat with staples.

Now just carefully insert your completely upholstered seat frame inside your drop chair, making sure that it fits perfectly,  and enjoy sitting in your new comfy chair!

Do you need the tools to complete this project?

We are the experts in upholstery supplies and training. Contact the team at JA Milton on 01691 624023 for more information. More of the visual type? Visit our YouTube channel to find out more about how to create your drop-in seat.

Scrim foam is a fabric backed foam that is normally used in vehicle trimming when making car seats, car headlines and carpets. It makes the finish look more professional and is used to soften hard surfaces.

Scrim foam is suitable to be used as backing for a top fabric, leather or vinyl to create a quilted finished look, making the material thicker and softer.

You may use scrim foam in a variety of vehicles to help them look their best! Domestic vehicles that scrim foam can be use in include:
- Cars- passenger car headliner
- Door cards
- Upholstered camper van walls

Despite the usual uses for scrim foam, there are other upholstery projects that it can be used for.  It can be used for a much simpler upholstery task such as your dining room chairs or for upholstering other hard surfaces.

Due to its versatile nature and ease of use with any material of choice it is perfect for using when upholstering hard surfaces, such as a dining room chair, creating a more comfortable set of seats for the whole family.

Top Tip: When upholstering with Scrim Foam, sew through all layers and create a heavy top stitch for a rich professional effect.

Upgrade anything from your vehicle interior to your dining chairs. Trust J A Milton with your upholstery needs.

If you would further advice or information, please contact the team at J A Milton on 01691 624023.

Are you looking for a gift to give someone but aren’t sure what? It’s not too late to make something!

Fabric covered notice boards make for great presents, as not only do they look fantastic, but they are extremely handy when it comes to keeping reminders or pictures in a safe, noticeable place.

To make your own fabric notice board you will need the following:

+ Corkboard or stretched canvas board

+ Your choice of fabric

+ Wadding or quilt batting

+ Thread

+ Staple gun and staples

+ Buttons

+ Ribbons

Once you have all the equipment you need you can begin making your unique fabric pin board by following our simple steps:

Step 1 – Lay your fabric on a flat surface and put your board on top. Then cut around the board, ensuring you have enough fabric to wrap around the edges of the board.

Step 2 – Repeat step 1 with the wadding.

Step 3 – Place the fabric ‘right side down’ on a flat surface, placing the wadding centrally on top, before finally placing the board centrally on top of all the material.

Step 4 – In the middle of each side fold the wadding and fabric around the edge of the board, forming a neat hem around the wadding. Staple this in place using the staple gun – make sure the fabric is taut before stapling.
Continue along each side until nearly at the corners, when at corners, cut off the excess wadding.

Step 5 – then carefully fold the fabric to form neat corners and staple all the layers in place.

Step 6 – Run a length of ribbon diagonally across the board from one corner to the opposite corner. Secure the ribbon in place on the back of the board using the staple gun.

Step 7 – Continue to add lengths of ribbon to the board, spaced as you would like.

Step 8 – Secure the ribbon and fasten it down wherever the ribbon crosses over on the front of the board. Depending on what board you decided to use, you can do this in one of two ways:

+ Canvas board – Use a button sewn into the fabric and canvas to secure the ribbon crosses.

+ Corkboard – Use an upholstery pin or normal pin to secure in place, then you can choose whether to use a button for decoration or not.

Your fabric notice board is now ready to enjoy!  hang-up for yourself or give as a gift.

We hope these steps have provided you the information you need to make your own fabric notice board! If you would further advice or information, please contact the team at J A Milton on 01691 624023.

Looking to spruce up your home before Christmas hits, but not sure where to start?

There are many items of furniture that can be reupholstered, from bed headboards to small footstools, but did you know that you can also make your own custom upholstered buttons?

Why not start small before you make any major changes to your home furniture…

Here’s a simply step by step guide to get you creating your own beautifully upholstered buttons.

What You Will Need:
-Button tops and backs
-Button Covering Press
-Scissors
-Fabric

Step 1

Layout your fabric of choice and cut to a circular size that is double the diameter of the button you want to upholster.

Step 2

Centre the fabric on the button press and push your chosen button into the mold with the button top.

Step 3

Place the button back into the button machine mold, and place the mold with your fabric in it on top.

Step 4

Now, use the lever press to push the button bottom into the mold fully. There may be a slight click when the button is fully in place within the press.

Step 5

Push your upholstered button out.

               Tip: Don’t pull the button out, as this may result in the back snapping off.

You will now have a beautifully custom upholstered button that you can use to spruce up your furniture and pillows around the house, bringing the subtle change in atmosphere you were going for. It’s the small things that can sometimes make the biggest difference.

Upholstered buttons aren’t just for furniture and pillows though. Why not use them to bring new life to your wardrobe?

We hope these steps have provided you the information you need to upholster your own buttons! If you would further advice or information, please contact the team at JA Milton on 01691 624023.

Footstools are great to put your feet up to relax after a long day, not only are they comfy, they provide your tired feet with the elevated support they need! It can be hard to find the right shape, size and fabric you want all in one footstool, so why not make one? They’re much simpler to make than you may first think…

Ever thought of upholstering a small side table as a footstool? They’re sturdy, come in all sorts of sizes and you can use whatever coloured fabric you would like!

What You Will Need:

• Side table
• Your choice of fabric
• Foam
• Pencil
• Upholstered buttons
• Flat large buttons
• Electric drill
• Upholstery needle and thread
• Staple gun
• Any decoration you want to add

Once you have all the equipment you need you can begin making your very own footstool. Follow our simple ten stop process:

Step 1 – Place the buttons on top of your side table where you will want them to sit and mark these positions with a pencil.

Step 2 – Make a whole in the top of the side table where you marked with the pencil.

Step 3 – Cut the foam to the size of the table top and place on the table with the fabric covering it, ensuring that there is a 15cm overhang of fabric on all sides.

Step 4 – Work from the centre, pass the upholstery needle through the button loop and stitch through the fabric, foam and hole in the side table top. Pull tightly to ensure a flush finish.

Step 5 - Pass the needle underneath the table and in and out of the two holes of a flat button, pulling it taut, and then push it back up through the hole, repeating this step several times to ensure it is secure.

Step 6 – Continue adding the buttons.

Step 7 – Turn the table over and begin pulling the fabric from the edges tightly towards the middle of the frame and staple in place.

Step 8 – Continue stapling the other sides.

Step 9 - In each of the corners pull the fabric down and secure this before folding and stapling the pieces either side, creating a pleat.

Step 10 – Trim any excess fabric and attach any decorative trimmings or additional features.

Now, time to put your feet up and enjoy your footstool!

To make things even easier for you, we have put together a Footstool Kit that comes with a free tuition DVD. Making your own footstool couldn’t be easier.

We hope these steps have provided you the information you need to make your very own footstool! If you would further advice or information, please contact the team at JA Milton on 01691 624023.

J A Milton – Blog – How To Reupholster A Leather Sofa.

Having a leather sofa or chair is usually a great addition to any room. However, over time, these shiny, new sofas begin to look old and tired. Why spend money on a new one when you could breathe life into your old one by reupholstering it?

Follow our 17-step guide to reupholstering your leather sofa, and it’ll look as good as new!

Step 1- To remove the old leather from the sofa turn it upside down and remove the existing staples.

Step 2- Separate each piece of old leather, so that you can use these pieces as a template.

Step 3- Lay the new sheet of leather face down on a flat, level surface. Then, place the old pieces face down on top.

Step 4- Pin in place.

Step 5- Use an electric fabric cutter to cut out the new pieces, then remove the pins.

Step 6- Place piece of leather for the back of the sofa where you want it and staple into place along the back-top edge.

Step 7- Position the front piece into place by flipping the leather over face down draping it down the back.

Step 8- Staple on top of the back piece, across the top edge of the sofa.

Step 9- Flip leather back over front.

Step 10- Pull back leather tightly down and staple in place in the corners. Then, staple into place at the sides and on the inside of the bottom back piece.

Step 11- Place each arm piece onto the sofa and staple in place on the inside and outside of the back.

Step 12- Place the bottom front of the sofa piece onto the front and staple into place by flipping the leather over on top, stapling along the front edge. Flip it back over and staple underneath the front of the sofa.

Step 13- Attach the remaining open sides on the back piece to the sofa, covering the back of the arms.

Step 14- Staple underneath the sofa to fix the leather into place.

Step 15- Seat Cushions:

       >Cut the pieces for seat cushions and pin together with the faces facing in.

       >Sew a 5/8-inch seam along the front and sides, leaving the back of the cushion open.

       >Sew the zip onto both sides of the opening.

       >Turn the seat covers the right way around and place the foam inside.

       >Zip up the seat cushions.

Step 16- Finish by hammering tacks in a line along the bottom front edge and arms to give the sofa that classic look.

Step 17- Enjoy your newly upholstered leather sofa!

Now that you know how to do it, create the look you want with a reupholstered leather sofa.

If you would like further advice or information on reupholstery, please contact the team at JA Milton on 01691 624023.

J A Milton – Why Use Flanged Cord?

Flanged cord is decorative cord that is used to add a finishing touch to the seams of cushions, seats and headboards by giving a rolled trim, but why and how should you use flanged cord?

Nothing quite finishes off a pillow like a smooth clean edge and this can be achieved by sewing flanged cord into any seam.

The equipment you will need:

• Sewing machine,
• Sewing machine needles,
• Fabric,
• Flanged cord,
• Thread.

Find out below how to sew flanged cord into a pillow:

Step 1

Prepare all the pieces of your pillow by cutting them to size and adding any zips if required.

Step 2

Pin the flat fabric piece of the flanged cord to the outer edge of one pillow piece, placing the cord so that the stitching is in line with the project’s seam allowance and leaving a couple of extra inches at the start if the cord (leave this bit unpinned).

Step 3

When you reach the starting point leave the remaining flanged cord a few inches long (unpinned).

Step 4

The ends of the flanged cord overlap, so keep the end of the cord out of the way when you start to sew it to the pillow.

Tip: use a regular zipper foot and stitch on top of the stitching on the flanged cord, as this will enable you to sew against the round part of the flanged cord.

Step 5

When you have reached the end point, take the unpinned flanged cord and overlap it on top of the first, sewn down flanged cord. A small little “v” where the two meet is the desired effect.

Step 6

Trim excess flanged cord.

Step 7

Place the next layer of fabric for your pillow on top of the first, with the right sides facing together and line up the outer edges, pinning them in place around the pillow.

Step 8

Using the same zipper foot as before, stitch the pillow pieces together on the seam allowance.

Step 9

Once you are happy with the sewing and placement, turn your pillow case the right way around.

Step 10

Poke out the corners.

Finally

Enjoy your finished cushion.

Putting finishing touches onto a pillow case doesn’t need to be complicated with extravagant buttons, simply sewing some decorative flanged cord into the seam can give your cushion the luxury feel you’ve been looking for.

We hope these steps have provided you with the information you need! If you would further advice or information, please contact the team at JA Milton on 01691 624023.

What Is Jute Webbing?

Jute is the most common form of webbing material that is found in the suspension systems within furniture. The material is made up of a natural, vegetable fibre that is spun into extremely strong bands that are then used for furniture suspension.

Typically, the best jute webbing comes on a roll and is marked with a red stripe, on the other hand, lesser quality jute webbing is marked with a black stripe. The different qualities of jute webbing can influence its use within the upholstery industry.

High-Quality

This jute webbing is generally used to give support for the part of the furniture that is likely to be baring the most weight. For example; the seat.

Lesser-Quality

This type should be used on traditional furniture pieces and on sections of the furniture that will bear the least weight. For example; the back piece.

A Brief History

Jute has been used for furniture webbing for hundreds of years. Up until the 1950s jute was the only material that fit the purpose for suspension, it was only at this time in history that synthetic materials began to appear for this use.

How Is Jute Webbing Used?

Jute webbing is used to create a structural framework over coil springs within the furniture under the seat and are stretched as tightly as possible over this area of the furniture. It is often laid out in a woven style, before being fixed in place, to provide as much structural support and stability as possible. This type of webbing is usually fix in a traditional style, which involves pulling the webbing tight and as even as possible.

Tip: when upholstering a chair, flip it onto its back and work out how many strips it originally had. This will enable you restore it to it’s original state.

When it comes to repairing any upholstered furniture, it is important to know which webbing was used before, to ensure that you repair the chair to its original strength and reduce the risk of damaging it further due to the use of incorrect webbing or fitting. There are several other types of webbing:

• Industrial/commercial polyester webbing,
• Polypropylene webbing,
• Nylon webbing.

These all come with their advantages and disadvantages, but if you are unsure about what webbing your furniture had, using jute webbing is a safe bet. You can create the strength you want, with the most traditionally used form of webbing.

We hope that this has provided some insight into jute webbing for upholstery. If you would further advice or information, please contact the J A Milton team on 01691 624023.

How To Attach Clips To Pirelli Webbing 

Step 1 - When you use Pirelli webbing, there is a rough side and a smooth side. The rough side goes to the top to stop cushions from slipping, the smooth side to the bottom.

Step 2 - When you have a clip, it has got a little lip on one side and nothing on the other side. The clip needs to be placed with the lip facing the rough side of the webbing, as it is going to go across the chair. If you place the clip onto the webbing so that the webbing goes over the side without the lip, it will actually cut the webbing.

Step 3 - You can attach the clips with a vice. To do this, place the flat side of the clip towards the outside of the vice (towards the handle) and place the webbing in the bottom of the clip.

Step 4 - Tighten the vice onto the clip. However, don’t take it too hard because it is not meant to come all the way through. The teeth are just meant to grip into the webbing. When the webbing and clip goes into the groove across the chair, the rough side is to the top, the smooth side to the bottom. You want to take 10% up on that (the webbing) before you put the other side on to give you a stretch.

Step 5 - When placing your clip on the other side, the process is exactly the same. However, if you do not have a vice, then a pair of pliers can be used to squeeze the clip into place. A vice is much simpler, but the pliers are just as effective.

To watch our handy YouTube video, demonstrating how to attach clips to Pirelli webbing, click the 'play' button below:

In need of some Pirelli webbing or clips? Follow the link to purchase from our online shop:

https://www.jamiltonupholstery.co.uk/products/webbings-linings-platforms/webbings/pirelli-webbing

If you having difficulty with a certain tool or you would like to know if there is better way of doing something, please do not hesitate to send us an email: sales@jamiltonupholstery.co.uk
or call us:
01691 624023

If you are new to upholstery and are interested in making something relatively straight forward to get you started, why not try to make a bean bag? They can be made in varying sizes, so you could even make a small one first to make sure you understand the process, before going ahead and making a full size one! Beanbags can come in a vast range of colours and even have varying shapes, but the standard beanbag is a sphere that molds to user.

They are a lot simpler to make than they first appear, find out how below:

First things first, you will need to make sure that you have all the equipment you will need;

• A Sewing Machine,
• Thread,
• Needle,
• Marking Pencil,
• Fabric Scissors,
• Bean Bag Filling.

Helpful Tip: Ironing the fabric can make measuring and sewing easier.

Once you have all the equipment you need, you can begin to make your very own beanbag.

Step 1

For the beanbag you will need two equal sized pieces of fabric. Measure the fabric to the size you want, marking it with the pencil as you go, then cut the piece out.

Tip: leave an extra inch around where you have measured to allow for when you sew the pieces together.

Step 2

Lay one piece of fabric over the other, ensuring that the pattern is facing the inside, towards the other fabric piece. Tack the pieces together, making sure the edges are flush.

Step 3

Stitch your fabric together.

Place the edges of the fabric under the threaded needle of a sewing machine, make an inseam almost all the way round. You need to leave a space so that you can easily fill the beanbag up later on.

Then go back around the inseam leaving half an inch between the first inseam. Don’t sew up the space you left.

Once done, remove from the machine. Cut off excess fabric and thread.

Step 4

Reach through the space you left when sewing and grab the seam on the opposite side.

Pull the fabric through the space, flipping the beanbag the other way around, and make sure that the all the seams are correct.

Step 5

Fill the beanbag with your beanbag filling. We recommend using polystyrene beans.

Step 6

Sew up the hole you filled up the bag up through by hand using a small, sharp needle.

Step 7

Enjoy!

To make things even easier for our customers we have put together a Beanbag Kit that comes with a free tuition DVD. Making your own beanbag couldn’t be easier.

We hope these steps have provided you the information you need to make your very own beanbag chair! If you would further advice or information, please contact the team at JA Milton on 01691 624023.