Hi friends! I know I usually don’t post on Thursdays but yesterdays post (click HERE) would have just been way too long, so I decided to split it into two.
I would not call this a tutorial since most upholstery pieces are slightly different in some way and I learned along the way.
I had many mishaps during this project.
One of my most nosy cats got stuck in the frame while exploring and she was really panicking too. It took me a while to get her out:
Another major thing I just noticed three nights ago is that I lost all the photos of the disassembly process which is in true Julia (Youleeya) fashion. I paid such attention to the disassembly process and even sketched it out which so came in handy. It took such a long time to take this chaise apart.
And my knuckles looked like this after removing all the staples with the upholstery pliers:
I was glad to have my little sketch to show me what to do when it was time to put it back together. And it is my biggest advice to anyone who wants to attempt to upholster anything: PAY ATTENTION TO THE DISASSEMBLY PROCESS. ๐ Ok?
And I’m trying to share some of the details of what I actually did.
I had to learn several things along the way and I’m glad my blog friends were there to share their experiences with me. My first issue was trying to find a sewing machine foot to sew the piping. I’m glad I listened to my friends who told me that a zipper foot would work too and it sure did:
![]() |
Click HERE for a great tutorial on how to sew welt cording. |
Another one was finding sturdy upholstery buttons. The ones you can find at the craft and fabric store are made out of plastic and I didn’t want that. I know I was going to have to put a lot of pressure on them and was afraid that plastic couldn’t handle it. So I asked around and my friend Jennifer from “Dimples & Tangles” told me to just have them made at a local upholstery shop since they have the large metal button presses.
I was lucky to find a local upholstery shop in town. I could have stuck around there for days to acquire some knowledge from the nice owner who does some amazing work.
He made me the buttons:
Tschüß
(Youleeya)
I wish you could see me scrolling back through this post over and over…I’m stunned—-like jaw dropping —eyes popping out of my head, stunned! Holy cannoli woman! You are AMAZING!!!!!!!
I love this more that I can tell you…wow. wow. wow.
xo
Totally in awe of you ๐ Amazing job!
Amazing job! The button tufting is so beautiful. I think the brass feet would look really cool but it is also great just the way it is.
Looks beautiful! Thanks for all the information! I did some chairs for my entryway about a year ago and I thought it was super hard. Now, after reading through this…it’s bringing it all back. I got a new/old mid-century chair that I was debating on whether to do it myself or hire it out…HIRE it out has now won. It looks great Julia!
You are completely amazing. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. And I totally agree that wheels would be perfect. And your poor kitty!!! That picture is priceless!
Angela @ Number Fifty-Three
SO impressive, you are the queen of DIY!!
you have been elevated to hero status in my eyes!
Wow! How’d you get the piping so straight?! Great job. Love how fresh it looks now. ๐
WOW I’m so impressed. We have done small upholstery jobs… nothing quite like this. Pinning this to show my husband later whom I’ve deemed the master tufter. He will be super impressed. Great job again.
Oh my gosh, that is a ton of hard work!!! Looks wonderful!! And so glad your kitty got out of there okay… ๐
Julia, I know how hard it is to reupholster something and this is a very complex piece! You did an incredible job and it looks fabulous! Well done!
great job! I agree, it’s best to share tips verse a tutorial because everything piece is different. ๐
Wow that is an amazing job you did. What a difficult piece to learn on too. I am so impressed. It looks supar awesome!!!
AWESOME, AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL ……..I could never, ever attempt such a project. Congratulations!
super impressive! seriously!
BEAUTIFUL!!! Great job Julia! It was definitely worth all the skinned knuckles and arm re-do! I’m wayyy to chicken to try a sofa, let alone a Chesterfield.
I can’t believe what you were able to accomplish! Good for you : ]
How amazing! And I know I saw some castors at ACE hardware. Granted the wheel was black but the metal was gold and I think that’s good enough!
Seriously – awesome. This piece looked like it was a beast to do, plus your stuck cat, and fabric hole mishap. Consider me impressed!
Three cheers for perseverance! You definitely had some obstacles with that one. I crack up every time I see that photo of your cat! Thanks for the mention, I’m glad you found someone to do them!
Wow!!! I can so appreciate all the work you put into this and I’m in awe at how it turned out!
I’m so impressed by your upholstery skills and your willingness to even tackle such a big project! Well done lady!!
I had no clue that tufting should/could be sewn or glued! I’m so glad you shared this! You did such an amazing job Julia!
Wow that looks like a lot of work! I bet you are so glad to have it done! You should feel extra proud of yourself. You did an amazing job ๐
I think it’s beautiful. What an accomplishment!