Twin Sherrill Sofas

Two big sofa's from Sherrill in the 90's. The cotton floral held up for about 13 years and now a few rooms in this St. Paul Mac-Groveland Queen Anne home are getting made over, one at a time. These are some seriously well made sofa's, whether they are a decade or two old, or if you're considering spending 3 to 5 grand for a new one. Reupholstered in Belgian linen, this traditional hardwood frame with 8 way handtied springs and all loose cushions get updated by losing the skirt and simplifying the fussy shirring at arm facings and minimizing the welt cording.

We can't wait to get rid of this.

Synthetic webbing is tight as a drum on both sofa's so I won't need to do those. A few of the strings tying springs have come loose though, so while not a full retie, some will be reinforced with new twine tied back to front.

Nails holding spring twine can work their way up over time. I just hammer them back down and often retie some new twine over. Also you can see the spring cover cloth was starting to come up and cotton padding would soon start to cave in...On old sofa's, this is usually burlap that quickly deteriorates and on spring-edge sofa's, lead to the beginning of your troubles with bulging noses and uneven seats.

New spring cover cloth to cover well over the wood frame and edgeroll clipped back into place, to give the nosing under cushions a nice rise at spring-edge front.

All coming off..and look how much nicer this is.  Similar to model 2280, current in Sherrill's catalog, but actually, I like this one better - it sits a little lower too, I think.  2280 has that exposed wood rail along the bottom edge. Last thing before cushion restuffing, was to vacuum and steam the feather down-wrapped seating cushions to restore their plumpness, so they fill the corners of the new linen nicely. We did the Henredon ottoman too, and the long window cushions. All very pleasing in the end.

Mastercraft of Omaha, 1962 Armchair

An article in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune's Home section recently featured a Robbinsdale 1952 rambler, completely decked out by the owners in 50's and 60's period furniture and decorative arts. The extra photo's on the paper's site are fun to look at, the home is designed as you'd expect with some very cool features that are desirable today from anyone who seeks modern living - whether one wants to be surrounded in midcentury retro or rooms appointed with the latest Italian design from Abitare.

This fantastic Mastercraft of Omaha (frame stamped October, 1962) was losing it's original frise fabric - that scratchy olefin/poly sculpted fabric much like Sculpta-rug carpets that appeared in ranch homes across America, even up thru the 70's. It had been a family piece that the owner was sentimental about and at first I thought the thin cotton/poly woven was going to be a difficult choice. I usually prefer to see this era frame in something with a little more textured bulk - a fabric so weighted it wraps the hard angles of midcentury frames nicely, softens them, especially with a thick naturally slubbed fiber, dense velvet, mohair or chenille. But this paisley from Joanne Fabrics was really was the only fabric out there that my client liked, so we used it. To my surprise, it's made this chair more elegant and once placed in the home (a newer modest split level construct in Vadnais Heights MN), it did not scream "retro". She's able to enjoy her memories of this chair she's known since childhood (especially after seeing the lost toys found inside) while having a custom addition to a very grown up and contemporary living room, sans allergens from old dust-mitey fabric - which is my biggest complaint against bringing in vintage furniture, my god, they bear the dust of the ages inside that no amount of vacuuming can get to!

This chair has a built in cone spring system in seat and inside back, that if the edgewire isn't bent or distorted and the heavy gauge steel isn't rusted and broken (from having been misused as a stepping stool, trampoline or left out in all kinds of weather as porch furniture - this one hadn't)- it's darn near indestructable.

The burlap spring cover deteriorates though, and we'll replace that so that the reapplication of padding for the deck under the cushion will be firm and not fall through.

Lost toys found inside...

It's satisfying to upholster these large angled plates, although the deck and apron require some special patterning of the original piece.

Inside arms with that big flat planed surface on top get a new layer of thin foam and cotton.

I think it's gorgeous.

Bauhaus USA and Lee Sofa

This was a Bauhaus USA sofa purchased in the early 90's from local department store at the time - Dayton's, today is Macy's. The chenille was badly raveled and tore easily at welt cording and any where near edges really...it hadn't held up well at all, which is the case in a lot of chenille's that aren't backed with an acylic coat or woven tightly enough to withstand lots of wear. The owner found a beautiful paisley-esque floral jacquard, a double weave that would withstand everyday sitting and cats sleeping - chenille is a fur magnet! Not a lot of pictures in-progress, but a few to show how nice a fabric like this can look on a sofa...

This next one was a newer Lee Industries sofa that was purchased new with an offending floral chenille fabric - Offensive to the owners, that is. They had local designer Susan Brown do the master bedroom where this sofa would end up wearing a new Pollack fabric.

...proving sofa's don't have to be antiques or completely dilapidated to get reupholstered - even newer ones can be in need of a makeover.

1993 Overstuffed Sofa, Chair and Ottoman

Westwood Industries of Tupelo Mississippi manufactured this set, dated 9-15-93. Almost 16 years to the month later, the owners are renewing it as a gift to the next generation - newly wedded and with their first home. The hardwood frame solid as a rock and higher density foam still resilient. Sinuous spring squeaking issue resolved (see following post), fresh dacron layer to plump corners and a thickly woven, acrylic backed chenille damask cover - this comfortable set is ready for another 15...

Definitely time to reupholster.

The rouching detail at front of arms and on the upper side at top of back was made by sewing a strip of elastic to the facing, while the welt cording holds the bias of the larger plate at a certain length and stability. This way, the facing or boxing or flap or whateveryoucallit eases in, like a dress sleeve, gathering up nicely to be secured down in smaller tucks rather than large deep pleats. Even though the new fabric has more bulk than the original cotton print for this, it still looks nice for this design.

Pleats to fit the overstuffed-ness are carefully matched at inside-back as I pattern off the sofa instead of the old pieces - they are too tattered to try to template from, or even get an accurate measure. I'll have to get pictures of the happy ending of this project at a later date from the new owners. We were in such a rush to deliver on moving day that I didn't get pictures in the new setting!

Squeaky Springs

A very brief post here, while I investigate some squeaking sinuous or "no-sag" springs". Both sofa and chair have a not terribly annoying, but audible spring noise when you sit or get up. Now, this type of spring system is relatively maintenance free for years and years (no twine to break or fray, no costly hand-tying to replace) and if the wood frame it is tension-nailed to is hardy enough (as this one is - the wood has not split thru the grain due to weight load, or wear and tear), it is definitely worth reupholstering.

The length of connection to frame is still excellent - good job, Westwood Industries of Tupelo Mississippi!

I think to secure the edgewire the sinuous or no-sag springs are attached to, back to the frame just at the edge, will help end this squeaking. Each line of sinuous spring is secured to itself with strong little clips lined with thick paper, so you don't have steel-on-steel rubbing. There is chance the paper has worn away, producing a noise...that I can't go in and fix, but the edges for sure will help. Stay tuned to see the beautiful chenille damask that will cover this set, after a little repadding.

Pin Felted Wool Upholstery

My daughter living in the UK laughed telling me about a charity shop she went in to recently and the sale sign in the window noted, " Sale! 50% off everything! Except wool". Seems the ladies at Oxfam were not about to let that go cheaply. Wool is a highly prized fiber around here too - personally in my house and wardrobe, professionally in the studio workroom, and in a Scandinavian/German rich heritage state such as Minnesota. Even growing up in Southwest Missouri and Oklahoma, my grandmother and her sisters were always trading clothes and especially the solid wools were kept well after the other more trendy prints and fabrics came and went. With my grandmother's help, I made a tailored skirt from one of my grandpa's old but still fine, serge suits. I think they all knit and crocheted, and while Aunt Estella taught me now to knit, Aunt Dottie was probably the most accomplished, creating complicated pleated skirts and sweaters from the thinnest of 2 ply worsted wool. In upholstery, I love working with wool. A few years ago I became interested in pin felting on wool remnants, making pillow tops or shams from cut up skirts and sweaters. At one point, I actually had a fair amount of Maharam's Kvadrat handy in which to work up some designs. I'm remembering these projects as I view the few pictures I took of them then. The iron stool I've given away, the midcentury bench I sold on ebay, and the grey pillow sold in a holiday craft sale. Since I can't get rid of my woolens any easier than the Charity shop women, or my female relatives, I think I may revisit this craft this year and make some new things.

Haha - I can see the DVD "Super Troopers" on the floor...and the open magazine of "Golden Hands" issue from the early 70's, that had a velvet paisley and solid block quilting as my inspiration. That shag rug is something else too, isn't it? I wanted a 70's house so bad, but my 1908 stucco house could never give itself over to modernization through my decorating whims.

Here's the pillow, on what was a thick grey wrap skirt, so it pieced off nicely for cushion making. It really couldn't be easier if you have a solid foam cushion handy that you don't mind poking holes into (for the felting barbed pin tools) - spread your "canvas" out on it, place strips of roving where you want them and jab away.

1970's Button Attached-Back Tapestry Sofa

A sofa suitable for a tall man's afternoon napping. Purchased at a garage sale for $10.00, this 78" long sofa from the 70's gets reworked in tapestry. While we discussed redesigning the buttoned back and cushion construction, we decided in the end, to reupholster as it had been. Purchased from S. R. Harris in Brooklyn Park MN, the tapestry fabric was not treated with any kind of backing, which makes for a soft hand, but a textile malleable enought to stretch all out of proportion, especially on the cushions. Honestly, they grew and grew while in the works. For the center cushion, what began as a 23" x 24 1/2" plate, I literally could have stuffed to stretch into 26" x 26"! New Rules: (with a tip of the hat to Bill Maher) - don't assume the existing cushions will template out to the right size for your newly reupholstered frame. Actually, this is an old rule, but one I'd forgotten and resulted in 2 late-night sewing sessions, instead of one. Oh well.


Whoa! A big gap between seats in the new fabric...that will never do. Will have to recut and sew a bigger piece to fill for center cushion.

Attached pillow-backs...that's a lot of sewing...kinda hate to see these come around, but they do look nice, once finished and are easy to keep, as they don't require all that endless fluffing and straightening, as many "loose cushions" do. And what was in the old sofa? Candy wrappers, ink pen caps and a coloured paper cut-out of a trout, marked "3 lbs".

These are the sinuous springs I'm always going on about, how much I love them. They seldom need retying, are hardly ever broken, and can really stand a lot of wear and tear. If you have young kids especially they're good, because the frame will have a stationary hard edge (at cushion) instead of a spring edge receiving movement and friction, which withstands jumping and wallowing a whole lot better. Now this old yellow foam on the arms that's past it's prime will get replaced with a new layer of 1/2" foam wrap and cotton...

Things are coming together...

...using slick fiber stuffing to fill hollow areas of cushions where the old foam (still with some life to them) was a little lacking...

A remnant of cotton velvet in the same bluish-green seen in the floral tapestry will make a nice gift of a feather pillow for this sofa.