A Complete Guide to Modern Upholstery

Part 24 - Covering the base

with MICAELA SHARP — Sustainable designer and modern upholstery expert. TV presenter and interior design judge.

Lesson 66 of 68

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With your chair fully upholstered, the very last thing to do is to neatly finish the underneath of your chair. I’ll be using a plain cotton fabric as a bottom cloth.

From the Lesson Workbook

Part 24- Covering the Base

With your chair fully upholstered, the very last thing to do is to neatly finish the underneath of your chair. I'll be using a plain cotton fabric as a bottom cloth.

  1. Turn your chair over so you're able to access the underneath easily. Taking your bottom cloth fabric, begin by holding it up to the base of your chair to check you have enough.
  1. First, secure the section that sits underneath the front of your chair. Fold the raw edge of the bottom cloth under so you have a neat fold and, starting in the middle, secure in a straight line with staples to the base of the frame. Do this all the way along the edge.
  1. To navigate the bottom cloth around the legs, pull the fabric tight, make a cut that follows the leg up from bottom to top and finish with a V cut. You may need to play around a little with the cuts, but once you're happy, secure with staples.
  1. Repeat this process along the back edge, pulling the fabric fairly tight.
  1. Now you can move to your sides, repeating the process to secure the bottom cloth in the middle first.
  1. Once you get to the legs, make the finish as neat as you can by folding and tucking fabric under so that there are no visible raw edges and the fabric sits flush to the base. Do this for all four legs.

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Micaela Sharp

Your Instructor

Micaela Sharp

Sustainable designer and modern upholstery expert. TV presenter and interior design judge.

Micaela Sharp is a professional upholsterer, interior designer and broadcaster who champions the art of reupholstery and its ability to breathe new life into pre-loved furniture. Growing up, Micaela learnt both carpentry and sewing skills from her grandparents. It was this knowledge, alongside a passion for sustainability and longevity, that inspired her to take up upholstery and set up her own practice. Whether it’s designing furniture from scratch, reimagining a tired armchair into an heirloom to be cherished for years to come, or creating a room scheme layered with fabric and colour, Micaela brings her unique creativity and inventive flair to every project.

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