Craig Upholstering

Frequently asked questions.

2011-11-16T10:53:00.001-06:00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions at Craig Upholstering.

Question: How do I get an estimate?

Answer: The quickest and easiest way to get an estimate on furniture reupholstering is to e-mail me a photo cathy@craigupholstering.com. Or feel free to stop in with a photo of your furniture piece. For window treatments, bring in window measurements. I also make house calls.

Question: What does your labor cost include?

Answer: Reupholstering a piece of furniture is very time consuming. The tasks we perform include:

· Tear off all of the old fabric and padding.
· Glue the frame.

· Touch up the wood nicks and scratches.

· Retie the springs, re pad everything, and refill the cushions.
· Reupholster it.

· Pick-up and deliver at no charge in the Peoria area.

· We also make arm covers , upon request, on newly upholstered piece at no charge.

· When we are finished, each piece is inspected before leaving our on premise workroom. We will return any left over fabric pieces to you.

Question: Do you have fabrics?

Answer: Yes! Please stop in our clean, friendly showroom, at your convenience and view a VERY LARGE selection of fabric samples. Our fabric prices start around $20.00 per yard - $45.00 on average. We carry many designer brands above $50.00 per yard: Kravet, Ralph Lauren, Duralee, F. Schumacher, Robert Allen and many, many more. If you find fabrics that you like, you may take them home to see how they look in your environment. I can also order a larger sample at no charge.

Question: What if I provide my own fabric?

Answer: If you prefer to provide your own fabric, which is called C.O.M. (customer own material), we add 20% to our labor cost and ask you to measure and inspect the fabric before bringing it in.

Question: How long does it take to upholster a piece of furniture?

Answer: On average it takes a week or two to receive the fabric. Then, the average time we will have a piece of furniture in our shop is 2-3 weeks. So a short answer is 5-6 weeks from time of order. HOWEVER we prefer not to have the piece in our shop until the fabric has arrived, so you are only without your piece for a few weeks.

When you are ready we can talk in deeper detail about any additional changes you might want made to your piece. For example contrast welt, nail trim, reversible cushions, contrast fabrics, decorative trim, etc. Check out my blog for pictures. http://craigupholstering.blogspot.com

If you have any further question, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Cathy Craig

My home.

2011-11-10T13:06:00.001-06:00

My design philosophy is simple. Your home is where you LIVE. Four easy things to remember. Your home should make you look and feel good, work for you, be a reflection of your personality and remember to pay attentions to the small details.

I am asked on a daily bases by customer what are the new color trends? What's popular? There are ever changing new trends and new colors that are popular. This doesn't necessarily mean they are the trends or colors you should follow. You should follow what color and design feels right for you, your family and the way your home is used. Example:
Grey and yellow are super popular this fall. However I would never dream of using the color combo in my home. I look horrible in yellow and grey is a cold color. These colors do not look good on my persona. But you might look great in yellow and have the perfect home to pull off the trendy new combo.

Your home should work for you. What I mean by this is simple. When looking at textiles ie: flooring, wall-covering, blinds and fabrics, keep in mind how these products will be used. Do you have pets or small children? Or is you spouse just a large messy child? Or do you have an empty nest? Is it for a formal room or a guest room with no to low traffic?

Another thing to consider when making your home work for you is to give a lot of thought as to how each room will be used and maximize your home to it's full potential. Examples: Does your home have a formal dining room, but you never use it? When you have company over, do they hang out in the kitchen or family room. So make a change that works for you. Change that dining room into something usable like a computer room or a play room.

Over the past 25+ years I have been in, gosh I wouldn't even know how to count, thousands of homes. The best homes have unique personality's, just like the owner. Your home should reflect your personality. Are you a laid back casual person, preppy, colorful or a type A personality? Your home is a canvas to let your persona glow.

Do all of your light switch covers match? Do you have throw pillows on the sofa that match the chair fabric? Are all of the bulbs in your chandelier working? Attention to detail is the best indicator of custom work. This is one reason why Craig Upholstering has been in business for so many years. We pay close attention to every detail and think of each and every customer as a friend with a great personality.

Shout it loud and proud!

2011-10-18T14:45:00.001-05:00

There are many unusual names for fabrics. Toile, matelasses, damask, dupoini and newest tongue twister - Ikat. Over the years I have learned some simple pronunciation tricks.

Toile as been around long enough, I know you've got this one down. However I still hear the occasional [toy lay]. Trick: To you all. To u wa all = Toile.

Matelasse is a durable fabric with a quilted appearance, often used in bedding. We offer a selection of matelasse upholstery-weight fabrics.
Trick: What did Mat say? mat la zay= Matelasse

Damask is one of my favorite fabric names to say - 'Cause I feel naughty saying it. Trick= Damn isk.

Dupioni is a type of silk that has horizontal slubby nubby silk treads running though the weave. And yes, slubby nubby is a technical fabric term. The trick: Pretend you have been tricked, you have been duped. = Dupe you onie= Dupioni.

And the newest fabric Ikat ...what the heck is an Ikats?

According to Wikipedia:

kat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres. Bindings, which resist dye penetration, are applied to the threads in the desired patterns and the threads are dyed. Alteration of the bindings and the dyeing of more than one color produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When all of the dyeing is finished the bindings are removed and the threads are ready to be woven into cloth.

If you ask me, Ikats are all the rage. Start watching for Ikats in magazines, on TV and in the world of high fashion.
Pictured is a fabulous Henderdon wing chair we reupholstered in an Ikat. We added head to head pewter nail trim for that perfect finishing touch.
So impress your friends with the correct pronouncation.

So how do we say Ikat? It's E cot. I'm still working on this one. E like E-trade and cot like you would sleep on in a tent. Good luck and have fun with fabrics!

feather craze

2011-09-30T15:54:00.000-05:00

Feathers are all the rage. In your hair, on your purse, jewelry......and now for your home.

Last year F. Schumacher introduced it's nesting collection. Humanely gathered feathers are sewn to wallpaper backing. And for just a small investment of only $8,190.00 per 38" x 138" you to can have peacock feathers on your wall.
Wallpaper shown is Emerald Bay- Peacock.
But coming back down to planet earth...for the rest of us...feathers don't have to break the bank. As Billy Joel said "you can't dress fashion til you spend a lot of money". Well for those of us that can't spend $8,190.00 dollars for a strip of feather wallpaper, although drop dead gorgeous, here are a few other feather ideas for the home.

Above: Are new feather trims available from RM Coco. The photo does NOT do these fantastic feathers justice. So you will just have to stop by and take a look :). Okay let your mind wander to its creative corner. Come on, I know you can. I dream of floaty feathers on drapery, pillows, bedding and on the lapel of my new fall leopard blazer. hmmm...

Here is a photo of a pair of drapery we just installed in a clients laundry room. Love the peacock fabric with metallic red threads. April Sepich hand painted the finial to match her new digs. Love you April!

So needless to say... if your laundry room needs a little pop of inspiration or even another room in your home. Be a trend setter with your friends and join the feather craze.

antique convertible sofa

2011-09-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

I don't know really know what to call this unusual antique. I could be an early example of a recliner or convert into a bed or a chaise lounge. Made in 1900 this piece has double reclining arm and a removable back.

removable back

Outside back

2011-09-09T12:31:00.000-05:00

This morning we delivered and installed the window coverings and eight chairs for this lovely dining room.

In the furniture industry OSB is an acronym for outside back. ISB= Inside back. RSF= right side face. I could go on but I think you have the point.

In this dining room we reupholstered the 6 side chairs with a contrasting fabric on the OSB's. Think about your dining room chairs. What is the first thing you see? You see the OSB's.

Across the foyer from the dining room is the living room with red painted walls. So I needed to find a fabric that was not only serviceable and easy to clean, for this large family, but also something to bring in the red from across the hall.

The window gave me a bit of a challenge. To the left of the window we only had a few inches before the corner and in this older home with crown molding, the ceilings are only 8' tall.

We reupholstered the two end chairs in a fun transitional floral and we made matching lined drapery side panels. I had the upholsterer build the cornice from 3/4" AC plywood.
When Mike was ready to cut the design, I walk back

to the shop and we used the top of the ISB
of the end chairs as our inspiration for the final shape
of the cornice. Then the shape was skillfully cut out
and the cornice was then padded and upholstered.
I love the way it turned out.

I am so fortunate to have an on promise workroom!

All the fabrics used are from RM CoCo. OSB pattern: Brooks-Midnight. ISB pattern: Biltmore-Midnight.
End chairs and window treatment in pattern: Belasko-Midnight. Window shade is a Hunter Douglas 2'' Silhouette.

NEW!!! Lilly Pulitzer Fabrics

2011-08-31T14:06:00.000-05:00

Lee Jofa's newest collection will be in my store NEXT WEEK! I'm so excited...here is a sneak peek borrowed from their blog.

Lilly Pulitzer Views Home Fabrics at C.Orrico

It has been the Summer of Lilly. We launched the collection in May, and it’s been a whirlwind of pink and green ever since.

Just when the crisp fall breeze began to blow the summer heat away, we got word that Lilly Pulitzer herself made a recent appearance in Palm Beach and took a shine to our (her) home fabrics.

Zitelli with Lilly Pulitzer

C.Orrico, a Lilly Pulitzer signature shop in Palm Beach, invited Lee Jofa representative Chris Zitelli to show the fabric line to Lilly, who quickly selected her favorites.

In a Twist 2011114-13 (left) and Heritage Floral 2011106-573 (right)

“In a Twist” and “Heritage Floral” were chosen as favorites, and Lilly remarked at how beautifully the color absorbed into the linen solids. As if that wasn’t enough to swell our hearts with pride, she loved the marketing materials, including the brochure and the national ad featuring the Lilly room setting.

It is truly an honor to carry on the Lilly Pulitzer legacy. We hope she chooses some of these fabrics for her own home, and we hope you do too!

-JP

antique fainting couch

2011-08-30T13:54:00.000-05:00

after photo

We just finished reupholstering this exquisite antique fainting couch. We can only guess the age of this piece to around 1910. I am doing some detective work for the client to come up with a manufacturer and an actual date that the piece was made. As the piece sits now, it would be worth around $2,000.00 after being reupholstered. If I can find out more information about the piece and "get paper's" on the fainting couch it will be worth considerably more.

We can guess the approximate age by the way the piece is made and what type of product was used: quarter sewn oak, cotton, horse hair, coil springs and leather covered buttons.

The customer paid $150.00 for this piece on E bay and drove to a barn in Rockford IL. to pick it up. Because it had been in the barn for a number of years, mice had created a nice little village inside of the coil springs. When we tore off the old fabric, we found tons of whole kernels of corn hoarded away for winter.

Some one had "reupholstered" this fainting couch about 50 years ago, but did a poor job of it by not tufting the piece. I use the "quotes" because they just roughly stapled ugly floral fabric over top of the original upholstery. We were pleasantly surprised when we removed the ugly floral fabric, to find that this piece was originally diamond tufted.

After we removed all of the old fabric and padding, the frame was glued. The springs were retied in an eight way, hand tied fashion, and several layers of padding were reapplied.

8 way

cotton padding

Then the upholsterer lays out his button tufted pattern and the real magic begins. After the antique cut velvet upholstery tufting was finished, scroll gimp trim was added. In addition to gimp, perfectly spaced hammered oxford nails were applied one at a time.

To finish, we added historically accurate porcelain casters to each of the four claw legs. The original casters would have been made of metal. Unfortunately, the customer found this piece with four mismatched wooden casters. We see this often on antiques, where the owner would have replaced the metal casters during World War II, to use them as scrap metal.

Remember to feel free to send me photos of any antique upholstered pieces you may have questions on.

slipseat

2011-08-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

With turkey day (that's Thanksgiving kids) fast approaching ...

it is time to think about the condition of your dining room. Do you need to make a center piece, did you order the turkey? Do you need to add the leaves to the table and give the shelves a good dusting? How do the window coverings look? Oh and what about your stained upholstered seats? Don't forget to reupholster the dining room seats!

slipseat

Craig Upholstering reupholsters many types of dining room chairs. The most common style of dining room seat is called a slipseat.

A slipseat is just as it sounds, it is an upholstered board that the fabric simply slips over the padding and is stapled to the seat. Some people make this a DYI project. However to have it done right the first time it's alway nice to have a professional do it.

Here is a peak inside some of the most BEAUTIFUL PEORIA dining rooms and slip seats we have reupholstered.

Slipseats... with custom rug designed by Cathy and hand painted red grass cloth walls.

Slipseats with welt.

Slipseats with a matching table runner.

Slipseats in red leather.

Mid-Century Modern seats.

New buttoned silk drapery

searching for an antique

2011-08-25T15:02:00.000-05:00

To be considered an antique in the world of furniture, an item must be 100 years old or older. I understand that in different circles antiques are judged at different ages. For instance jewelry is an antique after only 50 years. But when it comes to what your tush sits on, store stuff in or eat off of, it's a full century.

We reupholster a shocking amount of furniture that customers find at garage sales, goodwill, re-store or simply dumpster diving. When looking for an upholstered antique here are just a few hints of what to look for:

1. Of course you should take in to consideration how and where you will use this piece, and that the shape and size fits into your dream decor.

2. Solid wood. How do you know it is solid wood? Lift the piece, is it heavy? Heavy is good. Light weight, bad. Dig your fingernail into it. Real wood will leave an indentation, laminate will not.

coil spring

3. The best type of springs are the coil springs. A coil spring tells me that this is a quality piece of furniture. It will have an eight way hand tied coil spring seat. If it has a coil spring seat and back, you just won the used furniture lottery!

zigzag spring

To the left is a photo of a zigzag spring. The zigzag or no sag spring has been around for maybe the last 30 (?) years. It's an okay seat. So if you see something solid you can't live without, but with zigzags, then buy it, but don't pay as much and know that it is not an antique.

removable sofa back

4. Think like an antique...If I lived over one hundred years ago...where? how? why?

Many antiques are handed down from generation to generation. They may have come by steamer ship to the new world or carted by wagon during the push to the west. While other furniture pieces were purchased through catalogs like Sears and Roebuck and then shipped by train to the nearest depot. Just think how far a farmer maybe had to travel to the closest train station to bring the new piece home in a wagon. Occasionally there would be "some assembly required". Larger antique pieces that we reupholster are made to be "broken down" to fit on the back of a wagon or in a train car.

Keeping these things in mind when shopping for an antique piece of furniture is essential. Just know if you find a piece of furniture you are unsure about give me a call or shot me an email photo. I am here to help.

attention to detail

2011-08-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

Attention to detail is what we know best. If you are going to pay for something to be custom made it should be perfect and should be what you ordered. Believe me I have heard horror story's...but that's not the direction I want to take this blog. This blog is about this BEAUTIFUL new drapery treatment that we installed this morning.

The story begins with the two tufted chairs and ottoman that we reupholstered a few months
ago. When I was in the clients home she mentioned
that she wanted "to do something fun with the
windows, but not too much color, keep it clean
and soft and loves sparkles."

These windows had a few challenging aspects:
a single arch, large center mullion and the right side facing window butts against the mirrored wall.

We made three pinch pleat, lined drapery panels and three tradition fold pole swags and two larger open swags. All of the swags have a beaded gold, silver and crystal trim sewn to the bottom edge.

I used d'kei trim # bo520xg and the fabric is from RM CoCo pattern Covert-Ivory. The drapery hardware is a new collection also from RM CoCo. The fluted rods are 2 1/4" in diameter with a custom antique gold finish. The large torch oak-leaf finials are made of resin and are stained to match the rods.

The same treatment was made for her dining room.
I designed the room to be perfectly symmetric. The drapery panels extend the actual width of the window by 10" on each side to give the illusion that the window is much larger than it really is. Instead of using a long drapery pole I opted to use one 4' rod and cut it in two equal lengths.

The client and I are very pleased with the finished out come. We are just going to add a few more black accents to the room with silk pillows and lamp shades and it will be perfect!

Pin if your Interest (ed)

2011-08-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

My new found love is a website by the name of Pinterest. I will forever damn the name of my so called "friend" that turned me onto Pinterest! Not really, she knows I luv her.

This website has it all. Food, clothes, travel and of course fabulous interior design ideas. Once you join Pinterest (for free) you will spend hour, after hour, after hour, surfing their site.

Add your own found photo pins to your Pinterest board. So lets say you are surfing the web one day and you stumble on a new hair style you are interested in. You would then pin that photo to your own board. Once the photo is on your board you can then share it with family and friends or your hair dresser or interior designer :).

The best part of pinning, for me, is knowing where to find the photo. Otherwise I would later be wondering...now where the heck did I see that photo?? Was it on such in so .com? Nope I pinned it to my board. Hooray!

Not to sound like an advertisement for the website...but check it out and friend me on Pinterest.

Empire or Kingston Valance

2011-08-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

Here are two photos of a recent drapery job we completed in Peoria.

Empire and Kingston valances are so similar. Tomato, tomato.... the difference is determined by your designer when the fabric has been selected. On an Empire valance the folds go to the top of the board which allows the fabric to be controlled if the fabric is prone to wrinkling. Kingston valance folds are sewn to the sides and hidden behind the horns. This works better if you want a wider cut to the swag. These two photos shown are of Empire style valances. The folds are at the top of the board.

Mary Ellen Van Buskirk is the Interior Designer for this job. Craig Upholstering reupholstered the sofa and two chairs a few years ago and the client was ready for new window treatments. Together with Mary Ellen we made formal Empire valances in a gold silk damask. Tassel trim was added to the bottom of the valances and down the leading edge of the drapery side panels. The tassel trim ties in the colors of the upholstery fabrics.

If you like my blogs and would like to see more interior photos of homes in the Peoria area...please follow me by pushing the blue button at the bottom that says "join this site". You may have to sign in using your Google or other account. (?)

Below are a few more examples of how Kingston and Empire valance can be mounted.

pole mounted Empire

Kingston valance

arched on tieback holders

buttoned side panels

2011-08-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

sunny and inviting

Windows with a challenge are ones most designers would shy away from. Not me! I love a good challenge. Sometimes the more imposing, the better the reward.

The goals in this room: a) To add height to the windows and draw your eye toward the vaulted ceilings b) Do not block the light and beautiful view.

c) Cover the necessary ill-favored vertical blind c) Keep the room neutral and inviting while pulling together color from her existing pieces; and d) Stay with in a budget.

My solution: We made silk dupioni drapery side panels that are lined and inner lined. I designed clear plastic, 15" wide oval rods with 2" returns, which were installed 10" beyond the window trim to the left and right of the four windows. This gave the illusion that each window is 20" wider than they really are. When the blinds are open the drapery will not block the panoramic vista.

Behind the side panels on the sliding glass door is a vertical blind. When the vertical is pulled back, it tucks under the side panel with the decorative rod and is hidden out of sight.

My upholsterer covered 42 buttons in a contrast fabric to match her existing upholstery. Each button is hand stitched to the 6 reverse pleats of each silk panel.

This simple treatment framed the windows and pull the room together. All while staying within the budget.

The client is happy and the room is sunny and inviting.

drapery button match upholstery

window seat cushions

2011-08-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

Does Craig Upholstering make window seat cushions?

We do!!

Here are just a few photos of loose boxed seat cushion we have recently made.

3 loose cushions with contrast welt

Please note the coordinating window covering we also made.

window seat with matching balloon shade

kitchen nook

Pug valance with matching upholstered chair. Boxed window seat cushion.

DIY

2011-08-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

Okay ladies I know you can understand what I'm talking about. I have one surface in my house that is always covered with JUNK! Well o.k. honestly more than one, but this one is the worst!

When I walk in the door from work, the first thing I do is set my purse and everything else I am hauling on the end of our kitchen counter.

Next step , I change clothes. Then back to the kitchen to start dinner. Of course all the stuff I just dumped is in the way. But there it will sits and IT GROWS! By weeks end, I have to dig to the bottom of the pile just to find my cell phone charger or some stupid piece of paper I can't find anywhere else.

So I started noodling what I could use to get organized.

Hmm? A bench with shelves, a shelving unit??

Goodwill before photo

This is what I found for twenty bucks at the local Goodwill.

Totally ugly,but incredibly useful. Bench, desk, shelf and drawer all in one. So the "do it yourself project" was born. (DIY).

First I washed the frame down with warm soapy water. After letting it dry I spray painted one coat of black spray paint and one coat of sage green paint on specific areas. (paint $7.00)

After the first coat dried, I taped off the green areas and gave the frame a second and third coat of black.

I let the frame sit over night to dry.

I wanted an antiqued look to the bench so when it was completely dry I sanded the bench down to reveal a little of the natural maple and more of the sage green. Then I spray painted new knobs ($4.00) to match the sage green and added 3 black hooks ($0.99) to the side. Furniture glides ($2.50) were added to the bottom of the feet. I bought a ($1.99) little black utility basket to go under the desk top. And the most expensive part of my project was ordering a ($25.00) wall decal, online, for the back.

during

The end result is great! Now when I walk in the door I can hang my purse on the side hooks. I set my bags on the desk portion and I store my cell phone charger in the black basket. I even have a place to sit and put on my shoes. My winter gloves and scarf are in the little drawer underneath. Let's hope I wont be needing them anytime soon.

reversible

2011-08-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

Making the seat cushions on a sofa or chair reversible is a great way to introduce a second fabric at no additional labor cost. Two looks for the price of one. Bonus!

To the left is a psychedelic chair from the 60's. We reupholstered the frame and one side of the cushions in a faux black leather. The REVERSE side of the cushion is sewn with a hipster zebra print.

Below is a photo of a mission style sofa that we also reupholstered in a faux leather. All six cushions were sewn to be REVERSIBLE using a William Morris-like rustic tapestry.

The possibilities are endless.

If you have photos or ideas you would like to share...PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME.

sample garbage

2011-08-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

When we receive new fabric samples to hang on the racks, we give the old ones away. Here is an example of what can be made using FREE fabric samples.

before

This is an old round vinyl ottoman I found at the Re-store on Main Street. I paid $8.00 for it. It has a burn on the top and my husband hates brown. But I love the size and shape. It is perfect in a small corner of our home near the foyer, for company to toss a coat or purse.

Using 4 fabric samples: I sewed the 4 squares together, cut out the round top, added a banded boxing with a solid black cord at the seams and slipped it over the ottoman.

So the next time I offer free samples...

Now my husband likes it and I think it is cute too. Oh and by the way...

the price was right!

WTH is MCM?

2011-08-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

What the heck is Mid-Century Modern? A few weeks ago I had a customer say these words to me. Now I am hearing MCM everywhere. The word is spreading like wildfire. So what the heck is it?

Well lets break it down. Mid-Century would be the 1950's, maybe early 60's. Modern would be contemporary to that time frame. So think Mad Men meets George Jetson and they go to Mike Brady's home for high balls . Can you visualize it? That it! That is MCM.

Here is a quick example for you: A woman picked up this chair by the side of the road on trash day-better known as "dumpster diving". She brought the chair into us and wanted to refurbish the chair back to it's original form. The chair was built in the 50's. So class...what do we call this style of chair? If you said Mid-Century Modern then give yourself a gold star.

Here are a few more examples of MCM:

ranch style home

ranch oak chair

panel walls

And I saved the best for last....

Here are a few photos of a kitchen make over that I just completed in

Weaver Ridge subdivision for an 80 year young gal. She wanted

to use their first kitchen set in her new home. We made new seat cushions

and new custom valances. This is a new style valance..a Cathy Craig original! I designed these valances for the bay window and above the kitchen sink.

MCM dinette set and new bay window valance.

valance above kitchen sink

Chair fabric: Duralee pattern # 71030-665

Valance pattern Thibaut # F91108 Saffron

nailed it

2011-08-10T09:00:00.003-05:00

FYI- I have a new email address- cathy@craigupholstering.com

Decorative nails are

added to an upholstered piece

one at a time.

It is really kind of

amazing when you think of it

that way.

Each nail is added one after another, after another with perfect spacing. A sign of true craftsmanship!

In the past few years we have seen a rise in popularity of decorative nails and a larger color and design selection. However for antiques the standards nails is still the most popular: antique brass (french natural), shiny brass and hammered oxfords.

Decorative upholstery nails have traditionally been used to beautify furniture pieces. Now they are the hottest embellishments in the interior design world as high-end designers and builders of commercial and residential spaces are using these nails to accent walls, doors, cabinets, hoods and backslashes – all throughout the home.

Take your projects to the next level and beyond with beautiful decorative nails. Decorative nails add a professional, beautiful, finishing touch to so many projects: furniture, benches, picture frames, doors, boxes, etc. Let your creative juices flow and be inspired. Nail it!

Below are a photos, of pieces of furniture we have reupholstered and have used nail trim. Nails that are one after another are called "head to head". Nails that have a space between are called "spaced".

scalloped brass nail trim

upholstered walls with nail trim

head to head french natural nails

spaced oxidized z-nails on cowhide

scalloped french naturals

head to head pewter nails

head to head silver nails

spaced french natural nails

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head to head french natural nails

love at 1st sight

2011-08-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

On my way to work one morning I passed a yard sale sign. I looked at the clock and thought "why not" I'm running early for a change.

I pull up and sitting in the front yard was a filthy dirty chair, that at one time had Ivory fabric upholstery that was now more brown than cream. The front leg was broken and the seat springs were sagging into the grass.

It was love at first sight. I only wish I had taken a before photo. I called the guys at Craig's and asked them to bring the van and I paid the woman $15.00 for the chair.

We tore the chair down to the bare frame and kept the coil seat and back springs. Bye bye old gross fabric and stuffing.

After the wood was refinished, I set the frame in the showroom to sell.

The detailing of the wood and the lines of the chair are just phenomenal

It is amazing what you can find if you keep your eyes peeled.

I sold the frame and the client chose this wonderful blue and white Greek key pattern from Highland Court. We reupholstered the chair and added gimp and spaced french natural nail trim. I love the end result.

bland to BAM

2011-08-08T11:11:00.000-05:00

A new face lift for the HR Department at Metamora fixtures, involved re-painting, three chairs upholstered and new windows. The new desks were built by Metamora Fixtures custom department.

before

after

I love when customers send me photos of our
work!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank-you.

Here are a few before and after photos to share.

Shown to the left is a faded office chair and to the right is the same chair

newly upholstered in black faux leather.

before

after

To the left, out dated mauve. To the right, fun apple green and soft Tiffany blue, pouplar colors for 2011.

Her office was bland so she went BAM!

Customers PLEASE SEND ME MORE PHOTOS! I would love to show off the work we did in your home or office.

BAM! (that is just fun to say :)

railroad?

2011-08-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

I think this might be a boring subject. However mundane, this maybe good information when making an investment in upholstery.

Photo shows wallpaper being "railroaded". A different idea or just unusual? The matching fabric for the valance and chair have also been railroaded . Confused yet?

Honestly I have never been very good at explaining "railroaded", so I wonder why I think I can blog about it. Maybe I will us this time as choo choo therapy. Usually I give my little spiel and when I'm finished I get a blank stare. Well here goes: What Does it Mean to Railroad Fabric?

Most upholstery fabric is sold by the yard and comes 54" wide. Many upholstery fabrics are designed so that they can be RAILROADED. This means that if you turn the bolt on end and roll out the fabric from left to right, the pattern would be continuous across the roll. This is helpful when we are upholstering a piece wider than the fabric width of 54".

example of railroaded

Drapery fabric is not designed to be railroaded.

Blank stare or did I explain it well?

Button tufted with contrast welt and contrast buttons.

This gigantic sectional we reupholstered (pictured above) is a good example of railroading fabric. Most of the cuts were over 54" so the fabric was turned side to side, avoiding seaming.

So the next time you view upholstery fabrics and you see the word railroaded... you will be able to impress your designer with your vast knowledge of the subject.

Gone Fishin'

2011-08-04T09:47:00.000-05:00

Craig Upholstering opens at 10 a.m. Monday - Friday.

Before ten a.m. I make my house calls. I love my job! I have had the privilege to be inside the nicest homes and businesses in the Peoria area. My customers are great and the best part - I get to take something bland and turn it into something fabulous. Every morning is a new adventure.

Yesterday morning I went to the new Bass Pro Shop in East Peoria slated to open 9/20/11. That place was crawling with workers! I parked way out in the parking lot. As I walked through the parking lot I made a mental note of all the logos and signage on the side of the vehicles. I was impressed that this large company was using local contractors.

I was greeted by 2 security guards sitting at a folding table. I was asked to sign in and was given a vendors badge and a hard hat to wear. Flattering I'm sure.

Three project managers gave me a tour of the new store. To the left is a bowling alley with a full size hull of a fishing vessel, with cubbies built in behind to house the rental shoes. Every inch of the ceiling and walls are adorned with fish paintings and sculptures. Soft blue and aquamarine strobe lighting made me feel like I was Ariel under the sea.

As we walked around the massive interior I asked about the men up on the apple picker working on a massive mural. I was told the mural was all hand painted. Impressive! It's no Sistine chapel, but wow!

I measured six dressing rooms for upholstered padded bench seats.

The dressing rooms are free standing with tongue and groove horizontal oak, and solid oak doors with burnished copper decorative door knobs. They are like individual cabins, deep in the woods with stuffed full size grizzly bears and trophy size fish and deer heads mounted on the walls. It truly is like stepping inside the great outdoors.

Like I said..........every morning is a new adventure. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Worth it?

2011-08-03T12:35:00.000-05:00

before

A cute young lady came in with a chair that had belonged to her grandmother. The chair had been in the basement for a few years. As a first timer to the world of reupholstering she had lots of questions.

Her first question was "is it worth it?" I told her that this is not a question I can answer for you. I can give the price and tell you if it is a well made piece of furniture, but the decision belongs to you.

I then went on to explain that when considering whether to reupholster, there are a few questions you want to ask yourself. Is it a comfortable chair? yes Is it well made? yes Does the style fit with your decor? yes. Does it have sentimental value? yes If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", weigh the importance of each and make your decision.

From there the next step was to select the fabric. Her search for the perfect fabric began in our showroom, with literally hundreds of thousands of fabrics to choose from. To quickly narrow the scope I asked her a few questions: How much will the chair be used? Where will you place the chair in your home (answer, bedroom) and what else is in that room ( answer, not much) ? Then I am able to determine how durable the fabric should be, color ( answer, aqua and raspberry) and design (answer, girly fun whimsical).

To begin the reupholstering process on her grandma's chair, we tore the chair down to the bare frame getting rid of all of the nasty old cotton and straw padding. The only thing we saved were the coil seat and back springs. We glued the wood frame to strengthen it. Then the chair was ready to have the wood stripped and refinished.

When the frame returned, we put the coil spring back into the frame and retied the springs in the 8-way hand tied fashion. We padded the frame and reupholstered grandma's chair. On the inside of the frame we upholstered the seat and back in a floral to match her valances (which we also made) and used a complimentary stripe for the outsides. We added silver, head-to-head nail trim to match her lighting and other hardware.

The end result is FABULOUS! A happy young lady with a chair that will last her a lifetime. I hope someday she will give this chair to her granddaughter.

after

Pass a mint to me

2011-08-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

As a kid I remembered the colors of the rainbow with "Roy g biv". As a designer I remember the French name for decorative trim passementerie with "pass a mint to me". I would love to use that word in a game of scrabble... hmm how many points?

When you stop in Craig Upholstering you can browse though 70 books of trims. I have leather and lace, beaded crystals, outdoor trim, trim made of wood and trim made of silk. I have more trims than you could shake a decorative rod at!

tassel trim over grass skirt

Here is a photo of a cute ottoman we build for a clients second home in Florida. Can you say snow bird and envious in the same sentence. I know I can.

To make this poof we simply cut a round circle of 3/4" ac plywood and added 4 legs. We added 4" of padding and upholstered the top with button tufting. Added a grass skirt for whimsy and tassel trim to match the wall color.

Decorative cord is a great option for pillows. Shown are pillow shams that we made with decorative cording. If you look wayyyy in the back ground of the photo you can see that the shams match the master bath wallpaper :)

Passementerie is dreamy!

tassel trim at the bottom of a bay window valance that we made for a dining room in Dunlap.

drapery tieback for a home in Peoria Hghts.

Long bullion trim added to valances we made for a client in Peoria Hghts.

The client found this wonderful chair frame online and painted it to go with her Asian decor. We were able to use a memo sample of very expensive Geisha fabric to upholster the seat and added tassel trim to the bottom of the seat to bring out the colors in the silk kimonos.

ribbon and brush trim on pillows

Pipe dream

2011-08-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

Welt cord has been called every thing from piping, trim, cording and welt. It really doesn't matter what you call it. It's how you use it that counts.

Welt is a strip of fabric that is cut on the bias (diagonally) across the roll and covers a piece of cord. Contrast welt is a welt made of fabric in a different color.

Contrast welt is an inexpensive way to add character to your piece of furniture. We do not charge any addition labor to make the welt cord out of a contrast fabric.

Just think the color could match your wallpaper or drapery treatment or pull a color from you rug or artwork.

Contrast cord with contrast buttons is also a great way to add interest to an otherwise boring piece.

Double welt is simply like it sounds, welt doubled. Double welt is used around the edge of a piece of furniture in the place of gimp or braided trim.

Let you mind wander to the endless possibility's. Contrast welt is no longer a pipe dream.

Meow

2011-07-29T13:11:00.000-05:00

channel back

diamond tufted

Animal prints as described by wikipedia "have long been a popular style. Considered rather exotic; they are a symbol of wealth and status."

Throughout history, kings and queens have adorn themselves in rare furs and used wall mounted heads and fur rugs to display opulence. All the while us common folk just wore what ever we could hunt and ate the meat to survive.

Fast forward to the mid-century modern era and you might see Don Draper's wife wearing a fur. During the late 1960's the Hippies and Queens started wearing fur again to be wild.

In the last ten years I've noticed a rise in animal prints popularity in clothing and interior design elements. I strongly agree everyone should have at least one sign of their inner "wild child" in their home. Be it on the drapery treatments, upholstery or in the bedroom.

We had the privilege to reupholster this massive bow back chair fit for a King. In fact this chair is the epitomy of all that is right and regal: tall curved channel back, diamond tufted seat and embellished "bling" of head to head silver nail trim applied by hand one at a time.

nail trim

Microfiber

2011-07-28T14:23:00.000-05:00

Microfiber for upholstery has come along way in just a few short years. There was a time when the only MF made looked like faux suede. Now it is available in many designs and textures and a heavier weight then at it's conception.

This Microfiber shown is from Charlotte fabrics pattern #2378 color: cream. Retail price $39.90 per yard. This fabric is not only as soft as a teddy bears BUT it is made of 100% nylon so it is incredibly comfortable, durable and washable.

"Bonus" it is made in the good ole USA.

So go ahead and let your freak flag fly. Amaze your friend and family with your whimsy and let your kids eat in these cream colored chairs.

To Blog or not to Blog??

2011-07-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

Who can see this? Raise your hand or send up a red flag or push like or what ever you do in today's new fancy techno world.

NEW FABRIC SAMPLES

2010-01-14T11:51:00.000-06:00

I am hanging new fabric samples today in the showroom.
Check them out!
http://www.trend-fabrics.com/search/search_process.php?submit_search=Submit&application_id=F&searchtype=single_advanced&collection_id=2472&pram=7

Upholstery - 8 way hand tied sprin seat

2010-01-08T11:17:00.000-06:00

Upholstery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Once the frame is constructed, a spring system is installed to support the seating area. Furniture manufacturers employ two main types of spring support systems: standard springs and eight-way hand tied springs. When the spring system is finished with a top layer of padding, it is commonly called the 'seat deck'.
Standard Springs provide good support at a lower price than the alternative. Most manufacturers offer either sinuous springs or drop-in-springs as their standard, depending on how they make their furniture. Both types affix to the frame to support the seat deck. Standard springs have a formal, very firm 'sit' and only move in the up/down direction. In contrast, eight-way hand-tied springs can move in many more directions.
Sinuous springs are heavy-gauge steel springs that have been heat formed into continuous 'S' shapes. They are cut into lengths and affixed to the frame. Drop-in Springs are mass-manufactured welded units that are more cheaply manufactured and considered to be of lower quality than sinuous springs.
Eight-way hand-tied springs have a wide range of movement providing a very even and individual 'sit', because they move up and down and side to side. In the construction of these systems, the craftsman individually ties heavy gauge coils from front to back, side to side and diagonally (eight ways) to provide the highest level of quality, comfort and durability. This process costs more because it is time consuming and can only be done by hand."

snow day

2010-01-07T10:06:00.000-06:00

Craig Upholstering will reopen tomorrow a.m.

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T16:20:00.000-06:00