Hi Kimberley,

If you weren't there, you're missing out!

And if you're not a member, you're really missing out on A LOT!

🧵 Kim's Upholstery Members Live Chat Newsletter Week of May 19–20, 2025 

What a week on Zoom! Two sessions, a ton of great projects, and the kind of hands-on problem-solving you can only get from a community of makers who've been there. Here's everything you missed — and why you should join us next week!

✦ TUESDAY, MAY 19TH HIGHLIGHTS

🪑 Cube Ottoman Mysteries Solved Allison brought a Serena & Lily cube ottoman that turned out to be far more interesting than expected — two boards, recessed wheels, and a slipcover-style construction. The group worked through disassembly strategies live on the call. 💡 Tip: Measure the cube directly — don't trust disintegrating fabric as a pattern. Tip: Use a $3–$7× perimeter multiplier when pricing cube ottomans.

💰 Pricing the Tough Stuff Nancy tackled a tufted ottoman with a waterfall skirt. Kim walked through a real pricing approach, landing around $1,000 for this work. Great discussion on breaking complex skirts into individual panels and when to hand-stitch. 

🪡 Victorian Chair Tufting Talk: Barbara's Victorian parlor chair came up for discussion. Kim advised swapping 4-inch foam for 2-inch to keep proportions right, and recommended tufting through the fabric rather than sewing each diamond — a real time-saver. 💡 Tip: Test your button caps before committing — they can pop off on velvet!

🛋️ A Challenging Blue Sofa: Allison shared her recent sofa project — a deep dive into managing fabric tension, maintaining symmetry, and controlling frayed edges. Kim suggested fabric glue as a practical fix. A great reminder that every project teaches you something new.

🌴 Caribbean Chintz in Progress Laura showed off her gorgeous St. Martin souvenir fabric on a chair restoration — a tight chintz weave that made sewing a workout, but the result is stunning. Proof that challenging fabrics are worth it.

🔧 Roadside Finds & Repair Wisdom: A settee rescued from the curb, a stool missing its knobs, a reclining rocker with a spring unit — the group covered it all. Kim recommended Van Dyke's Restoration Hardware for hard-to-find replacement parts and confirmed that drop-in spring units should be reused unless they're broken.

✦ WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH HIGHLIGHTS

🪡 Cording & Slipcover Construction Marcy brought cording questions, and Kim delivered. Store your cording on a roll — not in strips — to avoid bumps, and steaming can help smooth things out. For skirts that won't lay flat, squaring up your edges and surging layers makes a big difference. 💡 Tip: Mark arm panels on fabric before cutting to prevent bias shifting, and sew cording in the same direction on both panels.

🧵 Industrial Machine Talk The group got into sewing machine territory — specifically cording foot functionality. Kim recommended the Juki 5550 for lighter-weight materials and the 8700 as another solid option. Marcy also flagged a safety heads-up she'd seen on Facebook about Juki machines tipping — worth being aware of!

🛋️ Pricing a Pier 1 Set Helene is looking at reupholstering a settee, two club chairs, and an ottoman. Kim's advice: price it high, and if the frame is rough, consider leaving the attached seat cushion intact rather than fighting it. Also worth knowing — microfiber can be tricky for tufting due to it not holding a crease.

📐 Irregular Foam Cushion Covers Tonya is wrestling with oddly shaped foam and needs help with measuring and cutting a trapezoidal cushion cover. Kim walked through the approach based on existing measurements and foam thickness. 💡 Tip: When in doubt, post photos in the community — it's much easier to help when we can see what you're working with!

🌊 The Curved Sofa Challenge: Holly B brought a complex curved sofa slipcover project that sparked a great conversation. Velcro around the perimeter, angled zipper seams, and a lapped zipper for the outside back are all in play. For fabric, Kim loves Matelassé for its stretch — but since it's hard to find, 12 oz pre-shrunk bull denim from Big Duck Canvas is a solid alternative. 💡 Tip: Skip cording on vertical inner back seams — they'll be covered by cushions anyway.

🔵 Fabric Finds & Final Touches: Ramona suggested Harbor Mist — a light-blue denim from Big Duck Canvas — though it may be getting phased out. Revolution's slipcover twill also came up. Kim reminded everyone to watch for shrinkage with pre-shrunk denim; it may still need an extra round before handing off to a client.

🎀 Ruched Neck Roll How-To Marcy wrapped up on Wednesday, asking about a ruched neck roll. Kim's answer: make it as a tube with gathered ends — not a circle. Simple once you know!

👏 MEMBER SHOUTOUTS

→ Hawley — nearly done with her chair, and photos are coming soon! → Bryan — tackling the challenge of tufting a curved chair like a pro. → Amy — deep in striped cushion work and killing it. → Laura — that Caribbean chintz chair is going to be absolutely gorgeous.

📅 DON'T MISS NEXT WEEK!

This is what membership looks like in action — real projects, real questions, real answers from Kim, and a community that genuinely wants to see you succeed. Whether you're just starting out or you've been upholstering for years, there's always something to learn and someone to learn it with.

We meet every Tuesday at 9:30 am and Wednesday at 3:00 Eastern Time on Zoom. Bring your projects, your questions, and your curiosity. We'd love to see you there! ✂️ Post pics in the community before the live so we can share your pics during the Zoom.