Once you have determined that your upholstered chair frame is in restorable shape, it’s time to measure. Your new fabric is the most important AND the most exciting part of your new look! When you buy your fabric you want to be sure you have the correct yardage – without too much waste. Does your chair have a cushion or a ‘tight’ seat or back? Is it a channel back? Does it have welt (also known as ‘piping’ if you are familiar with sewing lingo)? These factors are all taken into consideration as you measure.

upholstery instructor Carla Pyle helps a student measure her chair

Instructor Carla Pyle shows a student how to measure her chair

Since the variety of chair styles is virtually endless, this step presents a challenge to summarize in this brief format. If you are in our local area in Bozeman or Livingston, Montana consider signing up for our a class to receive personalized guidance and tools to help you measure your own chair. At the end of the first class, you will know exactly how much fabric you need to buy so that you can get started on your project.

using a flexible tape to measure a 'tight' chair seat

Each individual chair presents its own challenges in an upholstery project

Previous: Step 1 – Evaluation
Next: Step 3 – Fabric Selection

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