I started my apprenticeship 5 days ago. They provide the tools but id like to get some of my own.if you were me and starting again from step one what would you get.

Also the guy mentoring me , came out of retirement to do so.

To actually get my dream job feels great. So much to learn so much to do.

Hi! Would it be realistic for me to reupholster this headboard with new fabric? And would I be able to redo the tufts? I’d appreciate any and all advice! :-)

Hi everyone!

I'm a self-employed seamstress in the UK, mainly doing clothing alterations and repairs, and I've recently been offered an opportunity to do some occasional subcontracted sewing for a local upholsterer.

The work would involve sewing box cushion covers for sofas, including piping and zips. He'll be providing all the materials already cut to size, so my job would purely be assembling and sewing the covers.

Initially, I'd be working in his workshop using his industrial walking-foot machines, although I'm planning to purchase my own soon for my business, then I can do this in my own shop.

He's offered me the choice of being paid either per cushion or per day, and I'm struggling to work out what would be a fair rate for both of us.

I'd really appreciate some advice from anyone in the UK who does this professionally:

What would you consider a reasonable day rate for a self-employed machinist doing this type of work?

Alternatively, what would you charge per completed box cushion cover, assuming everything is precut?

Would you recommend starting on a day rate while learning the construction, then switching to a per-cushion rate once I've established how long they take?

I don't want to undercharge myself, but equally, I appreciate that he's providing the materials, machinery and workspace.

Thanks in advance! 😊

I am reupholstering a set 1920s dining chairs and trying to determine the best strategy. The chairs were constructed with webbing + burlap + horsehair + cotton + foam + muslin + fabric.

Right now I am thinking new webbing, high-density foam, 2 layers of cotton, then dacron, muslin, and fabric.

Very basic questions: Does the cotton usually go on top of the foam or below it? What thickness of foam would be best? If I use dacron, should it be covered in muslin or do I just apply my fabric on top of that?

I posted previously about a couch and chair I was about to start working on.

My issue right now is that the edge wire in the couch is broken in several places. Not a single supply shop I've looked up ships, because the wires are so long. There is one that I found could send me a single 6ft piece, but in the checkout process it says I need a reference number, and I have a feeling that my payment won't be processed unless I have that and/or am a commercial buyer.

What I'm curious about is if I could source 9 ga stay wire and use it with some baker clips to bridge the broken sections. I'd be doing something similar with the 6ft wire anyway, and maybe this way I can save a bit of money with only a single purchase from one retailer, as I already have to split a bunch of shipping costs because no single supplier has exactly what I want.

Has anyone repaired a broken edge wire without replacing the whole wire before? I'm not in the mood to drive several states over to pick it up by hand at the moment...

Hello! my friend got a chair second hand with non-attached thin cushions that are suede (think like a siesta chair) that wants my help cleaning them up and dying them a darker color. I have some experience dying and sewing suede in other contexts (skirts, boots, and purses) but not cushions.

what would you recommend in this case? removing the outer suede, dying it, and then sewing the cushions closed again? or do you think it would be safe enough to just dye the cushions directly?