Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design

Absolutely love this book! I had seen so many and even had bought the "Professional Upholstering: All the Trade Secrets" and disliked it so much I had to return it. This one is the opposite of the other: the photos, print, paper are all of great quality and the images are very explanatory. The writer gives information in a clear manner and almost nothing is left to desire. Basically, she shows 5 different reupholstery projects, and because these are so different, one can refer to mix and match pieces of each project to cater for his/her own project. There is a color diagram in the beginning of the book that shows drawings of different pieces of furniture with a variety of arms, seats, wings, etc and then one can go to the pages that show how to reupholster each of these pieces. I am reupholstering my couch for the first time and this book has been absolutely indispensable to my project. Because my couch has round arms like one of the chairs she works with, I referred to the arms of the chair to reupholster the arms of my couch, but then used other references for other parts of my couch. In addition, the book has a comprehensive appendix also with great images and explanation about tools needed, how to strip furniture (of course, because this is the first step!), sewing tips and a wonderful glossary. Finally, someone who really desires to share knowledge in a clear manner! Worth every penny.

Fantastic book with detailed illustration and easy to follow instructions

The book centers primarily on chairs and sofa furniture upholstering. Projects are worked from start to finish. Concise instructions for measuring for fabric requirements, as well as preparing pillows for added flair. Although not geared for a true beginner, it provides guidance to approach the design aspect of selecting furniture and fabrics/colors in an easily-understood fashion. The result may be the lessening of anxiety when first faced with the actual task at hand!

I love this book. Amanda Brown has walked me through many an upholstery project and I now can consider myself a confident re-upholsterer. One tip that I would like to share is when making zippered box cushions, or zippered cushions of any kind, leave yourself at least an inch of extra zipper chain to slip the zipper pull on to, and do it in the direction that the zipper opens. If you look at the zipper chain fabric, there are a million arrow points that show the direction that the zip CLOSES so put your pull on in the opposing direction. If you have the extra zipper chain it will give you a little wiggle room to get the pull on without stressing the fabric. Amanda explains things very clearly and concisely and the photos of each operation are easy to understand. I am so glad that she is so successful.

Best upholstery book I've found so far. I'm building my own dinning room chairs from scratch (paper drawing and rough walnut lumber) and used it to upholster the first one with 8 way tied coil springs. This turned out to be too tall for the shape of the chair so I'm trying sinuous springs for #2 to compare. There is no good information in this book on how to install them, what tools to use, size of springs, how to cut to size etc. Other than that niche omission, a great book. The pictures are and instructions are clear. Especially good on the little tips that make the difference between something that looks a little clumsy and something that looks really sharp. A Keeper.

This is a great book. I am an experienced upholsterer but I learned quite a few tips from this book. I will say, if you want to recover a piece of furniture, you don't have to tear it down to the bones. If the structure is good and all the stuffing and foam is good, just take all the staples and tacks out first. Don't pull off the cover yet. Take off the dust cover, then the back and then the sides. Keep each piece for a pattern. Do the seat cover first, then the arms and then the inside back. Note how everything is put on. It makes sense when you can see the insides. Do the outside arms next, then the back. Dust cover is last. Supplies can be found online or in local stores. This book tells you how to use the tools to get the job done. Have fun with it!!

We have a 60+ overstuffed chair that has some sentimental value but it is as ugly as sin. Even when it was reupholstered years ago, the fabric choice was pretty hideous. It's comfortable and has a hard wood frame, so it would be a shame to send it to landfill hell. A comparable chair in a decent fabric might cost a lot more than the cost of re-doing this myself and I have the satisfaction of knowing that a family treasure-turned-eyesore can have a new life and some dignity. The author has tried to cover the variations in chairs and couches by covering the basics-- arms, wings, wood and the long form, or couches. What I really appreciate is the tone of a person who explains everything as thoroughly as possible in book form and who tries to show enough variety so that you don't feel blindsided or helpless because you're trying to resuscitate Aunt Mildred's Queen Anne from being the cat's scratching tree. I've watched YouTube videos and read things online, but having a book that tries to demystify the process and doesn't skip steps is a great help. I read Amazon reviews and checked out the paltry offerings at the local bookstore and even found a few old copies of various upholstery texts. While the processes haven't really changed a great deal over the years, it's nice to see step-by-step explanations with the intention of trying to show everything by breaking down the things you might encounter. No, our 60+ year-old-chair will probably never win any beauty awards, but it looks a whole lot different now and I feel pretty confident tackling other jobs. In fact, I'm eyeing that old Mission-style chair sitting on the curb. . . .

This book is so well written- has lots of step by step instructions and is laid out in a way that if you have any upholstered piece of furniture you can go to the guide and pick which set of instructions fit the part you are working on! I have had a chair and ottoman I have hated the fabric on for 20 yrs. This book has given me the tools and confidence to finally tackle this project with no worries. I lent it to a friend that is also an upholstery virgin other than recovering chair seats and she agrees....this book can guide you to completion of any upholstery project. Like a private course in your own home!! Covers everything from antique to modern styles. I couldn't ask for more- great job Amanda Brown!!

Interessant zu erfahren wie die Amerikanischen Kollegen ihre Arbeit verrichten. Die Techniken unterscheiden sich zwar aber nicht im Übermaß .

Me encanta lo entendible que es..

Excellent book and I am trying to implement it.

Ok

Informative read.