They say "To a guy with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Well ever since I bought this bad-ass, cast-iron, fully refurbished 1953-model Singer 15-91 sewing machine on eBay, I've been looking for things to repair by sewing. So first up, I'm gonna show you how to reupholster a stool. As usual I'll include my screw-ups in hopes you can avoid them. And even if you don't have a stool to re-upholster, hopefully the methodology of this post will teach you a little about taking things apart and fixing them.
A little background on the sewing machine: I came across an engineer who restores and sells these in his spare time (more on him in a future entry). The one I bought from him was a little cheaper than usual--$200 price range--because although it is mechanically perfect, the condition of the machine's cast-iron body makes it look like it actually fought in World War II.
So here's the stool in question. I bought six of these on Craigslist for ten bucks each; they were originally $40 at Bed Bath & Beyond.
As you can see, the corner seam of the vinyl is ripped and the foam is poking its way out. I don't know anything about how stools are built, but it hardly looks like rocket science, so I'll figure this out as I go along. Please join me on my magical journey of self-discovery.
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