Tools of the trade.

Taking it apart for hours of sharpening

My spanking new planes 

I have decided to take a wee break from upholstery to get back to basics and do what I originally set out to do, namely woodworking, by enrolling in a two-week furniture making taster course in Sussex.

By the end of the first day, I have managed to spend more moolah on tools and a total of 5 hours sharpening my pretties (with 2 hours for assorted tea breaks in between). It feels quite momentous as these are the first proper tools of my new trade, which I will (hopefully) use and cherish for a long, long time (upholstery supplies notwithstanding).

The current course is with John Lloyd, who according to people in the know (ie everyone else on the course!) is quite well-known for  cabinet making.
Here's the link to John's website: http://www.johnlloydfinefurniture.co.uk/

The pace has been relatively slow compared to the upholstery courses I've been on, although things may pick up over the next couple of days. Nonetheless, this hasn't stopped me from feeling quite bewildered at times. Am feeling slightly like a fish out of water, surrounded by testosterone and being treated like a little girl on a frolic. Sigh. One of the few times when not looking your age is actually a draw back.

Am finding my new planes quite heavy and unwieldy, and having a little trouble getting flat/straight shavings on my test runs. And I have been putting my back into it, I promise! Hopefully practice will make perfect, but only time will tell.

The only other gripe I have (and those adverse to girly-girl behaviour, please look away now) is that I now understand why all the cabinet makers/carpenters I've met to date have such grubby, dirty little fingers. It is neigh impossible getting all the bits of grit/oil/etc out of the ridges on your fingers, much less the stuff that gets into your nails. There goes my manicure! 

A surfeit of footstools.

My slippered chair

So, despite the quiet stretch blogwise, I've actually been busy beavering away in the background on various upholstery projects. As a result I'm currently inundated by footstools, and one slippered chair.

If I've not mentioned this before, upholstery is hard work! After three weeks of upholstery, the strain on my little hands (unused to anything more strenuous than picking up the occasional pen before now) has caused them to curl into little crab-like claws (think Zoidberg). But I can safely say that it has all been worth it and I'm enjoying every moment of it! Hopefully all this means is that by the time Scotland comes round (fingers crossed the whole visa debacle will be settled favourably soon!), I'll be callused and hardened like a builder and it will make the woodworking easy-peasy.

Working with fabric to transform old worn out items of furniture into kooky creations has been immensely satisfying. It just constantly astounds me how draping a different piece of fabric on a piece changes the look and feel of it all so completely. I'm completely in love with fabric at the moment and have had a hard time trying to curb myself from trying to buy up an arsenal of material with which to upholster things with. Its a real shame that I've managed to miss the bulk of the summer sales, or I would have a lot more lovely fabric to play with!

Having finished my very first unsupervised project, I'd probably give myself a B+? Part of the problem is the tools - having to work with what I've managed to accumulate thus far, and making it work. I guess the real test is if anyone else can tell the difference!

Footstool No 2

Footstool No 3 (Before)

Footstool No 3 (After)

Footstool No 4 (Before)

Footstool No 4 (After)

Supplies.

Those familiar with upholstery will know that you need a multitude of supplies in order to tackle the simplest item of furniture (in my case, a multitude of footstools). From tools (magnetic hammer; pliers; tack lifter; regulator; double pointed needle; mattress needle and staple remover), to sundries (fibre; hair; twine; hessian; webbing; skim; calico; back cloth; skin wadding and tacks of various sizes), and lots of lovely lovely fabric. In addition, you also need various bits and bobs to restore said item to its full glory before you can start upholstering (is this even a verb?) (paints; varnish; shellac; methylated spirits; white spirits; steel wire; various grades of sandpaper; sawdust and wood glue). And last, but not least, a healthy supply of savlon and plasters.

To the average hobbyist, this is more of an inconvenience than a deterrent and you may even have some of these items lying about in your shed anyway, but if you are an unemployed designer maker (previously corporate lawyer) this means lots of shopping (and not the fun kind). Its rather alarming how these costs keep piling up. Nonetheless, I've had to bite the bullet and dig deep, and have now reached critical mass, just about ready to tackle a project or two on my lonesome (or will be once my staplegun arrives!).

Tools of the trade

Sundries

Bags and bags of stuffing

Discipline (or a lack thereof).

I never thought this would be a problem for me, but I have been told on good authority (ie Bob, my upholstery tutor), that I lack discipline. I've managed to breach the cardinal rule of carpentry - "Measure thrice, cut once!" on numerous occasions, and resulting in one near disastrous incident with top fabric.

Although this hasn't come as a complete surprise (queue my cutting things out by eye without measuring etc), nonetheless its a bit of a reality check. As a lawyer I was always diligent to a fault and attention to detail was something that I have never lacked. Strange then that this somewhat critical skill for a craftsman (and being one of the few skills from my previous life which has any relevance to what I am doing now) has not managed to translate across.

Whilst its something that I should be able to remedy by application of enough willpower, its also quite daunting. So far, the least enjoyable of the endeavours I've embarked upon has been the measuring and remeasuring (with tacking and retacking coming a close second!). Time to get with capital "D" and quit trying to rush things/shortcut the process I guess.

Repeat after me "Measure thrice, cut once!"

Sewing.

My new toy

So my new toy arrived, all shiny and wrapped up (thank you, John Lewis). I unwrapped it with glee and set to work trying to sew pieces of fabric together which would eventually make up the top cover for my next upholstery project. In theory, it all seemed quite easy. It didn't quite work out the way I planned.

I've spent the last couple of days cobbling fabric together and eventually running out of steam. I've learnt:

1. Its not as easy to sew two pieces of fabric together, as would first appear to the untrained eye.

2. Heck, its difficult to just sew in a straight line.

A home for my knitting needles

I really don't have any patience. Instead of making immaculate pieces constructed from the most precise of patterns, a la Martha Stewart, most of the things I've made have been measured by eye and have all manner of imperfections (the seams don't line up, etc). This does not bode well for a future in craftsmanship.

Slightly frustrating.