Mitchell
chose a single pocket down cushion for extreme comfort, secured at the inside
back to keep it in place. Our client did not want another leather sofa, and
chose a pre-washed cotton/Dacron® chenille for its deep color, softness and
texture. MPF prefers to use green materials, but other choices were made by the client.
CUSTOM SOFA
PRODUCTION
We created technical
drawings reflecting dimensions and design details before the frame was cut, using six-quarter clear vertical grain hard maple. The frame was
assembled by inserting
½-
inch dowels in each intersecting piece, below left. We then glued,
corner-blocked and screwed each piece for added stability.
The frame was
assembled, and we were ready to work on the spring deck.
Mitchell chose coil spring cushion forms
for the inside back frame to allow for extra softness, while also allowing for a
springy return, above center. He also chose to utilize a double four-way spring
tie for extreme comfort and drop in the seat deck cavity under the long soft
cushion. Ties between the springs helped us
achieve greater strength, stability, and longevity in the spring deck.
The
11 lb. jute webbing was applied in a basket weave pattern and attached to the
frame with 9/16-inch staples and #16 tacks. Medium gauge steel coil springs
were secured to the webbing, four rows deep, to create a unified seating
structure, below left.
A
four-way tie knots the spring’s twine onto four positions of the top orbit of
the coil funnel., above right. The knots are securely placed in four
perpendicular positions: 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock, and 9 o’clock. The
entire spring deck will acts as a unit, each spring borrowing force from its
neighboring spring.
The four-way tie is chosen
when:
Doubling
the twine on a four way will nearly double the life span of the spring ties if
tied properly, while still giving the soft drop.
A doubled four-way tie
can last under heavy usage three decades or more, without breakage or excessive
stretch! (Note:
For a detailed description of how we tie a four-way and eight-way tie, see our
BALLERINA CHAIR.) The tie finished,
above!
Burlap
was stretched over the seat springs and secured to the frame. Mitchell secured
a jute-filled burlap edgeroll along the front using a locking loop stitch, to
soften the edge of the frame against the sitter’s legs. Before the placement of
the spring matt into the back cavity, he stretched 11 lb. canvas taut and
secured it to the frame by stapling pressboard tacking strips over the top of
the canvas. The canvas was very tight, like a drum, above right.
Layered
over the top of the canvas was a
¾-inch
thick pressed Dacron® deck pad, intended to protect the canvas, and horizontal 9
lb. jute webbing strips, for extra back strength.
The
chenille fabric was cut in large pieces and overcast on the edges to minimize
fraying, then machine-washed twice, and tumble-dried to achieve an even greater
shriveled texture. This also deepened the color by removing any excess sizing
placed into the fabric by the manufacturer! Mitchell carefully cut the edge
along the grain so no distortion to saddlebag pillow-tops and cushions would
occur over time.
Patterns
were created and cut as the sofa progressed, as the one shown above, for the
rear sofa corner. We took both grain and pile direction into account.
Dacron®
spring deck sheeting was secured to the burlap and frame, making the seat deck
ready for upholstering. The front seat edge chenille fabric was
upholstered to the frame, left.
Jute
filled edgerolls padded all the sharp frame edges. The back build-up also
achieved a rounded sleigh-like quality to the couch top, back corners, and arm
top transits.
The
spring coils are pre- formed by the manufacturer into 21-inch square mats
consisting of light gage, individually wrapped three inch diameter springs. The
springs were bound together by metal crimping hog rings at the 12 o’clock, 9
o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 3 o’clock positions around the coil.
Mitchell modified
these mats by joining several together, hog-ringing them as the manufacturer
did, until the desired inside back cavity width was achieved. A spring filled
edgewire was cut and secured to the outer perimeter of the spring mat in order
to unify the movement and torsion of the spring back unit. The bottom perimeter
springs were secured to the hardwood frame by triple stapling the spring wire to
the frame with long 9/16-inch staples at three points of the springs orbit.
Mitchell
webbed the inside arms with 9 lb. jute webbing, two vertical courses and one
horizontal course. Over the webbing 11 lb. canvas was stretched and stapled in
the same manner as the inside back.
¾-inch thick
pressed Dacron® deck pad was secured to the bottom inside arm rail, and then
pulled up over the arm top and around the edgerolls. This formed the arm roll.
He stapled the deck pad to the outside arm top rail. A
¾-inch jute
edgeroll was secured to the inside arm front to soften the edge and to protect
the stuffings and cloth from abrasion.
Mitchell began the
inside back build-up. ¾-inch pressed Dacron® deck pad was cut,
rolled, and stapled to the top inside transit, pulled over the top contour, and
stapled to the top outside back tack strip. He padded the spring mat taking
into consideration the need to allow the top of the spring unit to flex
independent of the rolled back top rail transit.
Heavy
glazed Dacron® batting was precut to the size of the interior back spring unit,
and secured to the spring perimeter using nylon tufting twine and a locking
blanket stitch. When completed, the spring unit was fully covered by the glazed
Dacron®. A soft roll of Dacron® fiber was blanket-stitched into the valley
between the spring unit top and the inside back riser to act as a fill. Black,
heavy spandex was stretched lightly across the entire inside back frame and
stapled all around the perimeter. This allowed the spring back to be contained
while still retaining close to maximum spring flex.
Another
light layer of Dacron® batting was stretched over the entire inside back and top
riser, and secured to the top, bottom and side rails. Fabric and spandex were
cut into strips; this was installed into the areas with the greatest potential
to expand and flex. The back now has its basic upholstery and is ready for the
saddlebag cushion tops.
Spandex
panels and chenille panels were upholstered over the sofa’s interior back and
arm form. Corner fabric was fitted to the frame over the stuffing, and tacked.
Click here to
continue to view the building of the
Saddlebags!
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