Glossary of Terms
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric, vinyl or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the word upholder, which referred to an artisan who makes fabric furnishings
SEAT St.
INSIDE BACK I.B.
OUTSIDE BACK O.B.
INSIDE ARM OUTSIDE ARM I.A.
BORDER Bdr. Can be in front or along top of back.
FACINGS Fegs. The front of the arm-rests. Can also be on the sides of a back.
PLATFORM SEAT Pl. St. A Platform Seat is one that has a guttering and has a cushion
BLACK AND WHITE WEBBING Best English webbing with herring bone design.
BOS A projection from the back of an upholstery button. Made of cloth to enable a needle and twine to pass through.
BRIDLING A series of twine loops about six inches long which are put in canvases to carry the stuffing and keep it in position.
BUFFED The rubbing or buffing with carborundum to obviate any blemishes that may be in hides.
BUTTONING The insertion of upholstery buttons. Two methods used are `Float' Buttoning and `Deep' Buttoning. The former method leaves the button on the face of the cover, whilst the latter is pulled into the cover deeply and forms a pleated diamond.
CABRIOLE Name given to a hammer with a small driving area. Used mainly on show-wood furniture.
GAP Name used in describing the opening between the arm web and the back upright rail. Left free for passing through flys, etc., to be tacked against rail.
GAUGE Applied to the thickness of the steel wire in the manufacture of coil springs, leather and other sewing notions/materials.
HOLDING TIE A stitch between the spring canvas and scrim. Keeps the first stuffing firmly in place. Also known as `Through Stitch'.
JACKETS One or more parts joined together to form a tailored finish, e.g. inside arm and facing.
LACING A term applied to the stringing together of coil springs in which a `laid' cord is used.
LININGS Pieces of material tacked on to the outsides before the outside covers are put on. Gives extra resistance to pressure, especially needed in the case of leather covering.
PIPING FOOT An attachment for the sewing machine to enable piped edges to be sewn on to joins.
PULLTHROUGH Pieces of hessian or any old material sewn on to the inside edges of the cover material to save material and give added strength for pulling cover into position.
RAILS STRETCHER A supporting rail on a settee or divan base.
TACKING The lighter rails for tacking foundations and covers to.
BASE The main foundation rail at floor level.
REBATED Where a groove is put in the edge of a rail, and the lower edge used for tacking, or where cable springing is fixed.
REGULATING The `working about' of stuffing to the required place for stitching, etc.
RIPPING OUT Procedure for stripping chairs for repair.
SCRIM STUFFING Another term for the first stuffing enclosed in scrim or hessian.
SHOW-WOOD Polished wood surrounding to stuffed or upholstered part of furniture, as with a dining-chair or occasional chair.
SKIVING The art of chamfering a piece of hide in order to join together two pieces by gluing.
SPRING EDGE Mostly applies to the front edge of chairs, but also to all edges where an independent springing is adopted.
SPRING INTERIOR The inside springing of a cushion or mattress.
SPRING UNIT A collection of springs to form foundations for seats, arms and backs. Wired and clipped together.
STITCHING The stitching by twine of edges and rolls to form a shape to stuffing.
STRAPS Metal bands or webs upon which spring units are mounted and fixed to the frame by clout nails.
TACK DRAWS The `shadowed' furrow caused by the strain of a tack. Particularly on silk covers.
TEMPORARY TACKS Tacks only half driven in. Easily removed.
TENSILE Applies to rubber webbing or cable-springing.
THUMBROLL An alternative to a stitched edge. Known as a cordroll by the American upholsterer.
TUFTING Carried out on mattresses. Same procedure as in buttoning.
EXPANDED VINYL This material (also known as PVC - polyvinyl chloride) is commonly used in marine fabric upholstery like boat seats and cushions. It resists mildew, mold, and can be coated with antimicrobial chemicals. It’s a cost-effective choice for marine fabrics.
VINYL AND POLYESTER COMPOSITE The composite fabric stays tight on the frame, are UV ray resistant, mildew- and fire resistant.
WATERPROOF impervious to water.
WATER RESISTANT designed to not be easily harmed or affected by water or to not allow water to pass through easily.
WIRE KNOTS The finish of the metal coil on a spring.
INSIDE BACK I.B.
OUTSIDE BACK O.B.
INSIDE ARM OUTSIDE ARM I.A.
BORDER Bdr. Can be in front or along top of back.
FACINGS Fegs. The front of the arm-rests. Can also be on the sides of a back.
PLATFORM SEAT Pl. St. A Platform Seat is one that has a guttering and has a cushion
BLACK AND WHITE WEBBING Best English webbing with herring bone design.
BOS A projection from the back of an upholstery button. Made of cloth to enable a needle and twine to pass through.
BRIDLING A series of twine loops about six inches long which are put in canvases to carry the stuffing and keep it in position.
BUFFED The rubbing or buffing with carborundum to obviate any blemishes that may be in hides.
BUTTONING The insertion of upholstery buttons. Two methods used are `Float' Buttoning and `Deep' Buttoning. The former method leaves the button on the face of the cover, whilst the latter is pulled into the cover deeply and forms a pleated diamond.
CABRIOLE Name given to a hammer with a small driving area. Used mainly on show-wood furniture.
GAP Name used in describing the opening between the arm web and the back upright rail. Left free for passing through flys, etc., to be tacked against rail.
GAUGE Applied to the thickness of the steel wire in the manufacture of coil springs, leather and other sewing notions/materials.
HOLDING TIE A stitch between the spring canvas and scrim. Keeps the first stuffing firmly in place. Also known as `Through Stitch'.
JACKETS One or more parts joined together to form a tailored finish, e.g. inside arm and facing.
LACING A term applied to the stringing together of coil springs in which a `laid' cord is used.
LININGS Pieces of material tacked on to the outsides before the outside covers are put on. Gives extra resistance to pressure, especially needed in the case of leather covering.
PIPING FOOT An attachment for the sewing machine to enable piped edges to be sewn on to joins.
PULLTHROUGH Pieces of hessian or any old material sewn on to the inside edges of the cover material to save material and give added strength for pulling cover into position.
RAILS STRETCHER A supporting rail on a settee or divan base.
TACKING The lighter rails for tacking foundations and covers to.
BASE The main foundation rail at floor level.
REBATED Where a groove is put in the edge of a rail, and the lower edge used for tacking, or where cable springing is fixed.
REGULATING The `working about' of stuffing to the required place for stitching, etc.
RIPPING OUT Procedure for stripping chairs for repair.
SCRIM STUFFING Another term for the first stuffing enclosed in scrim or hessian.
SHOW-WOOD Polished wood surrounding to stuffed or upholstered part of furniture, as with a dining-chair or occasional chair.
SKIVING The art of chamfering a piece of hide in order to join together two pieces by gluing.
SPRING EDGE Mostly applies to the front edge of chairs, but also to all edges where an independent springing is adopted.
SPRING INTERIOR The inside springing of a cushion or mattress.
SPRING UNIT A collection of springs to form foundations for seats, arms and backs. Wired and clipped together.
STITCHING The stitching by twine of edges and rolls to form a shape to stuffing.
STRAPS Metal bands or webs upon which spring units are mounted and fixed to the frame by clout nails.
TACK DRAWS The `shadowed' furrow caused by the strain of a tack. Particularly on silk covers.
TEMPORARY TACKS Tacks only half driven in. Easily removed.
TENSILE Applies to rubber webbing or cable-springing.
THUMBROLL An alternative to a stitched edge. Known as a cordroll by the American upholsterer.
TUFTING Carried out on mattresses. Same procedure as in buttoning.
EXPANDED VINYL This material (also known as PVC - polyvinyl chloride) is commonly used in marine fabric upholstery like boat seats and cushions. It resists mildew, mold, and can be coated with antimicrobial chemicals. It’s a cost-effective choice for marine fabrics.
VINYL AND POLYESTER COMPOSITE The composite fabric stays tight on the frame, are UV ray resistant, mildew- and fire resistant.
WATERPROOF impervious to water.
WATER RESISTANT designed to not be easily harmed or affected by water or to not allow water to pass through easily.
WIRE KNOTS The finish of the metal coil on a spring.