I am re-upholstering my dinning room chairs...?

Question

and there is an arch in the front so the first one i started puckered so bad i had to take out all the staples and need to start again.

my question is does anyone have any tips on how i should pleat these or gather the fabric so that it's less obvious (like the original is so perfect)? i am not real good with these type of domestic things better the easier the better.

[i already bought the fabric and plenty of it and i'm not interested in spending any more money on them hiring someone else to do it :-)]

Answer 1

It helps to have 2 people working on this....one to stretch and hold the fabric as tight as possible and another to staple.  (learned this one the hard way).  Start with the front corners and get them stapled in.  Then do the arched part in the front, and then fold the sides in, and finally work your way to the back.  The type of fabric you're using makes a difference too.   Lightweight, firm fabrics are much easier to work with than heavier, stretchier ones.  I know you already bought the fabric, but I thought I'd mention this for future reference.  The more you do this, the better you become at it.  So, the 4th chair should look perfect  : )  Good luck!

Answer 2

Loosely bast the ends and draw them together as needed to eliminate the puckers.  Must easier and smoother than pleating.  Besides it would be really hard to get all the pleats the same on all the chairs.