Insider Info

Stooped over a chair, upholsterer Kevin Smeltzer has already removed the chair's old cover and the padding using a hammer and tack puller.

He's also pulled off the burlap and padding that covers the arms, back and seat. Smeltzer finds a bent spring that will have to be replaced. "The springs sit on this cloth mat webbing, and that's attached to the frame," he says.

The webbing on this chair looks like it's in bad condition. Smeltzer has a new piece of webbing cut and ready to put on the chair. He tacks one side of the chair and then pulls the material taut before tacking in the other side. Next, he puts in the new springs so they compress easily and then sews each spring to the webbing.

"Burlap is stretched over the springs, cut and smoothed and tacked to the frame," he says.

A filling layer of felt and heavy cloth covers the burlap before the final fabric is tacked into place. For the final finish, Smeltzer will sew buttons on the seat pads. This job won't take much time.

Smeltzer works on all kinds of projects. "We do basically anything with fabric, ranging from car seats and boats to building furniture," he says. A wire-back chair that needs to be refurbished is next.

"This is definitely the most difficult," he says. "The entire back is made from heavy-gauge wire and the fabric pieces must be hand sewn on to the wire."

Smeltzer's most rewarding work usually begins with someone walking into the shop with an idea. He then has the opportunity to craft customized bike seats, boat furnishings or other interesting stuff.

Upholsterer Jimmy Moore's shop specializes in outfitting automobiles with new tops, seats and covering. They also do work on boats. "You see, we just start out with something plain or damaged," Moore says, pointing to the car's ripped and peeling roof. "And we make it as good as new."

Normally, Moore can remove the old roof and use it as a pattern for cutting out the new roof. But it isn't always so simple. "We have to teach ourselves how to take apart many of the materials and then figure out how to reconstruct them," he says. Sometimes dealers supply a manual that can help out the upholsterers, but not always.

"The makes and models are always changing," Moore says. "We're always having to figure out the new designs and figure out how the tops function." Once he's solved the puzzle of how to piece together the roof, Moore says he enjoys seeing his finished work. "It's very rewarding and visually pleasing."

Like other upholstery businesses, Moore is ready to tackle whatever project people have for him. "We do other things such as helicopters, airplanes and animal wall pads," he says. "It sounds strange, but we do."

Upholsterer Manon Harbec is just getting prepared to deliver a 19th-century sofa back to its owners.

The sofa seems ordinary -- multi-striped and set on a small wooden frame -- but it's exquisitely detailed. "It's a registered antique," says Harbec proudly. That means it's worth well over $25,000.

Harbec has been in the upholstery business for years, and because of her extraordinary talent and experience, she works on many interesting pieces. "In this business, you get all kinds of pieces coming through your door," she says.

Harbec has worked on beds that date back to the 16th century. "They're wonderful, with the canopy and the drapes," she says.

Because there aren't any patterns available for older pieces, Harbec has to create them from scratch. But that doesn't mean she lets her imagination run wild. She researches the types of fabrics used during the period, the types of sewing methods used and what kinds of decorations were added.

Harbec hasn't always worked on priceless antiques. She started as a young girl sewing in a factory. "I always liked sewing, and so once I learned to sew I wanted to learn to cut," she says.

Once she learned to cut the fabric, she wanted to learn how the fabrics went together. "Once you understand the patterns, you can fit together a chair or a sofa," she says.

Only businesses that produce good work and are willing to try new and different projects will survive. "And if you persist, it can be a wonderful career," says Harbec.