Lydia's Blog: Ties Footstool Commission

   After seeing my upcycled upholstery work on my blog, I was contacted by a client asking if I could cover an old foot stool. We discussed possible fabrics and materials which I could use and she decided that ties would be the most effective and appropriate material to use.
   I first had to remove the broken top off of the stool using pliers, before I could re-cover it. In order to make the foot stool strong enough to be functional, I had to use a strong fabric as a base for the ties, which I attached with staples and tacks. The ties were then arranged in a weaved pattern and I experimented with what would be the strongest way to weave the ties to best fit the stool.
   Colour combinations also had to be considered as I had a lot of ties to choose from and I decided on a vivid, clashy colour scheme, appropriate for the nature of the garments. I used tacks and a hammer to attach the ties to the stool, for a strong hold in order to achieve the best finish. Once all of the ties were attached on one side I carefully checked the arrangement of the weaved pattern in order to make it as neat as possible, with the varying widths of tie.
   Overall I am pleased with how this piece turned out as it will now be a functional item with a vintage feel but a contemporary twist. Below are photos of the process and the finished foot stool.