  March Mending Month gilleland_mend_upholstery_image1.jpg How-
To: Mend Torn Upholstery By Diane Gilleland If you have a sofa
or chair with a rip in the cushion, don’t despair! Torn
upholstery can be simple to fix with the right tools and a
little care. gilleland_mend_upholstery_image2.jpg Materials: Use
a very strong nylon thread for this project, and a curved
needle. This kind of needle is usually packaged as a “mattress
needle” or “upholstery needle.” The curved shape allows you to
sew easily on a flat surface, like a sofa cushion. You can also
make your own curved needle by bending a crewel embroidery
needle with needlenose pliers. It won’t be perfect, but it will
do the job.  gilleland_mend_upholstery_image3.jpg 1. Assess the
rip. First, take a moment to study the rip. This rip, for
example, happened along a seam in the cushion. The fabric on the
left side of the opening is intact, but the right side is
fraying. This tells me that I’ll need to watch that right side
carefully when I’m sewing. gilleland_me