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Smithfield upholsterer passionate about teaching her
craft
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By Ash Schiller
March 4, 2005 | SMITHFIELD -- Grandmothers,
mothers and college students alike learn together
in a beginning upholstery class taught by Cynthia
Layne, owner of Upholstery by Cynthia at 64 S.
Main.
Each student brings his own small piece of furniture
to reupholster, Layne said. The four-week course,
which ended Wednesday, is taught through Bridgerland
Applied Technology College and costs $45.
"To me, upholstery is about giving something
back its old life," Layne said.
The class gives students practical experience
how to pull and lay fabric, she said. |
SWANKY:
Cynthia Layne, with dogs
Zack and Mitzi, shows off her restored antique
day bed, which had only wooden sideboards when
she found it. Layne added "bullion fringe"
during the overhaul. / Photo by Ash Schiller |
Basically, reupholstering involves taking a piece apart,
cutting all new pieces and placing new layers, but it
is anything but easy. "To put it back is a skill and
a craft," she said, "It has to be kind of a love and
a passion."
The class is very hands on, Layne said, and students
do most of the work on their furniture.
"The biggest advantage of the class was to have Cynthia
there to help take the furniture apart. Ripping into
a piece is kind of unnerving," said Tim Cannon, a Utah
State University student who took the class.
Cannon reupholstered a once "gory, green chair" over
the four-week period and would like to reupholster two
of his artificial leather chairs in the future, he said.
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"It was fun to see how furniture is constructed,
how many staples can be in a chair," he said.
Every piece of furniture is made differently,
Layne said. "There is so much diversity in every
piece. Very rarely do you get two pieces exactly
alike," she said.
Layne has been reupholstering "almost anything
you can think of" in her store for 10 years. Born
and raised in Smithfield, she said she first became
interested in upholstery while helping her aunt
who owned a store that made custom-fit car covers.
She has worked for USU Housing and Food Services
building and upholstering sofas. Along with her
shaved-ice stands, she has also made slip-covers
for chairs at weddings. Layne said now she is
more selective about her projects.
"My business is very labor intensive. I have
to be picky about what I take on," she said.
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"GORY, GREEN CHAIR"
NO MORE: Student
Tim Cannon's
reupholstery project takes shape. / Photo
by Ash Schiller
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There are lots of steps and they cannot be rushed,
she said. A sofa may take as long as 20 hours to reupholster.
In addition to the beginning upholstery class, Layne
also teaches a class about fabric history. Teaching
the class has helped her learn more about the industry,
she said. Layne said linens were produced as early as
the Stone Age. Wool and silk came later in about 27
B.C. The Chinese kept the silk under lock and key for
30 decades, until someone from Rome snuck in and stole
some silk worm eggs. Cotton came in late but is "the
most stable because it is the most economical," she
said.
There are still new fabrics being created today. Layne
said the one she is most excited about is called green
fabric. It is made from pop bottles and is environmentally
safe, she said. "It is really beautiful stuff and it
is long lasting so it doesn't go to the landfill so
quickly," she said.
According to the Bridgerland Applied Technology Web
site, www.batc.tec.ut.us,
the next beginning upholstery class will begin March
30. The class meets every Wednesday night at Layne's
store, Upholstery by Cynthia, from 7 to 9 p.m. Contact
the college for more information about both the beginning
upholstery or fabric history class.
JUST THE RIGHT SIZE:
Zack perches atop an ottoman
with Layne's bullion fringe. / Photo by Ash Schiller
NW
MS
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