Upholstery staples are different from the other types (for paper, or manual staplegun staples). They are made of a thinner gauge of wire to avoid cutting and ripping the fabric up so much. The thin wire also allows them to glide deeply into furniture wood easily, as long as the stapler has enough power. I mentioned earlier that the best upholstery staplers are the long-nosed, pneumatic ones that need a compressor to work.
The way to put the fabric on with the stapler is simply: Do not staple directly above the hand that is pulling the fabric tight. Staple next to your hand, generally to the right if you are right-handed. Using this one simple trick will make all your fabric look much more smooth. Spreading fabric over furniture is similar to making a bed: always trying to smooth out the wrinkles. Yet the consequences of the wrinkles are much higher, so you must plan ahead to decide what to do on each edge and make it look good, covering all the unsightly frayed cuts.
The other principle to abide by is to distribute the staples along whatever line you are working on. For example staple in the middle, then 1/4 from each side, then start gradually filling in the spaces, always switching areas each time. This keeps one side from being much looser/tighter than the other and also helps prevent wrinkles and pulls.
Here's a pic of the cardboard strip upholsterers use to keep the fabric straight.
In other news, let's check out some of Elizabeth's tiny mosaic jewelry. These earrings are very well-made and reasonably priced at only $25 a pair. Contact Elizabeth for more info at Elizabeth@themellowmakeryatx.com!
Thanks for stopping by! Next time I'll discuss welting, which is probably not what it sounds like to most people.
--Pam