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Important Tips for Upholstery
These are tips for measuring furniture that is
to be upholstered. Following these tips should ensure you a more
correct measurement of yardage. These tips are only guidelines. We
do not take responsibility for incorrect measuring or incorrect
usage of these tips. If you have any questions feel free to
contact
us.
- Organize
Make a list of the different sections of your
piece of furniture. Figure A is an example of the different
sections a chair may have. The sections on your list should be
the ones where fabric is going to be applied. Remember to
measure both the length and the width of each section.
Measure Always measure the
widest parts of each section. For example if your chair has a
T-shaped lip to its cushion/seat. Measure the top of the T, for
it is the widest part of the section. Figure B shows a sample
for a chair. If possible, also measure a piece of furniture
before you take off the old fabric. This will give you a more
accurate measurement.
Calculate
Add all your
measurements together and divide by 36 to get the approximate
yardage needed for your project.
Over Estimate
Give yourself 2
1/2 inches allowance for most seams. Also always give yourself
some extra yardage for mistakes and in case you made a mis-measurement.
You can always use the left over material for pillows
accessories, etc.
Motifs
Patterns with large
motifs and patterns that need to be lined up will require more
fabric. It may be helpful to plan out you pattern pieces first.
Skirts
If you are adding a
skirt to your piece of furniture, two or three extra yards will
be needed.
Wefting and Piping
Adding any
piping of wefting to the edges of furniture will require an
extra yard or two.
The following site is a calculator for
estimating fabric.
http://www.dominomag.com/knowhow/decorating/calculators/fabric/
Patterned Fabric Additional Yardage Estimation
Chart
|
Fabric Width |
Plain Fabric |
3" - 14" Repeat |
15"-19" Repeat |
20"-27" Repeat |
28"-36" Repeat |
37"-45" Repeat |
46"-54" Repeat |
|
54" |
0% |
10% |
15% |
20% |
25% |
30% |
35% |
|
50"-52" |
10% |
20% |
25% |
30% |
35% |
40% |
45% |
First add the fabric's vertical and horizontal
repeats together (for example, a 7" vertical repeat plus its
10" horizontal repeat gives a 17" total). Then find the
appropriate column on the chart, and increase the yardage
estimate by the percentage indicated.
For example: The yardage estimate is 5 yards of 54" wide
fabric to cover a chair and the pattern on the fabric repeats
horizontally every 10" and vertically every 7". Add up the
repeats (10" + 7" = 17") and find the appropriate column (15%
for this example). 15 percent more fabric is needed to cover
the chair while matching the pattern at the seams. 5 yards
plus an extra 15 % is 5.75 yards.
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