Tag Archives: upholstery

A window on the world or how to decorate a window seat

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A window seat is often just a small area placed in front of a window that is wide enough to sit on or, if you are really lucky, fully recline.  They are often carved out of an area on a stairway landing, in front of a bow window or created between two built in bookcases. 

The key to making a window seat inviting is, of course, the amount of plush pillows and cushions that are available.  And what a great opportunity to use your favorite decorating fabrics. 

House to Home shares a window seat that has been carved out of the corner of the room.  With the homespun gingham fabric window treatments and cozy quilts, I could sit here all day long.

If the architecture of your home does not offer a window seat, create your own.  Find a spot between two walls, add a bench and some comfortable fabric and you have an instant window seat.  In this example there was no window so a mirror adds some reflection.  And don’t you just love all that additional storage underneath!

This cheerful kitchen window seat designed by Elizabeth Dinkel is a great spot for an after school snack.  It provides a comfortable place to sit with your kids and discuss their day.

This window seat designed by HGTV designer Sarah Richardson  turns an ordinary dining room window into an inviting spot to share a cup of tea with a friend or read a good book.  It also provides additional seating and showcases several beautiful fabrics.  Is there a place in your home for a window seat?

Decorative Nails Add Style to Your Upholstery Projects

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C. S. Osborne Overlap nails can give a stylish look to your next upholstery project. As Diane reminded us yesterday, decorative nails continue to be a trend in furniture.

Adding decorative nails to your upholstery project can give it style and sophistication. Nails are easy to put in place especially if you use an upholstery hammer.

OnlineFabricStore.net has a great selection of decorative upholstery nails.

Professional Upholsterer’s Tools–Foam Cutter

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The Foam Queen Acu 350 Foam Cutter lets you cut upholstery foam quickly, accurate, and easily.

If you do a lot of upholstery work, professional tools can save you time and money. The Foam Queen Acu 35 Foam Cutter allows you to cut upholstery foam to the proper size quickly, easily, and accurately.

On the 10th day of fabric Christmas…sparkle and glitter

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On the tenth day of fabric Christmas my true love gave to me lots of sparkle and glitter fabric to celebrate the new year.

Tulle is such a festive fabric.  It can be used for fun holiday clothing but does wonders for your holiday decorating.  Imagine a drinks table at your New Year’s Eve bash topped with a cloth made out of this glittery tulle:

or sparkly ruffles added to your throw pillows to make staying up late and ringing in the New Year more comfortable and colorful.

Satin is also a versatile fabric that can be used for holiday decorating.  Beautiful satin squares will make a luxurious quilt that will delight those overnight guests that are smart enough not to drink and drive.

Add year round sparkle to your home decor with upholstery fabrics like this Robert Allen Sparkle Cube in very current shades of gold and gray.  Upholster a club chair and pair it with a gray suede sofa for an elegant and up to date family room or den.

Start the new year off right and add some sparkle and shine to your home decor.

Fabric glossary: Jacobean prints

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Funny word but what is a jacobean print?  Jacobean is a woven fabric that features embroidery and dates back to the seventeenth century.  These woven designs often feature stylized floral patterns, fruits, small animals and birds.  It is difficult to know how to pronounce this odd word but think of the name “Jack” and place the emphasis on that first syllable:  Jack o be an.

Jacobean prints are strong and durable and most commonly used for upholstery projects, draperies and small accesssories such as footstools, ottomans and accent pillows.  They will add color and pattern to a living area, master bedroom, library or den.  Take a look at some of the jacobean prints offered here at Online Fabric Store.

Historically, many jacobean prints have a slight Asian feel such as this Richloom fabric called “Brizio” in a vintage colorway.

P Kaufmann’s “Dahana” offers the stylized floral patterns so common to jacobean prints.

Animals and birds are a common theme found in jacobean prints as seen in this sophisticated design by Richloom called “Mirth”.

Is there a spot in your home that can be enhanced through the use of a jacobean print?

Fabric: Spruce up your car,boat or RV with new fabric

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While you probably visit Online Fabric Store for beautiful home, apparel and crafting fabrics and, no doubt, for our very friendly and informative blog (aw shucks!), you may not be aware that we also carry fabrics for your automobile, boat and RV.

Take a look at your car or boat or motorhome and see if it could use some sprucing up in the fabric department.  Perhaps the seat cushions in your boat are a bit worn and faded from all the elements.  If so, consider reupholstering them with marine vinyl that will resist mold, mildew and fading and is water resistant.  And the good news is that it is available in several colors to match your boat’s interior.  How about Lighthouse Red or sexy black?  Maybe you really want to liven things up with bright orange or add texture with a faux reptile vinyl.

How is that motorhome of your’s looking?  Is it time to reupohlster the seating areas or add new window treatments for privacy?  Outdoor fabrics have been treated to withstand the wear and tear a recreational vehicle receives.  These fabrics resist mold, mildew and fading and are available in a wide range of colors and patterns to meet your needs.  So go ahead and choose a lively fern pattern or a colorful stripe that will keep everyone energized on those long road trips.

If your family car has seen better days or you are in the process of restoring a classic vehicle, you will need many specialty fabrics.  These would include auto headlining fabrics, trunk liners and auto carpet and/or padding.  And, of course, we have stuffing, batting and foam for all of these projects.

Before you know it you will have a brand new vehicle to drive around town, cruise the waters or take that long awaited trip across the country.

Handling Upholstery Stains

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Routinely having your upholstery professionally cleaned is a great option when your budget permits, but naturally you don’t want to have to call in the professionals for every little stain and you don’t have to. Here are some tips to help you deal with every day spills:

1. Always know what type of care your fabric requires. If you upholster your furniture yourself, remember to keep the fabric care instructions handy. Some upholstery fabrics can be cleaned with a water-based solution, while others require special cleaning solvents.

2. Take care of spills right away if possible. Pat dry with absorbable paper towels, but don’t rub. Rubbing can spread the stain and cause the fabric to pile.

3. Use the appropriate cleaning method (water based or solvent) and immediately wipe the stain. Use a gentle motion and do not get the fabric too wet. When using a solvent make sure the room is really well-ventilated and move small children, the elderly and people with breathing problems from the room before releasing the solvent; also make sure to move your pets from the room, especially pet birds as they are extremely sensitive to chemical fumes and can die from inhaling certain toxic fumes, even fumes that would not bother humans.

4. Test your cleaner on an inconspicuous spot of fabric before using on a wide area. It is better to have a small stain that can eventually be dealt with, than having a large area from which the color has been removed by an inappropriate cleaner.

5. If your fabric is cleanable with water, a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water can remove grease or carmelized sugar.

6. When using a water-based cleaning solution, always rinse the area with clean water afterward. Be careful not to get the fabric too wet.

OFS book club: Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

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The easy and slow days of summer provide an opportunity for us to take on a new hobby, sewing or decorating project.  This could be something on your “bucket list” such as learning to knit new scarves for the upcoming holiday season, creating an oil painting all by yourself or reupholstering that hand-me-down bedrooom chair.  Or you could use this precious extra time to perfect an existing talent such as sewing or crafting.  Martha Stewart’s “Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts” has helpful instructions that can help you with all of these and many more.

It begins with basic techniques such as embroidery, applique, dyeing etc.  I love the look of embroidery on throw pillows and curtains, don’t you?  It moves on to a very helpful fabric and thread glossary along with tips on setting up a proper work space for your projects.  Home decor chapters include curtains, decorative pillows, table linens and the upholstery chapter has a step by step pictorial on how to reupholster a chair seat cushion; something I often recommend to update the look of your home.

As an added bonus, this book includes a CD full of templates and patterns for projects found throughout the book.  This makes it possible for you to easily duplicate those items you like.  And, as with all Martha Stewart books, it is chock full of beautiful and colorful photographs.

This book is one you will refer back to time and again as a reference guide, for inspiration or for helpful hints.  It is available at your local bookstore or can also be purchased on Amazon.  Please share with all of us your favorite chapter and/or how this book was helpful to you.

Five fabric Father’s Day gifts

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Father’s Day is just around the corner and, as usual, I am struggling with gift suggestions.  What do you get the man who has everything?  Here are five ideas that I think most men would enjoy.

  1. Of course, a necktie.  While this is the standard gift, I believe men enjoy receiving them.  Make that ordinary tie even more important by sewing it yourself.  Here is a helpful tutorial on how to make a necktie and, as you know, online fabric store has hundreds of fabrics to choose from.
  2. How about a comfortable chair?  You can purchase a custom upholstered chair like this one from Happy Chair or you can reupholster that dingy old chair he sits in every night.  He might complain a bit but he will, ultimately, love it and your family room will definitely look better!

    "Rock" chair from Happy Chair
    High Quality Photo

  3. Regardless of what sport the “father” in your life plays i.e. golf, baseball, football, tennis or soccer, it requires special shoes.  Whip up a simple drawstring bag out of the fabric of your choice to carry those shoes from game to game.  It will protect the car and other items from all the mud and grime and always make it easy for him to find his shoes.
  4. Just like women, men enjoy photographs of their loved ones.  Customize a standard frame by wrapping it in a fabric that will coordinate with his office such as leather, wool plaid or even burlap.
  5. How about a pillow all his own?  You can personalize it with a monogram, sports motif or even create a photo pillow.  This can be used in his den as an accent pillow or in the family room as a spot for him to rest his weary head while watching the game.

The most important gift any father can receive is time spent with his family so enjoy the day with the Dad in your life be it your own father or the father of your kids.

How to Choose the Best Specialty for Your Business

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Your business will be enjoyable and profitable if you choose a sewing specialty that you love. Don’t choose to offer alterations if you hate doing them or make bridal gowns if you would much rather sew baby clothes.

There are so many sewing niches to choose from:

Alterations: If you are good at making alterations and don’t mind doing so, you can earn a steady income offering alteration services. This service can include replacing zippers and buttons and making other repairs.

Bridal Wear: If you love to make beautiful evening wear, this could be the specialty for you. Depending on the details, a custom bridal gown may sell from less than $200 to over $5000.

Children’s Clothes: If you have a flare for making cute, unique children’s clothes, this could be an ideal specialty. Children are generally less difficult to fit than adults are.

Dolls and Toys: Another fun specialty. These items sell well on many of the online craft sewing sites.

Home Décor: Custom home décor items from pillows to drapes are always in demand.

Upholstery: This home décor subspecialty requires special skills and often more than one craftsperson. An upholstery business can be a great choice for a couple to work at together.

Handbags and Purses: This very popular hobby can be a great business if you have unique designs and excellent sewing skills.

Pet Items: Pets (and their owners) like custom sewn items, too. Custom pet coats and beds can be a big hit.

Adaptive Clothing: Making adaptive clothing for the disabled and senior citizens can be a rewarding business.

Dance Costumes and Theater Costumes: Skilled dance costume makers are in demand in areas where there are many local dance studios. Alteration for ready-made dance costumes is another sought after service.

Period Costumes for Re-enactors: Re-enacting historical periods, particularly the American Civil War has become popular. If you are a talented period clothing maker, your services can be in high demand.