Upholstery fabric

Upholstery fabric is made to be rubbed: people sit and lie on it, bags and jeans brush against it. So it is denser and heavier than dress fabric, does not stretch and keeps its shape on a seat.

It often has a thin backing or coating on the reverse that keeps threads from pulling apart at seams and under staples. Many are also treated against stains and water.

Ordinary dress fabric on a sofa or chair soon wears through and sags. On furniture it only suits decorative cushions nobody sits on.

Smooth, dense, short-pile fabrics such as microvelour hold up best: claws have nothing to catch on, and fur comes off with a brush.

A cat soon pulls loops in bouclé, coarse hopsack and chenille. Synthetics and coated fabrics clean up more easily; cotton tapestry breathes better but soaks up stains faster.

Re-covering a whole armchair takes about 4 to 6 m of fabric, a sofa more, depending on its size. Our pieces are usually 2 to 3 m, and they make smaller things that still stand out in a room.

Chair seats: four 40 × 40 cm seats take 1.25 m at 1.45 m wide; how to work it out is in «How to reupholster a chair». A pouffe, a bench, an armchair seat or cushions: a 45 × 45 cm cushion with both sides takes about 50 × 100 cm.

Also sturdy totes and bags, a beanbag cover or a throw for a bench. A large pattern looks good on simple shapes.

Vacuum once a week with a soft brush: dust that settles in the fabric works like sandpaper. Brush velour along the pile.

Blot a stain at once with a tissue, do not rub. Clean from the edges to the centre so no ring is left. Wash removable covers at 30 °C on a gentle cycle and dry them flat, not on a radiator.

Bright fabrics fade in the sun: cover an armchair by the window or turn it out of direct sunlight.