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| How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics |
Tired of the way your home looks? Add a fresh, updated appearance to your home
with fabric! Sewing for your home can be quick and easy, and you'll have
professional results using timesaving methods that require a minimum of sewing
skills. If you don't sew at all, don't
give up! Many items can be created with
no-sew techniques. Guidelines are
available for selecting fabrics appropriate for your project . . . whether you’re
making the items yourself or having someone makes them for you. Fabric
furnishings add softness and a distinctive character to any room. You’ll discover almost limitless ways to use
fabrics in decorating with curtains, draperies, upholstery, bedspreads, dust ruffles
and tablecloths. Fabrics are both
attractive and practical on walls and ceilings or when used for room dividers,
padded headboards for beds, wall hangings, picture frames, pillows of all kinds
and shapes, storage devices and any number of other creative uses. Look for ideas as you browse through
decorating books and magazines or page through pattern books found at fabric
stores. Take time to observe the uses of
fabrics in store displays, model homes and even the homes of your friends. Don't try to copy ideas, however, but adapt
them to create your own one-of-a-kind items.
Fabric Choices
Shopping for fabrics can be both fun and frustrating because
there’s an unlimited variety of fabric colors, textures and designs available.
Consider trying an idea used by professional designers by selecting a fabric in
a pattern and colors that you like as the basis for a room’s color scheme. More companies are now offering coordinating
fabrics that make designing your room a real delight. Wide fabric widths of 54", 60",
90" and even 120" mean less piecing and also reduce both cost and
sewing time. Bed sheets provide another
source for wide widths of fabric in the latest colors and patterns.
Select fabrics that are appropriate for the intended use and
desired method of care. They should also
look well with the other furnishings in the room. Study design trends for current colors and
patterns and be alert to new ideas that are starting to appear in stores and
magazines. Then use these new colors and patterns to give your present
furnishings an updated look.
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| How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics |
Purchasing Pointers
As you are planning your project and selecting the fabric,
consider the following guidelines:
* Know your budget limitations before you go out to buy.
Having a price range established help to eliminate some choices immediately.
* Take time to plan your project carefully. What colors are used in the room? How will one pattern complement or blend with
another? What will this item add to the
decor of the room?
* Measure carefully and write down these dimensions to take
with you when shopping. Also include a
tape measure, pad, pencil, paint chips, fabric and carpet samples, so you'll be
prepared for comparing colors and purchasing items that you need for the
project.
* Be careful with color!
If you are considering either a bright or a dark color, will it be
placed where direct sunlight will hit it?
Some dark colors fade very quickly, and bright, intense colors will
stand out as new when combined with older furnishings in a room. In situations such as this, choose more
subdued or grayed colors. And remember
that colors change dramatically when viewed under different lighting or with
different color combinations. Play it
safe by asking if a large sample is available to be taken out and viewed in the
intended setting. When samples are not
available, purchase a yard to try out in your home in both daylight and night
lighting.
* Examine the fabric construction before buying. Remember that
fiber content, type of yarn, fabric construction and finishing
techniques all play a part in determining the serviceability of the
fabric. As a rule, the tighter the yarns
are twisted, the longer the wear you can reasonably expect. The tighter the weave or higher the thread
count (number of threads per inch), the stronger the fabric. It pays to use
good quality fabrics for most decorating projects. The items last longer and
give a finer finished look. Consider,
too, the length of time you expect to
use these items. You'll need a better quality fabric for draperies that you
expect to last 10 to 15 years than you will for a pair of kitchen curtains that
you plan to replace in two or three years.
Don't hesitate to ask your County
Extension
* Carefully evaluate the appropriateness of the fabric,
color, pattern and texture, keeping the intended use in mind. Is the fabric sturdy enough for the intended
use? Is it soft enough to drape if you
want it to drape or crisp enough to hold a desired shape?
* Ask for and read carefully any labels and hang tags that
are attached to, printed on or come with the fabric. These are important guides in knowing how to
care for your finished items. If using a
washable fabric, plan to pre-shrink it along with other materials, such as
buckram or linings. Do not wash a fabric if dry cleaning is recommended. Vacuum these items regularly to prevent dust
from accumulating on the fabric surface.
It is recommended that fabrics be thoroughly vacuumed, dry cleaned or
laundered after the pollen season for health reasons, especially if someone in
your household has allergies. Electronic
air cleaners or regular cleaning/changing of the filter on forced-air furnaces
will help to protect fabrics from dust.
Dust may also be removed by tumbling fabric items, such as drapery
panels, in the clothes dryer without heat.
* Consider the size of a design when selecting fabric for
your project. Random patterns, small all
over prints and stripes are easier to work with than large, strongly defined
repeat patterns. Figuring the extra yardage that is needed for matching a repeat can
become quite involved and add to the total cost of the project. If you fall in love with a large or dominant
pattern, be sure to purchase enough additional fabric to match patterns and
complete the project.
* If a vertical line is important, such as for window
curtains, be sure that any pattern is on-grain. Don't buy fabric that is
printed off-grain or that has been pulled off-grain during finishing or wrapping
on the bolt. Examine the fabric
carefully, and ask the sales clerk for help in determining if the fabric is
grain perfect.
* If you are covering furniture or pillows, will the fabric
require a lining to prevent showing through?
Most window coverings will be more durable and save energy if they are
lined.
* Has the fabric been treated with a stain-repellant
finish? These finishes help in
maintaining the appearance over a period of time. To test the effectiveness of a stain
resistant finish, drop a small amount of water on a fabric sample. If the water beads up instead of soaking in,
the fabric will repel stains. After
laundering or dry cleaning, this protective finish may need to be reapplied either
by the dry cleaner or with a spray that can be purchased at retail stores. However, read hang tags and warranties
carefully for any precautions regarding recommended care and application of
additional finishes.
* Buy all the fabric you need at one time and make a note of
the dye lot number if available. Dye lots
differ, and what started as a raspberry color may turn brighter red in a later
shipment. If a fabric continues to be available over a period of time and you
decide to add more furnishings in the same or a coordinating fabric, be sure to
check colors carefully before purchasing.
* Textile products and fabric furnishings are expected to be
serviceable. Ask yourself which of the
following characteristics are most important--durability, comfort, care,
appearance, fashion or price. Use these
rankings as guidelines when making your final selections.
* Remember . . . haste makes waste. Take time to think each project through
carefully. Allow time, too, to consider
creative ways of finishing your project.
A little extra time and some imagination can turn the ordinary into the
unusual and distinctive.
* Enjoy the creative process you are experiencing. Then appreciate the praise and satisfaction you’ll
receive for a job well done!
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| How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics |
Figuring Fabric Amounts
Determining the amount of fabric that is needed for a
project can be confusing. However, it's
not really difficult! Purchased patterns
and project instructions give instructions for yardage and suggested pattern
placement for cutting pieces. You can
also make your own "layouts" just like those in pattern instructions
to make best use of fabric if using odd shapes and sizes. To do this, use graph
paper to draw rectangles to scale to represent widths of 45", 54" and
60" (or 90" and 120" widths if you know that you will be
shopping for these wider fabrics). Make
a number of copies to use as "master" forms.
For each project, refer to the measurements you have taken
and sketch out the pieces you'll need (fronts, backs, sides) on your
master. These sketches will tell you how
many yards are needed for the width of fabric you are considering. If piecing is necessary, you will also be
able to determine how many "lengths" of fabric will be required to
complete the project. (Before you
actually purchase fabric, remember to consider any additional allowances that
may be needed for ½ inch seams, hems, directional patterns, fabric nap, design
repeats and loft from batting or filler.)
Joining Lengths of
Fabrics
When figuring the amount of yardage needed, remember that
the primary rule for positioning seams is to make them as inconspicuous as
possible. That usually means that seams will be placed on the side, rather than
down the center of tablecloths and bedspreads.
Use selvage edges when possible for sewing lengths of fabric
together. Be sure to add ½ inch seam allowances
to each piece for seams.
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| How to Add Softness to your Home with Fabrics |
Matching Patterns
Any design repeat must be measured and figured carefully
when purchasing fabrics. Small prints may
not be that noticeable, but larger prints can be as much as twenty or thirty
inches in length for one repeat. Measure
the repeat on the fabric you are considering and add to the required yardage of
each length to be pieced. (For instance,
there should be a full design repeat positioned along the top of each panel on
fabric-covered walls or along the top of each curtain and drapery panel.)
One-Way Designs
If arranging pieces on a one-way design or napped fabric,
such as velvet or corduroy, be sure that all pieces are placed in the correct
(same) direction. Check to be sure that
patterns are matched when necessary and that large motifs are centered on
cushions and tablecloths.
Also, check the design repeat across the width of the fabric
to be sure that you will have enough fabric to complete your project as you
would like for it to be finished.
Trims
Fringe, tassels, braid, cording, lace, ribbons and bows add
distinction and character to otherwise plain items. Consider the decorating style in the room as
well as the weight and recommended care of fabric when you are selecting
trims. When planning the placement of
trimmings, mark guidelines with either a water-soluble marking pen or a marker
using ink that disappears. A glue stick will hold the trim in place while
stitching. Some trims can be attached
with fusible fabric or glue.
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