Matching Patterns in Upholstery
I recently found a unique high wingback with a carved wood frame that screamed for something different. I lean towards neutrals because that's what I like in my home but I really wanted to step away from that. I loved the shade of blue in this bold HGTV Home fabric but knew doing the whole chair in it would be too busy for me. So I tried something I have been meaning to do for quite awhile. Inspired by a photograph from Traditional Home I decided to sew two different fabrics into a stripe pattern for the chair. I have to laugh at myself sometimes because if I had just chosen one fabric I would have been able to do this project in half the time. My goal is to make money with my pieces after all. It seems I'm always trying to reinvent the wheel but trying new things is what keeps me going.
The difficulty in this piece was elevated because there was a separate seat cushion. I not only had to match the stripe but also the pattern.
I decide I wanted my stripe ten inches wide. I cut my patterned pieces at 11" and sewed them to the white fabric with 1/2" seams. I sewed another stitch right next to the first stitch just for extra strength.
I find the best place to start when matching a pattern is to sew the cushion first.
The frame is painted with driftwood milk paint and sanded back. The white fabric is a Hemp Canvas that I have used several times now. It has a heavy linen texture that I love but it's kind of like wearing white jeans. You can see every lump and bump. Kind of maddening being the upholster but in the end it always looks good.
The difficulty in this piece was elevated because there was a separate seat cushion. I not only had to match the stripe but also the pattern.
I decide I wanted my stripe ten inches wide. I cut my patterned pieces at 11" and sewed them to the white fabric with 1/2" seams. I sewed another stitch right next to the first stitch just for extra strength.
I find the best place to start when matching a pattern is to sew the cushion first.
I started with the boxing. It needed to be four inches so I cut my piece at five inches for seam allowance by 11 inches making sure my pattern was centered. The back of the cushion does not need to match up because it has a zipper and wont be seen.
Next for the top and bottom pieces find where the pattern matches and don't forget to allow 1/2" for the seam allowance. I actually left a little extra on both front and back to give myself room for error. Once those pieces were cut I sewed my patterned fabric to bands of white fabric to form a square. Then I laid the old cushion fabric as a pattern on top matching up where the front needed to be, pinned it, then cut out the shape I needed for my cushion.
I used tons of staples (yep staples not pins) across the front to make sure everything stayed lined up when I sewed the pieces together.
Once the cushion is done I do the bottom under the cushion. That you kind of just have to eyeball the pattern. It's more forgiving then the cushion. Only the front 6 inches or so has the pattered fabric the rest is just white. Next up the back. Tuck in the sides and bottom then place your cushion back on before you staple to make sure it all lines up.
The frame is painted with driftwood milk paint and sanded back. The white fabric is a Hemp Canvas that I have used several times now. It has a heavy linen texture that I love but it's kind of like wearing white jeans. You can see every lump and bump. Kind of maddening being the upholster but in the end it always looks good.