upholstery sewing
Fabrics - When And When Not To Let Go
It seems to me that everywhere I look, I see fabrics of all colors and textures. Probably, it's because I work in the fabric industry, but still it's true - fabric is everywhere. If you need it, you can find it. An unlimited supply of fabrics in every color, print, or texture you can think of is available nowadays in your local stores and even online. Plus, you also have a choice of either natural or synthetic fibers.
With this abundance of fabric, it comes as no surprise that when we need it for any purpose, we choose to replace fabric rather than reuse it, or throw away usable swatches instead of saving it. Indeed, a lot of excellent fabrics can now be purchased at a fraction of the price you had to pay for them a few years ago, but it doesn't change the fact that we still need to look at imaginative and recyclable uses for our old fabrics before throwing them away into the garbage heap.
Yes, of course I know that we do have fabrics lying around the house that cannot be reused or recycled in any way, but there are still many of them that get thrown away along with the "bad" ones. And there are still those that would last longer if we only knew how to take care of them. Sometimes people get intimidated by projects like cutting with beaded fabrics, working with silk, dyeing, and even basic sewing and repairing. These situations often result in perfectly-usable fabrics being discarded in place of buying new ones.
How will you decide when to save a fabric, and when to throw it away? First of all, consider how much it cost you to buy it, and also think about the fiber content. The answers to these two questions can be valuable in your decision-making. Usually, trying to salvage an inexpensive item will cost more in time or money than what it would cost for you to buy a new one. In that case, the best decision would be to discard it.
If the fabric is made of a strong fiber with inherently good qualities, then you might reconsider, but if not, attempting to modify it will just end up in frustration. It would good also to think about the garment's sentimental value. If it belonged to a loved one, then that might be enough reason for you to try overhauling it. Last but not least, consider the extent of the damage to the fabric, and for how long it has been like that. If you have stains or discolorations on it, you can usually fix it up, as long as the damage is relatively new.
You can also try finding alternative uses. For example, an old wedding dress with sleeves can be remodeled and recut to look like a stylish and sexy sleeveless item. Bodices can be trimmed too, to reduce the amount of material on the remodeled dress. Sometimes dyeing fabrics made of natural fibers can give it new life, although don't expect any stains to disappear completely when you dye a garment. You'd also have to wash the garment or fabric in order to use it again, so keep in mind that shrinkage and loss of color may affect the fabric you're trying to salvage.
About the Author
Azlan Irda is a co-founder of
http://www.aaafabric.com/fabric-3-c-2.html
, where you can get all types of fabrics at the best prices. Visit us for all your fabric needs.
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10 yd Pillow Upholstery Tassle Fringe Sewing Trim BLACK $5.99 |
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2 YARDS CURTAIN TASSEL FRINGE FABRIC UPHOLSTERY TRIM WIDTH 2&1/3" $5.99 |
sewing machine question?
Ok my mom is trying to sew some think fabric for upholstery but the vinyle is to thick to fit through the boot so instead of buying a industrial sewing machine is there a part or anything can buy to raise the boot?
she owns a husqvarna viking 6460
my mom knows how to sew i am the one with the stupid question :D
Nope, if it's too thick to fit under the presser foot, it's too thick for that machine to sew.
When a presser foot is raised, the disks in the upper tension automatically open, leaving you with no tension on the upper thread, which then makes loops on the bottom of the seam. If you can't drop the presser foot, you'll never get a decent seam.
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Mighty Mendit $3.50 Mighty Mendit Is Not A Glue, But A Flexable Bonding Agent That Grabs, Adheres & Interlocks The Fibers Of Virtually Any Fabric For A Permanent Repair, Dries Crystal Clear & Safe For Most Surfaces & Many Fabrics, The Bond Will Remain Strong Even After 50 Washes, Whether Its Denim, Leather Or Lace You Can Use Mighty Mendit Any Time, Any Place.... |
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OLFA 9654 RTY-2/DX 45mm Ergonomic Rotary Cutter $12.45 The 45mm Quick-Change Rotary Cutter a rolling razor blade used to cut materials into shapes, strips and pieces for craft projects. The Quick-Change Rotary Cutter has an easy blade change with just a single click. No more assembly with a washer and a nut. Just slide the locking mechanism and the blade immediately releases. The innovative spilt blade cover allows for switching hands effortlessly wit... |
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No-Burn Fabric Fire Gard Spray, 32-Ounce $17.99 Help protect your interior upholstered furnishings and fabrics from accidental fire with the No-Burn Fabric Fire Gard. This safe, effective, and easy-to-use formula helps prevent items like curtains, furnishings, upholstery, and more from ignition and the spread of fire. Applying Fabric Fire Gard to interior upholstered furnishings and fabrics provides peace of mind, by helping to prevent a small ... |
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Fiskars Softouch Scissors, Left/Right Hand, 8 Inches, 3.25-Inch Cut (99117097) $9.99 Softouch spring action scissors with adjustable pivot screw have oversized cushion grip handles, which are specially designed to reduce discomfort in the thumb and fingers by absorbing pressure caused by squeezing. A spring gently opens the scissors after each cut, making these scissors ideal for heavy users and for people experiencing weakness in their hands. A slide-lock keeps the blade closed f... |
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LeatherNu Complete Leather Color Restoration & Repair Kit $29.95 Once only available to leather repair professionals, LeatherNu is now available in a do-it-yourself consumer kit. LeatherNu contains genuine leather dye to touch up or re-color worn and faded spots on your leather goods. Cows don't come in different colors, so how did your leather get to be the color it is? The original manufacturer used the same type of leather dye found in LeatherNu.... |
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Permatex 25247 Fabric Repair Kit $9.93 Repairs automobile upholstery, carpet, clothing and furniture. Matches popular colors and textures. Contains: 7 cups fabric repair compound in assorted colors (net 1/8 fl. oz.), 2 cups fabric air dry adhesive (net 1/8 fl. oz.), screen applicator, application spatula, mixing bottle, instruction card with color-matching chart. Suggested Applications:Automotive and home fabric upholstery and carpet, ... |
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New Liquid Leather Vinyl Fabric Repair Kit Worth $56/= $6.89 Product Description Thank you for watching our listing. You are bidding on a brand new liquid leather, vinyl and fabric repair kit worth $56/= FREE Fabric repair kit worth $19.99 in it. This repair kit is good for repairing any leather or vinyl material of :- Auto sheets Tops Dash Trim Boat seats Also sofas, upholstery, luggage, apparel and carpets. Our leather and vinyl kit match popular color an... |
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10 yd Pillow Upholstery Tassle Fringe Sewing Trim BLACK $5.99 |
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upholstery thread 92 polyester 12 pieces of 8onz 3 colors 4blk 4bge 4cadet gray $215.00 |
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How to hand sew upholstery seat springs on an antique chair