Overhauling a Home with Unique Fabrics

If you're looking to completely overhaul your home by injecting bright bits of color here and there, renovating your furniture pieces is surely the way to go. With some gingham fabric and some general mechanical skill, you can transform couches, chairs, beds, drapes and even pillows. Floral patterns will usually feature beautifully radiant colors that will look grand in both living rooms and bedrooms. Woven fabrics and prints are both available.

If you plan to host informal parties in your living room, you'll want your guests to have elegant furniture pieces to sit on. Chairs and couches that are plagued by dingy fabrics will look bad. Elegant fabrics will look best on furniture that is made of cherry, oak, pine, or magnolia. Many upscale furniture pieces feature ornate carvings that will allow your home to appear not unlike a Victorian mansion. The fabric that is ultimately chosen should dovetail with the rest of the decorative scheme. Cream-colored materials, for example, might work well in a living room in which the walls and curtains are light greens and blues.

You can ultimately use rare and unique fabrics to modify homes that have looked less than stellar for many years. Armed with materials that imitate nature at its finest, you'll be able to create new living areas that will shortly make your home the jewel of the neighborhood.

The History of Chevron Fabric

The geometric zig-zag pattern known as chevron has been around for a remarkably long time. In fact, the classic chevrons used by savvy decorators in the 21st century can be found on ancient Grecian pottery pieces that date as far back as 1800 B.C. Chevrons were the delight of the designers of European heraldry that emblazoned shields and banners in days of yore.

Passion for the emblematic chevron did not come to an end with the days of dragon slayers. In 1958, Italian fashion designers Ottavio and Rosita Missoni re-popularized the classic zig-zag with a forward-thinking line of patterned knitwear that became the hit of the Milan runways that same year. And, of course, anyone who grew up in the 60’s or 70’s surely recalls the chevron pattern on Charlie Brown's ever-present yellow-and-black tee shirt.

There has probably never been a time in modern (or not-so-modern) history when chevron-patterned fabrics were not held in high regard. Designers and DIY home decorators will be glad to know that chevrons lend themselves beautifully to upholstery-weight fabrics and drapery fabrics, too.

If you want an attractive upholstery pattern that won't ever lose its timeless appeal, consider the gold chevron fabric in the 1502 Fabrics online catalog. Would you like to see and touch this and other fabric samples for yourself? Give us a call at (855) 473-2270.

A Brief History of Linen Fabric

You probably know linen as a wonderfully versatile fabric used by drapery and upholstery makers throughout the world. 1502 Fabrics stocks and sells beautiful bolts of Braemore, Covington and Waverly linen fabric; it wasn’t always so easy to obtain.

Linum usitatissimum, more commonly known as flax, is one of the oldest cultivated plants on the planet. Some of the earliest examples of linen were found in Egypt where flax was spun into a fabric that was used to make everything from day-to-day clothing to ceremonial tunics. As a testimony to its durability, the strips of linen fabric that were used to wrap the mummies of kings Ramses II and Tutankhamen were found to be intact many centuries later.

Once widening trade routes brought linen fabrics and flax plants to Europe, Asia and the Americas, worldwide linen production began in earnest. Coarse linen was used to make butchers aprons in France, and heavy linen fabric was used to back the elaborate tapestries of Britain in the Middle Ages. Today linen fabric is well-appreciated as a handsome and durable fabric that adds textural appeal along with elegant, understated beauty.

When you’re ready to know more about linen or any of the other first-class upholstery fabrics in the 1502 Fabrics catalog, give us a call at 855.473.2270.

The Wonders of Striped Fabric

If you are looking to spread elegance to every corner of your home, you'll likely want to embark on some interesting craft projects that can help you pass the time. With quality striped fabric, you'll be able to jump into a number of different projects with every hope of success. From pillowcases to swing covers to bar stool covers, you can spruce up your home without breaking the bank.

Striped fabric is particularly handy for various furniture items. If one of your old pillowcases has become completely worn out, you'll need to replace it as soon as possible. Brightly toned fabric can improve the look of your couches and beds and ensure that guests are positively thrilled with how you've gone about your business. Armed with a quality sewing machine and a bit of experience with a tape measure, you can create pillowcases that will hug the pillows quite nicely. In fact, other family members will be shocked with your ability to produce beautiful outcomes without spending a lot of money.

Various colors and styles are available. From snazzy black to fiery red to cool blue, you'll be able to select a tone that fits with the rest of your decorative scheme. Family members might help with some of the details. When your fabric arrives, you can begin moving forward with your fancy arts and crafts.

Keeping it Clean: Upholstery Cleaning Part 2

Last time, we looked into ways to continue to keep your upholstered furniture clean. Today, we’re going to talk a bit about how to handle unexpected spills. We mentioned the need to act quickly – this is the best chance you have of beating the stain before it actually becomes a stain.

When you have a fresh spill on your upholstered fabric, you don’t want that to soak in to the furniture. Spills can affect the fabric, the furniture stuffing, and the wood of any piece. The first thing to do when a spill occurs is to blot – don’t scrub! – the spill with a white cloth as quickly as possible. This will lessen the spread of the stain and keep it from setting in a larger area.

Blotting is probably the most crucial step. After that, you need to know what type of upholstery cleaner to use on your fabric. This will depend up on the material and the type of stain. If you’re not sure, the best thing to do is to test your upholstery stain remover in an inconspicuous area to make sure it won’t harm the color.

When you have the perfect upholstery fabric, it’s important to know what to do to keep it clean.

Keeping it Clean: Upholstery Cleaning Part 1

After you’ve put the time and energy into upholstering your furniture with your favorite upholstery fabric, it should go without saying that you’ll want to keep it clean. But no matter how carefully you take care of your upholstered furniture, accidents can happen. Spills can happen quickly – and when they do, it’s important that you act just as quickly. With these upholstery cleaning tips, you can rest assured that your upholstered furniture will look fabulous all the time.

Be sure to vacuum – If you’re just dealing with general dirt and dust, be sure to vacuum before you move on to any other cleaning methods. If your upholstered furniture begins to look like it’s dingy or has some stains and spots, you need to vacuum. This removes the dirt and dust from the fabric. If that’s still there when you wet it, it will actually further dirty the furniture. Most vacuums have upholstery attachments that allow you to get into all the cracks and crevices of each piece.

Pet hair! – You also need to be mindful of removing pet hair. If you have dogs or cats, you know that their hair gets everywhere! If the vacuum doesn’t seem to be getting it all, try a pet hair remover.

Tune in next time for some tips about how to remove spill stains before they become a problem.

Get the Summer Started: Design an Outdoor Patio – Part 2

Last time we got you thinking about some of the best ways to plan your outdoor patio space to ensure that you get the most use out of the area. Now let’s dive in a little deeper. Here are some specific ideas you can use to give your patio the punch it needs!

• First and foremost, you should decide what shape your patio ought to be. Square patios work great for highly structured yards. Free-form patios give you a more natural look.
• You then need to decide on the materials for the patio. Concrete is the least expensive – and they’re utilitarian. If you want a more natural look, you can also choose traditional brick, flagstone, or natural stone.
• Adding a water feature can be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. A small fountain or a pool could be an excellent choice.
• It’s always a good idea to surround the patio area with insect-repelling plants. Basil, pennyroyal, and lavender work very well.
• Plan for some lighting, too. Candles, torches, gas lights, electric lights, and strings of small lights can extend your patio’s use into the evening.
• Of course, once you have all that planned out, complete the look with outdoor upholstery fabric on some practical pieces of outdoor furniture.

If you’ve made a great patio, we’d love to see pictures!