Dear Netfah,My grandmother passed away last year and left a wealth of fabrics and materials from her life as an interior designer and upholsterer for some of Hollywoods A-list celebs. My daughter is interested in following in her footsteps and is slowly but surely nurturing her design skills and upholstering hand. I found what I beleive to be vinyl welting among her containers of goods and wondered what it was used for. Any insight?signed,Grandmother's WeltingDear Grandmother's Welting,
My regards to your grandmother's passing. I am sure your grandmother is missed in Hollywood and can only imagine the legacy she left behind. In reference to the vinyl welting you found in her list of burried treasures, it is an important notion for gerneal upholsterers for sure. Welting is sewn into the seams of seats or cushions to strengthen them and imporve their durability. It usually comes in various styles including Embossed, Premier Textured, and Regal. The colors and finishes of these vinyl upholstery welting products add character and strength to any sewn projects. Most are produced with slit flanges for easy tailoring and workability and come in widths usually ranging from 3/8" to 1/2" wide. For best results, vinyl welting should be stored in an area that is clean, cool and dry to avoid mildew and damage from the elements.
To view J&O Fabrics' selection of vinyl welting click here!To view J&O Fabrics' selection of sewing scissors click here!To view J&O Fabrics' other great decorative trim click here!***Send in your Ask Netfah questions to
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Fabrics StoreLabels: ask-etfah, Cording, interior-esign, Tassels, trim, trimming ideas, upholstery, upholstery-trim, vinyl-welting
If you have a garment, home accent piece or window dressing that has lost its va-voom, or is just plain ole’ outdated, the simple and inexpensive options that could bring them back to life are only a few sentences away. Short of doing a complete re-upholstering, window treatment or spending unnecessary hard earned money purchasing something new; why not just add a little trim? For some, the idea of trimming is restricted to tassels and gimp braiding, but let’s expand that avenue a little, for trim can encompass so much more.
By definition, trim means : material used for decoration or embellishment; as in decorative trimming. From the perspective of an artistic woman with a great imagination, those words basically translate to anything I can find that a needle and thread can pierce and hold in place. This of course means everything from buttons and raffia, to fabric scraps and beads.
I had an antique spread once that I received from one of the elders in my family. It was a simple bedding made from a beautiful raw silk fabric from India. It was lavender with irregular naps throughout that gave it some texture and character. Though it was old and plain, it was full of potential. So I stepped into my craft closet I affectionately refer to as “The black hole” and gathered up some remnants that would surely bring this well received ‘gift’ some new life.
Once I blew off the dust that had become the permanent blanket for some of my uncovered odds and ends, I gathered up a few cowry shells left over from a long necklace that fell apart during a wild night of African dancing, some royal purple glass beads from a jewelry project over the summer that lost my interest midway, and a couple spools of gold thread that I got on sale at the local J&O down the street. Little by little, I added my trim and turned my nana’s old spread into one uniquely beautiful bed dressing.
Over the next few weeks I rode my creative wave and upgraded a pair of Lee jeans from the 1980’s with red/white & blue striped ribbon for the annual Cinco De Mayo Festival in my city, I spruced up the solid colored cotton throw pillows on my futon by sewing on some lace applicades here and there, and added a few gold highlighted cowry’s to a rather country looking lace hemp skirt for my big date with the new organic food cart owner down the street.
With a little bit of creativity and a handful of freshly defined ‘trims’, my home and garment wardrobe are no longer fads of the past, but fashions for the future. Who knows, maybe with a little bit of focused effort I might join the countless other pack rats who have opened up uniquely one-of-a-kind stores on EBay and make millions. After all, one man’s revised home goods are another man’s treasure.
Oh yeah, did I mention that I picked up some of my great trims at J&O Fabrics? If you haven’t been, it is worth the visit. Check them out at http://www.jandofabrics.com/ and start creating your wonderful masterpieces today!
Check out our selection of fabric trim here.
Check out our selection of tassels here.
Check out our selection of cording here.
Posts by J&O Fabrics StoreLabels: buttons, craft ideas, pillow trims, revamping fabric, ribbons, Tassels, trimming ideas, Trims