This article is for all my penny pinching, frugal living, creatively resourceful yet sometimes lazy, financially challenged but can make lemonade out of lemons folks who are looking to add a little spice to those boring and out dated curtains, pillows and home accent pieces taking up residence in the comfort of your home. Contrary to what you may have heard, in just a few simple steps, you can create great custom designed home furnishings without breaking bank or a sweat. All you need is a little imagination, a little patience and some trimmings and viola! pretty curtains, fun pillows, an elegant bedspread….all simply hand-crafted by you.
Here at J&O we carry a large selection of tassels, tie backs, rosettes, gimp braid, tassel fringes, onion fringes, and decorative cords in an assortment of colors and sizes to meet your crafting needs and give your interior accent pieces and window dressings the facelift you are looking for. Why spend almost $50 when with a little hot glue, needle and thread or adhesive spray, you can turn those plain purple pillows into exotic eastern inspired creations for just a few bucks. A 7/16” decorative cording in Midnight Meadow here, a 4” Tassel Fringe in Holiday Splendor there…Martha Stewart watch out! Here we come.
Whether you are revamping an item for yourself or someone else, it’s amazing how much difference the right trim can make in not only the look of the item, but its worth as well. That 1970’s set of old pale blue polyester drapes you got on sale from Gimbels can now be that set of beaded vintage drapes with a modern flair that have your children calling you ‘cool’ and interior design fashionistas wanting to know just ‘Where did you get those?!’
Whatever your personal style, whatever your personal taste, make your home your canvas in which to create works of art that are as unique and original as you; one trim at a time.
Check out our selection of tie backs here!
Check out our selection of gimp braid here!
Check out our selection of decorative cord here!Posts by J&O
Fabrics StoreLabels: drapery, gimp braids, home accent piece, onion fringe, Tassels, Trims, window dressing, window treatment, window trim
For most professionals who have been in the fabric and upholstery business for a number of years, the terms ‘railroaded’ and ‘repeat’ are as common as a materials’ ‘look’ and ‘feel’. But for the novice, these words can have us frantically searching our fabric dictionaries and web resources looking for a quick description that could save our pockets from unnecessary spending and the purchase of excess yardage.The term ‘railroaded’ is in reference to the layout of a fabric on a piece of furniture in relation to the way it is woven at the fabric mill. It also refers to the direction of the pattern or the nap of the fabric. All fabric is either railroaded or not railroaded if it has a nap or pattern. Normally the pattern or nap on the fabric goes from side to side of the roll rather than up it. This allows you to upholster a sofa or piece of furniture in one piece instead of risking the prospect of creating a seam along the span. Sometimes it is more efficient to cut fabric that is railroaded even if you don’t have a large span because the pattern may be difficult to match. Design and repeat will have to be considered as well.
With most solids and velors you don’t have to worry about whether or not it is railroaded because they don’t have a pattern or print. With geometrics and retro’s you can have it situated regular or railroaded. With stripes, if you want to create consistency and balance, special attention needs to be paid to the direction they are going in. When stripes have different widths, they are considered to be either balanced or unbalanced. A balanced stripe is a stripe with the same type of stripe on each side. If you cut the fabric across the stripe, it would line up with the other end. An unbalanced stripe is a stripe that does not have the same stripe on each side. When cutting across this kind of stripe, the only way it will line up is if it is put back at the point at which it was cut. When working with chenille’s and velvets, you will find that a lot of them already come railroaded, making it easier for upholstery projects.
Another very important term to learn and understand is the ‘repeat’ of a fabric. The fabric repeat refers to the distance between one image or pattern and its repeated image or pattern. Most prints carry a vertical and horizontal repeat, but it is the vertical repeat that is most consistent across the length of the fabric. For this reason, it is the most important measurement when planning an upholstery, window treatment, or garment project. Repeats usually come in increments of 3” (3”, 6”, 9”, 12” etc). For smaller projects like ties and children’s clothing, a smaller repeat is recommended so that the images can be seen in full. Larger repeats are best suited for larger upholstery and bedding projects.
Having a basic understanding of these two common fabrication terms will save you a lot of time, money and aggravation on your next shopping trip. And in case this article was a little too long winded for you, here are two easy tips that will help you remember each one.
RAILROADED= print stands UPRIGHT across LENGTH of fabric like on SOFAS
NON-RAILROADED= print stands UPRIGHT across WIDTH of fabric like on DRAPES
VERTICAL repeat = runs LENGTH of fabric
HORIZONTAL repeat = runs from SALVAGE to SALVAGE
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Posts by J&O
Fabrics StoreLabels: fabric repeat, interior design, railroaded fabric, tapestry fabric, upholstery fabric, window dressing
Well, did you watch the November 4th airing of
Extreme Makeover Home Edition: Marrero Family as suggested in our September blog? No? Then let me tell you what you missed. The J&O family was front in center to critique the show’s designer’s use of the fabulous fabrics they selected to decorate & beautify the new South Jersey home. We watched along with thousands of Americans as they moved that bus and swung open the front door into their modernized oasis.
Yards of our Camel Cotton dressed the front sitting area, offering softness to the rich chocolate colored leather seating. The same soft & flowing material could be seen garnishing the dining room’s windows as well, creating a reserved yet inviting stream of sunlight into the already brightly lit area. You can view our
cotton twill, canvas and duck cloth fabrics.
While still in the dining room, we can see how the Extreme Makeover Home Edition’s design team made use of J&O’s beautiful White Suede, as they wrapped the cushioning of all 8 dining chairs to create a simple yet luxurious feel to the family’s home. Serving and entertaining friends and family at this table is sure to make them want to stay for more. You can view our
upholstery fabric and
suede cloth fabric.
For a more sleek look & feel, EMHE used our Wine Velvet fabric for the living room. Hung from ceiling to floor, they provided a nice richness against the cream colored furniture. In the spring & summer, they can be pulled to the side to offer in plenty of light and fresh air. In the colder months, they will offer an extra line of fashionable protection against the blustering winds that blow. You can view our
velvet and
ultra suede fabric.
Finally, we enter into the family room where we find our brightly colored Tangerine Satin finished fabric hung from ceiling to floor. This drapery accents the British Imperial Seal printed wallpaper that makes this room especially unique. You can see all the colors of our
Satin fabric.
So there you have it. It's always interesting to see the many different ways a few yardages of material can transform a piece of furniture or a window frame into a beautiful space for living.
The J&O Family gives these decorators and interior designers a satisfactory score. But we’re curious to hear from you. If you watched the airing of the Marrero Family’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition and want to comment, please do so. We’d love to hear from you!
Labels: drapes, Extreme Makeover Home addition, marrero family, window dressing