Woven Fabric Structure Heat Sensitive and Will Melt Where Hit by Sparks Fabric Used for Slipcovers and Upholstery Is Con from a Fireplace Or Smoking Materials
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It About Furniture Fab ICS Furniture fabric:-- fall into t\\O generdl categoril':,, For ca'>e of sewing. slipcovl.:'r fabriL·s tend to hl' thosl' meant for use a-:; :;lipcovers and tho~e for up light to m..:Jium in \v<.:ight. Uphobtl'r:, fabric is holstery. Slipcmers arc designed to !'it snugly and heavier. Becau~-.> of the use receiH~d. furniture yet be rcrnm ahk for cleaning. Uphobter) fabrics fabrics should be sturdy. cleanable. and resistant an:> naikcl or stdpled direct!) to the wood frame or to soi! and stains. I he) should also be comfort bonckd to the padding. 1he) are not removable. able to the touch since one's arms. kgs. and back of the neck may rc:-,t on them. Appearance Color. tcxtun;, and pattern arc the first things you temporary or traditional in nature. The important will notice about fabric. Each contributes to \Vhat considerations arc similarity of scale and overall ever character or "personality" the fabric has. Be character. What matters is that you pick those that cause of the amount used in most rooms. fabrics, appeal to you and which are appropriate for your including draperies and carpeting, can almost single way of life. handedly establish the character or feeling you Herc are some general guidelines: esire-formaL informal, rugged, refined, exotic, • Make a room seem more spacious by covering romantic, or just comfortable. large pieces of furniture in a color which blends To get the feel of fabrics, be sensitive to the part into that of the wall and perhaps the floor. each element plays. For example, a large pattern Light colors tend to expand space. Darker in deep, rich colors may seem bold and sturdy. If colors close in. printed in light colors. the effect may be quite the • Emphasize a special piece of furniture by choos oppos.ite. Earthy colors may suggest the out~of ing a color which contrasts with the wall. doors, deep jewel-like colors tend toward the exotic while an emphasis on soft, light colors often • Produce a formal feeling with fine lustrous creates a refined or delicate look. Textures run fabrics. from coarse to smooth, crisp to soft, dull to shiny. • Produce a more casual feeling with relatively They not only differ in character but also influ rough fabric textures and dull finishes. ence the effect of color. A blue velvet, for example, • Use the relatively heavy, coarse textures and is very different from a blue tweed. In the past few large prints with furniture of large scale and years, there has been a tendency to combine sever coarse-grained woods. al patterns into one room. Whether or not you wish to do so will depend upon your tastes and the • Use lighterweight, smoother kxtures and mood you wish to create. Patterns add detail and smaller prints on small scaled pieces of fine appear to fill space. grained woods. • Large rooms generally require patterns of lar Repetition of one pattern or use of a combination ger scale than do small rooms. of patterns can create a snug, intimate feeling. How ever, a cluttered effect may also be the result if • For visual interest, some variations in color, patterns are not selected with care. Patterns tend to pattern and/or texture are usually needed. look well together if they have a similar feeling and However, books, plants, paintings, wallhang if they appear distinct from one another. For exam ings, and other functional and decorative ple, use one with a light background and another objects may fill this need. with a darker background. One might be small and Before deciding on a particular fabric for a piece of the other large or one might be more dynamic in furniture, take a sample home to try out. Place it color. Generally speaking, one pattern will probab in the room where the piece of furniture will be. ly be more important than the other. How does it look in the daylight and at night? How Regardless of their "style," most pieces of furniture does it look with the walls, carpet, and other fur can be combined with fabrics that are either con~ nishings in the room? How does it feel? 1 Wearability 1he qualities of durability in upholstery and slip Unless treated by special finishes, both linen and cover fabric depend upon the fiber content, twist cotton may shrink if washed, wrinkle, and burn. A of the yarn, fabric structure, and finishes applied. soil release finish which keeps soil from penetrat The fabric is also affected by the use it will receive ing the fiber is advisable. and whether or not it receives routine care. Linen fibers tend to be stiff especially when humid ity is low and. therefore, vulnerable to abrasion. Fibers 1his disadvantage can be partially overcome by omitting welts at points subject to greatest wear The label on new upholstered furniture does not such as around seat cushions. In addition, the hare to state the fiber content. Generally. however. fiber does not absorb dye well and color is lost this information is given on the back of the swatches when its color wears off at abrasion points. This of fabric available in a particular line of furniture. may not be noticeable on printed fabrics with According to the Federal 1 radc Commission, any natural backgrounds. statements made must be accurate. If the swatches do not have this information you may be able to In combination with other fibers, linen lends body. get it from the salesperson. The longer staple variety tends to be more durable, lint-free, and expensive than that made from short When the fiber content is given on a label, each and er staples. As fiber lengths vary, quality also varies. every kind of fiber present in the upholstery fabric should be identified by listing the fiber content and Wool and mohair dye readily, are durable, resilient, percentages of fibers, in order of their predomi wrinkle and soil resistant, and have excellent soil nance by weight in the total fiber content. Fabrics release properties. Once commonly used for uphol purchased by the yard for upholstery or slipcovers stery fabrics, these fibers are expensive and relative are subject to the 1 ex tile Fiber Products Identifi ly small amounts are used today. Some types of cation Act of 1960. These fabrics must be labeled silk have similar qualities. Generally, only a small with the fiber information as indicated above. amount of this luxury fiber will be found in fabrics for furniture. Knowledge of the fiber content will give some clues as to what you can expect from the fabric and re quired care. Fibers for furniture fabrics are used Man-Made Fibers either alone or in combinations of two or more fibers. Special design and color effects often result Regenerated or Modified Cellulosic: Rayon is an by using a combination of several different generic example of a regenerated cellulosic; acetate is a fibers in one fabric. Certain fibers are combined chemically modified cellulosic. These fibers are because their properties complement each other produced from natural cellulosic materials such and produce a suitable fabric for the end use of as cotton linters. and wood pulp. upholstery or slipcover fabric. It is impossible to Some trademark names are: know by look or feel what the fiber content is. Thus, the label is very important. RAYON: Aiiri!, Enkrome, Fibro ACETATE: Estron, Lanese The following lists the fibers usually found in Fibers are relatively inexpensive and produce attrac furniture fabrics and the characteristics which tive fabrics. However, due to low resistance to abra would apply when used to cover furniture. sions, fabrics with a high percentage of acetate are not recommended for heavy use. Abrasion resist Natural Fibers ance of rayon varies according to type. Consumers usually have no way of knowing what type has CELLULOSIC: Cotton, linen been used in the fabric. Acetate is heat sensitive PROTEIN: Wool, Mohair, Silk and melts if hit by sparks from fireplace or cigar Cotton takes dye well, is relatively strong and abra ettes. Rayon is less heat sensitive but is flammable sion resistant. Its properties are well-known and unless treated.· Acetate and tri-acetate are dimen specific finishes tailor it for its end use in uphol sionally stable. Most rayons are not and may shrink stery and slipcovers. Relatively good performance or stretch with changes in humidity. Both acetate can be expected. and rayon dye readily. Acetates are subject to 2 ~ !I ~ · i .,_. .: ~ • ,.,. ... Ii: ~ ~ I _......_J,_ Some examples of plain weaves. atmospheric fading unless solution-dyed. A soil used. For example, chlorinated hydrocarbon dry resistant finish which keeps soil from penetrating cleaning solvents such as perchlorethylene should the fiber is advisable. never be used on olefins. Synthetic Fibers are made primarily from petro chemicals. Some examples are: Yarns Generic Names Trademark Names ACRYLIC Creslan, Acrilan, Orlon, Zefran Yarn properties affect aesthetic qualities, wear MOD ACRYLIC Vere!, Elura, SEP ability, and care required. A yarn is a group of fibers NYLON Antron, Cadon, Courtaulds laid or twisted together to form a continuous strand. Nylon, Zeflon Yarns are made from either short (staple) fibers or OLEFIN Herczllon, MarFess, Vectra very long (filament) fibers. Filament fibers are POLYESTER A vlin, Dacron, Fortrel, Kadel, always man-made with the exception of silk which Spectran, Strialine is a natural filament fiber. Twisting brings fibers closer together resulting in stronger, more compact Since these fibers are not moisture absorbent, they yarns. Variations in twisting and spinning can pro tend to be resistant to shrinking and stretching, In duce a wide variety of textures and patterns in fin general, these fabrics will hold their shape well.