4 helpful tips about fabric which you didn’t even know you needed to know! First time you have tried to recover anything? These tips about fabric will give you the confidence to have a crack at recovering caravan seat cushions yourself.
TIP #1 Take note of the width of the roll.
Fabric is charged by the linear metre and a standard bulk fabric roll width can vary a lot, depending on the supplier, so keep that in mind when you are out looking at fabrics or choosing fabric online.
TIP #2 Take careful measurements.
Before you buy, take careful measurements of your existing seat cushions. Measure the length, width and height and write these down as a diagram.
TIP #3 Aim for a high g/m2.
Choose fabrics with a relatively high g/m2. Look for at least 230 g/m2. Basically , the thicker, the better.
TIP #4 Purchase at least 10% more.
The rule of thumb when purchasing fabric, is after considering shrinkage, (the change in dimensions across the length and width of fabric) you buy 10-20% more than what you think you’ll need. You can always cut fabric smaller, you can never make it grow bigger!
How to calculate shrinkage.
Shrinkage is how much the fabric shrinks after being washed.
For example, you purchase 1 l/m of fabric which comes 150cm wide and it has a 4% shrinkage. In effect, you have purchased 100cm x 150cm. After you wash it (following the care instructions, of course) that piece of fabric will potentially now be 96cm long and 144cm wide.
The majority of IKEA fabrics are 150cm wide, which is perfect for recovering caravan seat cushions.
Need more information before you buy fabric? Read 7 points to consider when choosing fabric.
