Nicer Furniture Fabrics

[baileyuph]

The last series of furniture that I have done has used lightweight fabrics.  Is there a preferred vendor, distributor for something in the midweight, at least, with a backing on it?

This thin stuff is slowing production down.

Or is this a situation that most distributors have the heavier stuff and no one wants to pay for it?

Educate me on the current sources for nicer stuff that an upholster would like to work with.  Greenhouse used to be one of my favorites, as well as Burch.  Or is it the case, they all have nice working fabrics but at a price!

Doyle

[fingers]

Plenty of quality fabrics out there, at a price. Robert Allen, JF, Kravet. I feel your pain. The thin stuff can really make ya earn your wage

[kodydog]

The suppliers are skipping steps on fabrics. Not putting backing on loose woven fabrics and leaving off the stain protection. All in the name of making it all more affordable.

More and more I'm having to serge the seams on cushions so they won't fall apart in 6 months.

[lc]

Yes the weaves are loose and the backing diminished and I don't know about you but the fabric books are getting mundain....we specialize in antiques...at least I do ..my problem ? I can hardly find good old fashion tapestries anymore and I have many customers seeking them.
Robert Allan / Joanne sell so many flimsy fabrics at rediculous prices ...I did an rv home in a plaid that was sooooo darn thin I was cursing ...if you knew me It's not my way but I have cursed a lot  with some of the crap out there ...85 bucks a yd for what crepe paper !???

[gene]

A tight weave is what I look for in upholstery fabric. Thin can be OK if the weave if tight. Some micro fibers can be very thin, but the weave is so tight there is very little stretch to them an they will wear well. I tell folks a tight weave and the thickness of blue jean material is best. But you gots ta have the tight weave!

Two days ago I had a designer ask me about some fabric she bought for her sofa cushion covers. I could see light holes through the fabric. I told her that it would not last if her family was going to use the sofa a lot, which they do. She kind of knew when she asked me because she bought the fabric because of the color and pattern and hadn't really looked at it from an upholstery point of view until she got it home.

I just love getting drapery fabric. LOL That stuff is great for hanging around the windows, but to put it on furniture and then expect it to wear well? How many people are constantly sitting on their jabots and swags?

The worst I ever did was a sofa in a brown fabric that I could see the hands on my clock through the fabric. It actually looked like a smooth burlap. I'm not kidding! The sofa was through a designer for one of the richest people here in town. This lady wanted this fabric and she always gets what she wants. I actually think this lady may have been a half a bubble past plumb.

gene

[bobbin]

I know what you mean.  I don't carry fabric lines, working with COM, and I always do my level best to give a customer an idea of what fabric would be most appropriate for a particular job. 

I recently did a slipcover from a pretty floral toile that would have been better suited for drapery work.  However, it had been stain treated and it was for an older woman whose home is neat as a pin.  I was replacing a slip. that was already pushing 10 yrs. old and in very nice condition. 

It's iscreasingly difficult to find the sorts of goods I recommend to people as quality fabric stores have closed in the wake of the internet sunami.

[sofadoc]

When the first wave of new books for the year from Greenhouse came in, I initially refused to even put them out on display. Many are thin, like you guys are talking about. But the main problems I have with them are the insane MSRP's. A lot of them retail from the 60's to the 80's. Even if I give the customer a healthy discount, they're still in the 50's.

Customers tend to gravitate right to the more expensive sample books. After over an hour of searching, they get their heart set on a pattern, only to have the rug pulled out from under them when I tell them the price. They get frustrated, and leave. They show back up 2 weeks later with some crap from Joann's.

When the Greenhouse rep calls me to do a follow-up, I voice my concerns about the high retail prices. The rep just gets all perky, and quickly changes the subject.

I really like Leon's fabrics in Columbus Ga. Most of their patterns retail in the 30-40 range. And they are all a good weight and weave. But they don't send out new books very often, so their patterns may not always be tha latest trend.

[baileyuph]

Yep!  Thin fabrics have to be serged and then one hopes it will hold up.
Sofa do you know if Leons has a web site? 

I really need to get a reliable line of fabric. 

Here lately, I have noiced a lot of customers will pick up something at Johanne and bring it to me to install.  Through the years, I talked this down but now their fabrics are about as good as any. Or should say they are about as bad as the rest and I don't have to stand behind the materials.  So, just charge them and go with it.

In a word, we all have lost the economy of scale on decent materials.

I can't afford to stock a lot of materials because you can have 10 rolls of material but it won't be what the customer wants.  Keeps one figuring.........

Yes, I keep the serger pretty warm these days.

In my auto work, I have noticed that the original seating cloth can be hard to get before the car is long on the road.

Heck, maybe the situation may be telling me something?

[sofadoc]

DB  The website is    www.leonsfabrics.net
Oklahoma Supply sent me a nice ringbook the other day.   www.fabricsbyous.com
More and more shops are just selling the fabric at cost, and working for labor only. If I have to do that, I'll just stop selling fabric altogether, and the customer is on their own for finding fabric.
As it is now, I don't recommend any fabric outlets to any of my customers. If they aren't going to buy from me, they can find it themself (and they do).

[baileyuph]

Collectively, we have discussed the furniture fabric market (Johann's, etc.) and the fabric characteristics, specifically how thin they have become. 

I just went through several projects ,using customer fabrics from Johann's, and it hasn't gotten any better. The thin stuff one has to serge and the labor required, needless to say increases in time.

With that, relief was gained in my last two projects, I found some nice material from a supplier named Collins. The fabric was stable and much easier to work with, plus customers even showed a definite satisfaction.  

Yep!  Sofadoc, it is like much of the rest, it's in the $50 plus price range.

But, I found the bottom line to be more favorable for a business person.  Now, what must be reevaluated is whether to continue doing COM from places like Johann's?

I am not picking on Johann's, they just sell the stuff and consumers not really knowing much more than how it looks and the cost, buy thinking it is the best option.  However, the bottom line for this upholsterer is nicer fabrics sure make the job easier.

Just a simple point....

Now, the question, has all the weaving been sent to off shore?
Anyone know?

Doyle

[kodydog]

There getting fewer but here's one,

http://www.davidrothschildco.com/

[lc]

Thanks guys !  I just sent out inquiries to both those companies   David Rothwell supplies to Canada but I'm not sure about Leons , I'll wait to hear back from them.
I won't even push Joanne fabrics .  I am at the point where I will tell my customers which fabrics in the books I refuse to work with.
Thin fabrics waste shop time and cause too many headaches.

Quality seems to be falling to the wayside .,supplies are ridiculous lately .
I am waiting on my sales rep to show him the horrible felt they sent , it's about an 1/4 '' thick and I cannot take it off the roll without it falling apart instantly and its extremely gritty. I have to use several layers to get the look I want.
I tried another company and their felt is thick and plush .
When the sales rep sees the comparison I hope they update their standards .I like using this company have done for years .
I am now staring toward the other...why is it they change their quality over the years ? Nothing seems regulated anymore.

[sofadoc]

I am waiting on my sales rep to show him the horrible felt they sent

When the sales rep sees the comparison I hope they update their standards

Don't bet on it (if he's anything like the reps around here).
When you show him the comparison, he'll probably scratch his head.....look perplexed......and say that they've never had that problem before. The next time that you see him, he won't even remember your previous conversation. In fact, he'll probably try to sell you some MORE of the same crap. When you remind him of your prior dissatisfaction, he'll scratch his head and look perplexed again.