Question for the upholsterers

[baileyuph]

Regarding Carr's site, seems it does have some top notch talent there, particularly in the furniture of over 60 years ago.  Collectively, they have had (perhaps still do) some very interesting seminars where the study of in old school stuff dealing with coil typing, hair built up and much related stuff to this thinking. 

If I was going to engage their site would be high on my list.  The site is run with a serious intent.  Jack sees to that.

Anyone know of other sites of the same caliber as Jack's?

Doyle

[brmax]

I use to look at cars c site and it seemed to go the way of face book I suppose, as very little if any activity when I started paying attention couple years ago. I thought it was a serious setup though.
Floyd

[SteveA]

Gene
An estimate should be just that.  When I think about the difficulty applying fabric regarding repeat, shading, pattern, direction, welt on the bias, a fabric defect, and add in a mistake which happens to all of us,   a stain, a mis-calculation ?  You think the ID really knows what it takes to recover a piece of furniture.  This notion that upholsters have the ultimate responsibility to calculate fabric is crazy.  At least in my trade I can re-glue a mistake, or touch it up-
SA

[kodydog]

... and for wanting to continue my working relationship with this ID who is a good customer and a nice person.

Thanks again for your replies. I do appreciate having a place where I can get very relevant feedback.

gene

That's pretty much it in a nut shell. If she was one of those PIA decorators you may have a different attitude.

We're working with a decorator who is a new account. We haven't even met her yet and we're working on two separate orders. She is a big name in Gainesville and we would like to impress her. But she has us jumping through a few hoops. She asked if we have ever pre-shrunk fabric for a slip cover. Our answer was no and we really didn't want the liability. The cleaning code is "S" and its a large print. If the pattern runs are we responsible?

So she said she would wash it. 30 yds of fabric. Don't ask me how to wash that much fabric, I haven't a clue. But Rose told her not to give us a big wrinkled mess when done. The decorators response; Oh, it wont be that bad. Rose told her she should have it done professionally she said, are you kidding, do you know how much they charge?

[Darren Henry]

The decorators response; Oh, it wont be that bad. Rose told her she should have it done professionally she said, are you kidding, do you know how much they charge?

Run!!! Run very far and very fast. What I'm reading is that she does not have much respect for you and Rose or the work you do. Of course it "won't be that bad", she doesn't have to work with it. If she is concerned about the cost of a load of dry cleaning, how hard is she going to try to beat your price down or get you to cut corners to pad her profit margin?

She is a big name in Gainesville and we would like to impress her. But she has us jumping through a few hoops.

I've seen your work. You do not need any endorsements from trendy ID's, your talent speaks volumes.

[gene]

The purpose of pre washing fabric is to get the fabric to shrink. You then make the slipcover, and down the road when the homeowner wants to clean the slipcover they can wash it without the concern of it shrinking.

Or so the story goes.

Pre washing does not guarantee that a second washing down the road will not shrink the fabric even more.

I've read from other folks who make slipcovers and there is at least one person who will work with pre washed fabrics but charge a fee to iron the fabric flat - whether or not the fabric 'looks' like it needs to be ironed.

Slipcover America talks about pre washin fabrics, so it does happen.

I deal with this situation by telling folks that they need to plan on having their slipcovers dry cleaned.

What if the warp thread is a cotton blend and the weft thread is synthetic. Do you think the shrinkage will be uniform?

I can't imagine the size of the industrial washing machine that will be needed to wash, and dry, 30 yards of fabric.  :o That's a big risk with a lot of money.

Positive thoughts into the stratosphere for you, kodyD.

gene

[kodydog]

Darren, your advice is always much appreciated. Believe me I understand what you are saying and will take it to heart.

Gene, Thanks for the information. Rose will e-mail her and make it perfectly clear that the fabric and any future shrinkage is her sole responsibility.