Quick question on NAP.

[Grebo]

Hi guys & gals.
Just received some material & was surprised to find it has a nap to it.
So question is, I am correct in thinking that it should smooth down as you sit on it ?
It's for some boat cushions so just has bases & backs, no arms or complicated real upholstery stuff.
Which way should it run on the backs, brush downwards ?

Thanks.

Suzi

[gene]

Here's my 2 cents:

It should smooth as you slide your butt off the seat cushion.

The nap should close when you slide your butt off the seat. If you put your hand at the back of the seat, your hand should close the nap when you slide it forward - the same direction your butt moves when you slide off the seat.

The back should have the nap following the seat. If you put your hand at the top of the back and slide it down, your hand should be closing the nap.

A lady I know bought a new sofa two years ago and the seat cushions have the nap running toward the back of the sofa. You can see clearly the one cushion that she sits on the most because the nap has been bent forward when she slides off that cushion.

Closing the nap means it feels soft and smooth. To open the nap it would feel ruff.

gene

[Grebo]

Oooh, good job I asked then, never though of sliding off the seat.
I was thinking of the force sitting & sliding backwards as maybe wearing the material more, got that wrong then.


Thanks Gene.

Suzi

[bobbin]

What Gene said. 

[kodydog]

Funny thing about nap. When you set the back cushion on the seat cushion the shade will look off because the way the light is hitting it. The seat will look darker than the back. Some customers may see this as a flaw and you have to be able to explain the nap direction.

I was working on a 6 piece sectional. The boss gave me 36 yards to cover it. The nap ran up the bolt. When I drew the pattern on a piece of paper we were short on fabric. I then drew the pattern railroaded and it worked. I presented this to the boss and he said run it sideways. The fabric was a light colored chenille and didn't look bad when finished but I often wondered about the "nap binding" Gene mentioned.

[Lo]

My take on working with nap is that the seat smooths forward as discussed . . . but to keep the color the back smooths upward. A variation is to have the nap run right to left or on the bias to maintain a consistent color . . . most of my cording is cut on the bias for this reason.

[sofadoc]

I was working on a 6 piece sectional. The boss gave me 36 yards to cover it. The nap ran up the bolt. When I drew the pattern on a piece of paper we were short on fabric. I then drew the pattern railroaded and it worked. I presented this to the boss and he said run it sideways.

I've had to do the same before. I run the nap from left to right everywhere. Sometimes, if there is a pattern, you have no choice but to run it sideways.

But as a rule......run it downward like the others have said.

[bobbin]

Anyone who's made clothing and worked with napped fabrics (corduroy or velvet/een) has likely made the biggest mistake... cutting pcs. without attention to the directional nature of the fabric.  With clothing, the rule of thumb is that the nap runs down.  (Ask me how I learned the lesson and wrecked a dress in a lovely "washed" corduroy; only I noticed, but that's the important lesson!). 

I have always followed the same rule with respect to layouts for cushions/slipcovers.  "Railroading" makes me nervous... means that the nap runs selvedge to selvedge and not down the bolt.  The idea being that you can cut down the bolt and not have to seam widths to get the necessary width for long cushions/large sofa back, etc. (for some reason I'm always suspicious of rr-ing).  Railroading and V berth cushions have the potential to be a bad mix.  You have to decide if overlooking a "down the roll" nap is more important than the necessity of joining widths for the sake of the nap.  (I generally overlook the nap in such cases, but always inform my customer. 

[Mike]

find a empty sewing table and grab some foam and Dacron.......  opps   wrong you meant something else  :)

[MinUph]

As stated running a napped fabric down and towards the front is the best way to go. On a sofa or chair RR-ING it will cause the cushions to walk in the direction of the nap. In other words if the nap runs left to right the cushions tend to move to the right. Not a good thing.

[gene]

I opened a new bolt of fabric today and the heavy nap runs up the bolt. The ID wants the fabric railroaded so there are no seams on the inside back and no seams on the single cushion. This is a small sofa.

I've done this a few times before and like sofa d have never heard any complaints about it.

Lo:

My take on working with nap is that the seat smooths forward as discussed . . . but to keep the color the back smooths upward. A variation is to have the nap run right to left or on the bias to maintain a consistent color

That's an interesting idea about keeping a consistent color. I've never done that before but I will keep it in mind as an option for ID's when there is a really big difference in the shade/color on naps.

I had a nap last year that had really long fibers and the welt cord looked weird whether it was cut up, or side, or on the bias. The ID chose to use a secondary fabric for the welt cord.

gene

[gene]

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.

I didn't wish to review my post so I sent it anyway.

Paul, if the cushions are snug as a June bug in a rug, is it the cushion covers that will to move?

Also, the few times that I've RRed a nap that runs up the bolt I have had the nap running right to left. I wonder if that's because I'm left handed?

gene

[MinUph]

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.

I didn't wish to review my post so I sent it anyway.

Paul, if the cushions are snug as a June bug in a rug, is it the cushion covers that will to move?

Also, the few times that I've RRed a nap that runs up the bolt I have had the nap running right to left. I wonder if that's because I'm left handed?

gene

No not the covers, the whole cushion walks that way. If you RR this job place a cushion in it and sit on it a few times. You will see what I am talking about.

[Grebo]

find a empty sewing table and grab some foam and Dacron.......  opps   wrong you meant something else  :)

Sounds like a plan.

Suzi