When it comes to choosing upholstery fabric, there’s more to consider than just color, pattern, and texture. One important factor that’s often overlooked is the fabric’s orientation—specifically, whether it is “railroaded fabric” or “up the bolt fabric.” These terms refer to the direction in which the fabric’s pattern is oriented, and understanding the difference can help you make the right choice for your project, ensuring the fabric looks just the way you envision.
What is Railroaded Fabric?
- “Railroaded” also called “OFF The Roll fabric” means the pattern runs horizontally across the roll. In other words, if you were to unroll the fabric, the design would be continuous from one side of the roll to the other without any interruption. This is especially useful when upholstering large or long pieces of furniture, as it allows the pattern to flow smoothly across the surface without seams or breaks.
- Best Uses: Ideal for large furniture like sofas, banquettes, and headboards where the fabric needs to stretch horizontally across the entire piece. “Railroaded” fabric allows for a continuous uninterrupted or seamless pattern on these larger furniture pieces.
- Memory tip: To help remember the “railroad” pattern, imagine standing on railroad tracks. The rails represent the edges of the fabric (the selvage), and the planks beneath your feet are like the pattern, running from side to side—rail to rail, or selvage to selvage.
What is Up the Bolt Fabric?
- “Up the bolt” fabric, also known as “non-railroaded” fabric or conventional fabric, has a pattern that runs vertically along the roll. This means that the design moves from the top of the bolt (the top of the fabric roll) to the bottom. Up-the-bolt fabrics are typically used for smaller pieces of upholstery or in situations where the vertical direction of the pattern is preferred such as drapes and curtains.
- Best Uses: Ideal for pieces where vertical pattern direction is needed. Smaller patterns may work better up the bolt, especially for chairs and pillows where the pattern needs to fit proportionally. Up-the-bolt fabric is commonly used for detailed furniture pieces, especially when the furniture requires fabric to wrap around curves or angles.
Things to Consider when choosing between the two
- Key Factors: size and shape of the furniture, direction of the pattern, minimizing seams, and the pattern Scale.
- Main differences: Railroaded fabric is best for large pieces like sofas and benches where you want a continuous, seamless pattern, while up-the-bolt fabric works well for smaller furniture and applications where a vertical design is preferred.
By choosing the right fabric orientation, you’ll create a polished, cohesive look that perfectly complements your space.