Railroaded fabric

I just love a beautiful stripe! A great striped fabric could be so perfectly masculine, modern, tailored yet relaxed all at the same time- Just perfect! Wheneer I come across a fabulous stripe and think of applying it to a fabulous piece of furniture, my mind automatically rings "Railroading"!

Ever since my design school days I remember the "railroaded fabric" topic. It's quite important topic when dealing with purchasing and applying your stripe fabric/upholsery correctly to the piece of furniture or window treatment to get the intended pattern effect.
What does this railroading mean you ask. Railroading has to do with how a pattern is applied to a fabric or how the fabric material is applied to a piece of furniture or window treatment. 
Let's take my fabulous stripe for example- a stripe could normally be applied going down the bolt of the fabric as opposed across it's width. You can then choose to have it be applied to the piece of furniture railroaded for the stripe to be applied as shown in the picture below.
In another situation you  might want the stripe to go up and down the cushion as well as the sofa back and not want a welt or a seam in the middle. Since the fabric bolt is usually 56-60" - in this is a situation you would want to have your fabric pattern be railroaded at the mill to accomodate the length and the apropriate appearance desired (reference the second sofa picture).

Also keep in mind if you happend to have a multicolored stripe and want it all to line up perfectly on every cussion and arm- well that in fact will result in needing much more fabric. So not only does this process require some thinking in addition- more fabric, more time and definitely some precision from the upholsterer upholstering which all results in more cost. Yet at the end, the look is just so fabulous!!

Do you like a great stripe? Have you ever had to have your designer railroad a fabric for your piece or perhaps did you do it yourself?

by plinth and shintz

Los Angeles Times 

what a fabulous image by sofa.com ! The scenery the DOG of course! and yes the comfy looking modern sofa relaxed stripe

Beautiful yummy thick chocoalate/cream striped sofa by Phillip Gorrivan