5 Ways on How to Estimate Yardage of Fabric to Reupholster Loveseat

Reupholstering old loveseats, whether from a thrift store or an attic, gives them new life. Learning how to upholster your furniture effectively may be an enjoyable project. But first, you must learn how to estimate yardage of fabric to reupholster loveseat.

You should ensure that you buy sufficient fabric to cover a piece of furniture without running into issues along the way. Distort the specifications of your furnishings, and you may finally have to get started.

how to estimate yardage of fabric to reupholster loveseat

You may even have strange cracks in the tapestry, where the pattern does not correspond, following the purchase of more than the same cloth. Find out how to calculate the yard fabric of upholstery here to avoid these problems.

But, before that, let us go over the basics.

What is a Loveseat?

A loveseat is a sofa that can accommodate two persons, about wide enough. In the early 19th century, the first loveseats appeared.

Two-person sofas evolved from the broad upholstered seats for one famous in the 1700s because they could fit the large gowns that fashionable ladies wore. 

The loveseat takes its name from the concept that you may share with another person who sits pretty close together.

How to estimate yardage of fabric to reupholster loveseat?

You should measure the cushions

Measure the width and length of the loveseat cushion from seam to seam. Don’t forget to figure up the dimensions for the cushion side panels.

 When you layout the separate pieces to fit the 54-inch wide fabric, one yard of cloth equals 36 inches, and it takes roughly 2 yards for each cushion, allowing 1 inch for seams. So if you have three pillows, you will need around 6 yards of cloth only for the cushions.

Fabric Selection

When shopping for fabric, you’ll notice a wide range of sizes, patterns, and materials—all of which will influence how much you need.

You must match stripes, plaids, and other patterns at the seams to be consistent. Though this can be difficult for the upholsterer, a more minor, well-spaced stripe or plaid should not result in much-cutting waste. Thus you shouldn’t need to account for extra fabric.

Never compromise on fabric because you believe you will return to the store and buy extra if necessary It may appear wise buying. Still, it is not: never anticipate an identical fabric match the second time around.

Measure the Loveseat’s back.

Run the tape measure from seam to seam down the back of the chair or couch to estimate its width and length. For each seam, add 1 inch. Divide the total length measurement by 36 inches to convert this measurement to yards. 

If your sofa is 110 inches long at the back and 40 inches tall, these measures equate to little more than 3 yards, which you should round up to 4 yards for good measure.

Measure the Loveseat’s front.

Repeat the measurements for the front and back of the sofa, running from seam to seam in width and length. Next, repeat the cushions inside and outside for the sides and arms and the sitting area.

Simply put the length measures together and divide by 36 as long as the width measurements are no more than 54 inches wide. For example, a standard three-cushion, 9-foot sofa requires around 13 yards of cloth after adding 10% for an error margin. 

Don’t forget to include the length and breadth of the fabric needed for the front of the sofa behind the cushions in the total.

Use a sheet of graph paper.

Use graph paper to sketch out the various parts that need to be cut out based on the width of the fabric to assist in visualizing the fabric measurements required. 

To determine your scale, use the squares on the graph paper, such as 1 square equals 1 foot or 6 inches of cloth. It will also assist you in determining how to cut out the various parts of the new material.

Make use of an Upholstery Fabric Calculator.

If you don’t want to do the math, you may use upholstery fabric estimator charts to get an estimate of how much fabric you’ll need for the style of sofa or chair you have.

Most fabric stores and several sewing websites give this information to help you estimate how much fabric you’ll need.

If you’re going to reupholster a sofa or chair with a plaid or striped fabric, you’ll need to add 20% additional yards to accommodate pattern matching. A cushion, for example, usually requires approximately 2 yards of fabric, but with a pattern match, you’ll need about 2½  yards.

Add piping to the amount if you intend to use it on the couch or chair cushions.

Instead of rounding down, round up to the closest yard. It may result in fabric waste, but it also ensures that you will not run out of fabric.

Conclusion

Finally, to summarize the question of how to estimate yardage of fabric to reupholster loveseat. This article is for you if you want to reupholster loveseat but aren’t sure how much leather or cloth you’ll need to buy.

 

Leave a Comment