How many yards/metresof material would I need for a.......

[moondog]

willy warmer!!

God,how puerile! What I really mean is to recover a very nice Edwardian armchair (with little wooden legs).

Ican get great cut price fabric,just don't know how to work it out.

(Am aware that this is probably a really thick question.....)

my dad is an uphoslterer. He could tell by just looking at it.
However, I suggest you carefully take off current fabric, then measure it! Keep it to use as a pattern for the new fabric.

Oh really santa? God,what a skill! I have a set designer friend who upholsters.

Do you have any idea how much it would cost?
How do I get an estimate without lugging the thing to the place? Would a picture and measurements do? Am a bit nervous about removing present upholstering-bound to bugger it up. I'm happy to pay but am waiting until I find a fabric I love (I have three chairs.)

does it have covered arms or plain wooden arms or that edwardian style where it has narrow wood framed arms and fabric side panels? what are it's approx measurements (width of seat and height of back). is it close covered or would it have some sort of skirt? and would your fabric have a repeat and if so what is it?

or just post a bloody photo and I'll tell you

where are you? My dad is ion Devon. He would do for you cheap as he is retired and does it for extra money now.

Two are identical. Seats measure 23 inches and back 29 inches. No wings.
Tiny little legs-basically bulbous wooden bit and castors.

Other has a 21 inch seat and 28 inch back. It has wings. Legs are straight and a bit longer-about 8 inches.

They all have rolled covered arms.

Covered in plain material at present and imagine they will be in future..not sure what you mean by repeat....?
They are so lovely and cost me £65 each.
I want to do them justice.

Santa..am in north Wales otherwise I'd take you up on that one!

what a shame!

3m each should easily do it. and if all three are going to have the same fabric you might get away with 8m in total rather than 9, but 9 would be safer.

repeat is when you have a pattern on the fabric, which will need matching, which necessarily means that fabric gets wasted so you need more.

Ah thanks pph. Very kind of you I must say.
It seems much less than I thought would be needed tbh,but then I don't understand these things.

Yes,thought thats what you meant when you referred to repeat-it obviously wouldn't matter if it was simply textured then would it?

Erm...when you buy a metre of material,is it a metre squared or a metre in length??
If simply in length is there astandard width.

I do sew (hard to believe I know-patchwork quilts-have made about 7 huge ones) but the lovely lady in the shop I go to works it all out for me.I just say (like the Little Britain bloke) 'I want that one.'

metre in length, dear!
upholstery fabric is standard width, don't worry about it.
If there is a texture but no pattern it will make a small difference because the pattern will need to be cut so that the naps match (do you know about nap? eg velvet looks a different colour from one side of the fabric to the other) but there is enough leeway in the 3m for you to manage.

I'm assuming these are quite small armchairs, more like bedroom armchairs, they haven't got massive wide arms or anything have they? FYI a large 3 seater sofa takes about 7-8m of plain fabric, 3m should fairly easily be generous enough for you.

Make sure you request any leftover fabric, you can make a couple of cushions out of it

I know nap...yes.

It is hard to find something I like. I don't like that smart but soulless hotel lobby look...
The woman I saw just pushed Colefax&Fowler/Sanderson style stuff at me-too uptight for my tastes.
I would like to do them in my collection of old Welsh wool rugs...sort of shabby chic (hideous expression but you know what I mean) but I don't know if it would work.

Ah well,the longer I leave it,the older (and more sensible??)the children get.

Yes,they're small and sweet.

small and sweet you might get 2.5m.

welsh rugs def a repeat though! and might be too chunky looking for fine-boned edwardian stuff.

ifyou like the welsh rug look then have you looked at mulberry stuff? very nice country house a few decades ago tweedy stuff. at a price mind you. but it does all go on sale in jan at about 20% off, and if you are wandering around anywhere near castle cary you could go into their outlet and see what remnants etc they have at supergood prices.

I've done some sofas in a really nice colefax & fowler wool which is sort of tomato soup coloured - not too red and not too orangey. the wool feels lovely and slightly felty without being scratchy. can't remember what it is called though.

Those suggestions sound good pph. I like the sound of the stuff on your sofas-maybe she just showed me the over fancy C&Fstuff??

I'll give it another go.
Ditto checking out Mulberry.

Thanks

I've got a swatch of the fabric somewhere, if I find it I'll post the name....

ok I've found the swatch, but the sticker on the back has come off! if you want me to stick the swatch in the post then cat me...

malabar have a big sale at their place in vauxhall twice a year, their furnishing fabrics are about £35 a metre in john lewis, and they flog them off at about a fiver a metre