Introduction: How-to Make Your Own Chevron Design Upholstery Fabric

About: Furniture, fabric, architecture, building, painting. I specialize in upholstery design, restyling, repurposing and writing all about upholstery. I teach loads of upholstery classes all week long and also teac…

A clear tutorial on how to turn striped fabric into a fabulous chevron design by cutting and sewing strips at a 45 degree angle.
Make a large enough piece to recover a vintage chair.

Step 1: Fabric Folded at a 45 Degree Angle

Fold fabric over at a crisp 45 degree angle.

Step 2: Cutting Top Edge of Fabric

Cut along the fold of fabric. Now the larger piece, cut on the diagonal is ready to cut strips.

Step 3: Aligning Pattern

Place your rectangular pattern,which will be one side of the chevron design, on your fabric, making sure to keep it lined up on the diagonal. Determine where the top corner will be placed on each cut of fabric. Cut as many strips running in this direction as you want and then move down your fabric yardage and reverse the angle and cut the same amount of strips. You want enough to make up approximately a 54" wide piece of upholstery fabric.

Step 4: Lining Up Cut Panels

Line up all cut panels, forming chevron design.

Step 5: Pinning Stripes Together

There has to be oodles of pins to make the stripes line up evenly, ready for stitching.

Step 6: Walking Foot

This black contraption that comes down the back of the presser foot is the walking foot. It's a lifesaver. It pulls the top and bottom fabrics through at an even rate.

Step 7: Stitching

Stitch panels. With your hands, keep an even amount of pressure on fabric behind presser foot and fabric ready to be stitched to help seams be sewn flat and smooth.

Step 8: Pressing

Press all seams open to flatten. Since seams are sewn on bias cut strips, they tend "cup". They need to be pressed and steamed flat.

Step 9: What Should I Reupholster With This?

An ample piece of upholstery fabric in a modern chevron design just begging to be on a chair.

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