We are making Mississippi our new home! Woot! Among ALL of the other things we packed I made sure to bring along some of my favorite “someday” chairs as projects. I’ve been holding onto one of these chairs for 15 years! I swear I am finally going to get to it but I am not sure the fabric I picked out for it is going to work. We are goingt to be living in a very hot and humid climate; fabric options have changed a bit.

I was on a hunt for some quirky, cool vintage fabric for my ’57 Panel Truck a couple of months ago when I stumbled onto this great floral tapestry fabic. I am a sucker for florals, for real! If there is a choice it will always be floral. Anywho – this fabric was supposed to adorn my favorite little chair. I get all the exquisite cozy vibes when I sit in it so it needed the perfect fabric. It being a woven fabric isn’t really the problem, it’s that I believe it to be 100% cotton. Cotton absorbs entirely too much moisture if not blended with a synthetic. Let’s have a look at some of the other options I’ve found that would work great in a southern home, i.e.: Hattiesburg, MS!

Since my immediate need is for an indoor piece why don’t we start there.

• Cotton works best as a blend. Think cotton/poly blends which happen to be one of the most popular blends on the market right now. Most of my books have this option only second to polyester.
• Linen! This is always a favorite of mine. I did a huge chaise in 100% linen once and it looked/felt amazing. Drawbacks you ask? Wrinkles and fades.
  • Grab a handheld steamer for the wrinkles and a keep it in a space that does not get direct sunlight.
  • Oh, and if you don’t get it with a stain gaurd then buy a couple cans of Scotchgaurd. What? I’m a practical person!
• Olefin. Yes, this is a synthetic material. This material can be environment adverse but only if not treated correctly. I get my materials through Revolution Fabrics and here’s why: Revolution Performance Fabrics only uses Olefin and the weave design to repel stains. Olefin is chemically stain resistant so there is zero need for water repelling chemicals and antimicrobials that can affect your health.
  • This material is made from polypropylene and polyethylene. It is a recycled material at it’s base. It is highly durable, water-resistant, and stain-resistant. Mostly used for outdoor but there are indoor options that are really great too.

Don’t get dismayed in thinking there aren’t enough options out there for indoor fabrics! We, as upholsterers, have a ton of options and are always looking for the best product for it’s purpose. Now, onto outdoor fabrics! (Hint: we already covered one of them)

• Since I’m already dropping names let’s start with Sunbrella. This lovely fabric has SO many amazing choices that you may want to pull it inside too. Or make a killer outdoor space – with a fan – and screens – and a pool! Okay, a little off point, sorry.
  • Sunbrella specializes in fabrics made of 100% solution-dyed acrylic.
  • This fabric is all-weather resistent. Did you catch that? All-weather! It is specifically designed to withstand heavy rains and lots (maybe too much) sun. Um, yeah, this is the fabric you’re going to use…and I carry it.
• Cotton Blends. Look, it showed up twice! These are made to resist mildew and mold, same as Olefin and 100% solution-dyed acrylic. You may need to put a stain guard on them.

Upholstery fabric has come a long way over the last 10 or so years. After some research I have found two things to be true. 1. Your indoor and outdoor spaces in that beautiful Southern Home of yours will look great in almost any of these fabric choices. (Maybe don’t use linen outside.) 2. I am not going to be able to use that wonderful floral tapestry I found. Boo! At least not for chairs. I will find a use for it though!

I cannot wait to get into our new home in Hattiesburg, MS. We aren’t on the road yet, unfortunately. I have been sending updates to my all of email buddies. If you want those updates you know what you have to. (Subscribe *she whispered*) →

As always, I hope this was helpful in your upholstery endeavors! I carry quite a few different fabric companies that offer the above options. Comment RESOURCE below and I’ll send you my Fabric Resource Guide. Find what you love and I’ll get it ordered for you!

Love ya!