Fabric Pattern Types

Our sheeting material is produced in extra-wide widths (ranging from 92 inches up to 112 inches).  These widths allow you to cover large areas (such as furniture or to make bed sheets).  Our sheeting is wide enough to make queen size and in some cases even king size flat or fitted sheets.  Be sure to measure the area you are trying to cover including extra for seams, folds, and tucking.  For bed sheets be sure you include the depth of the mattress (Pillow-tops are generally 14" - 16" and sometimes even deeper, standard mattresses are 9" - 12" deep).  For flat sheets be sure to include a minimum of 8" to fold under at the foot of the bed.

Regular Fabric Pattern

The regular fabric pattern, sometimes referred to as the normal fabric pattern, is the pattern that is most common.  The material is woven so the upright images are parallel to the bolt of cloth and perpendicular to the edge of the cloth.  These patterns are best for clothing and longer more narrow objects such as curtains.  In the example below you can see the animals are oriented in an upright position along the length of the material:

• If this was being used for curtains or clothing, you could make them as long as you wish - a good application.
• If you were covering a couch, this regular fabric pattern would leave you with unwanted seams along the "front of the back" and "back of the back" of the couch - not the best choice.

Railroaded Fabric Pattern

The Tossed Repeat Fabric Pattern is more versatile than the regular fabric pattern and the railroad fabric pattern.  This pattern has images or shapes, (often times geometrical), in a repeating pattern that is multidirectional and not necessarily oriented to how the material comes off of the bolt.  Generally, this pattern can be arranged in a horizontal or vertical direction with little regard to direction.  Some exceptions are if the material has a woven nap or lay of fabric direction such as velvets and chenille.  In those cases you will still need to consider the direction of the "grain" for a good match and look.

In the example below you can see the dinosaur footprints are oriented in various directions with no specific "top-to-bottom" orientation.  Some of them are heading "up" the fabric, some are heading "down" the fabric, and others are heading "left", "right", and "diagonally" across the fabric:

• The primary considerations for the tossed repeat fabric pattern are whether the width is sufficient to support the intended use and, if there are to be seams, how easy will it be to match them up with the pattern.