How To Repair Torn Or Ripped Upholstery

There are a variety of weaves and materials used in many upholstery pieces. Most use upholstery grade fabric such as chenille or jacquard, but some use lighter and often cheaper materials. Regardless, there's still a chance that your upholstery will get torn or damaged.

Rather than throw away the piece, why not try repairing it before it gets worse? Of course, you can opt for a professional repair and if you can afford to do this, I'd recommend this route. Otherwise a home repair is the best option.

The following is a quick guide on how to repair a torn piece of upholstery

  1. If you see a seam tear, the upholstery first needs to be examined to find out if it has been fixed in place, this often done with a zip.
  2. If it is possible for you to remove the piece that is damaged, do so. This will make it easier to sew the tear.
  3. Once you have carefully examined the seam tear, turn the fabric inside and catch the tear.
  4. Make sure that you have made the entire repairing area flat and if you see tattered or loose threads or edges, trim them off the fabric.
  5. When you have checked that everything is in order, bring seam sides together and make sure that both sides have already been properly ironed.
  6. However, if you find a long tear, it is better to put both the sides together and iron them.
  7. After ironing, bring the upholstery onto a sewing machine and put it right under needle.
  8. To get a proper stitching, make sure to angle thread toward machine’s back.
  9. Also make sure that the hole gets sewn at the same time starting from torn place and in this way you can bring even much better stability.
  10. The opposite tear side should also be sewed a little more than the actual tear as this will enable you to give proper shape to the spot.
  11. Now you might see some loose strings which you better cut off and then turn the right fabric out. Now put it back to the furniture and restore its original look.

These are simple steps to follow for proper repairing of upholstery fabric. If the seam tear is too big to repair, it is better to replace the fabric. You can also visit online shops offering discount upholstery fabric such as Selby Soft Furnishings in the UK. Discount fabrics are highly recommended as you'll get a much better quality fabric for a fraction of the original price.