Let's dive into fabric choices and how to get a result you'll absolutely adore!
This is a continuation of the Sewing the Smart Sofa Station pattern support posts. If you missed it you can jump back to the introduction now.
Now that you've have your Smart Sofa Station pattern, it’s time to start gathering your supplies. I thought I’d pop in and share some tips & ideas for choosing your fabric and also share my fabric pull for one of the versions I’ve made.
If you’ve bought a kit with fabric included then you won’t have to worry about fabric selection, but if you’re designing your own, here’s my favourite tips for achieving a similar look to the Stations I've made.
Grab your free printable planning & colouring page, where you can plan your pocket combinations, colour in and/or glue on fabric swatches.
Don't forget to check out the Arabesque Sewing Community Facebook group where you can share your progress and encourage others :).
Choose Your Overall Style
Starting a project like this can feel quite daunting when you have a lot of fabrics to choose from ... am I right?! It can feel a bit paralysing, so I'm here to help you simplify the process with these tried and true tips for success.
When I’m starting to pull fabric for this, I like to ask myself a few questions and think about the overall effect I’m after...
- Am I sewing this for me or for a friend?
- Do I want to match my decor by blending in or do I want to make a statement?
- Do I want to be flamboyant, cute, rustic or classic (... or add your own!)
I’m sharing 4 variations I’ve made below to give you some examples for how to get different looks for different effects. For each one, I’ve chosen about 5 fabrics overall, as this gives a nice variety without being too busy.
In the pattern you'll find that I've designed the base to be cut from two pieces. You can totally make this from one pieces if you prefer. The purpose of making the base in two sections is to:
- use smaller cuts of fabric overall, making it a great scrap buster
- help the combination of machine and hand quilting to really pop, as the effect of this can be a bit lost if the base fabrics are really busy prints
- to enable greater contrast between the base fabric and the pockets at either end. With each end being different and low volume, you have more option to showcase larger prints.
1. Rustic Fabric Pull
This version is made with the Tilda Windy Day collection, and paired with a neutral solid. The hand quilting is done using a variegated perle 8 thread that really pops. You can see how effective it is to use different sized prints to make a good contrast.
2. Classic Fabric Pull
This version is a bit more muted with some bold pops of colour. The base still reads as a solid, and the simpler prints calm it down while still keeping it really interesting. This is sewn in a Ruby Star Society collection called 'Purl'.
3. Flamboyant Fabric Pull
This example shows a base that's not low volume - it's busy!
In this case I really love the effect...even though the hand quilting doesn't show up that much. This version is sewn in Moda's 'A Blooming Bunch' which has that retro 70's vibe I just love. You can really play with turning up or down the busyness here by choosing more muted prints.
4. Cute Fabric Pull
If you've been saving some super cute collections for something special then this version is a great example of where to use them. The large pockets just lend themselves to featuring a special motif, and then you can fussy cut smaller images to feature on the pinnie, needle minder and flaps.
Binding
There’s a lot of binding in this, so I generally wanted mine to standout.
I absolutely love doing a micro striped binding as it really frames everything like a picture, and makes it really look smart. I also love using a gorgeous tiny floral as you can't buy pre-made binding that's cute and it really shines.
But whether you use stripes or not, contrast is the key here to make a great finishing statement.
If you don't want all your hard work lost in a sea of prints, then pick a binding fabric that stands out from the rest.
Backing Fabric
My last tip here is to use whatever old fabric you have lying around for the backing.
It won’t be seen at all unless you plan to fold this up regularly, and it’s a great opportunity to use that unloved fabric that you really don’t want to chuck, but don’t want to see anywhere. Save money and stash bust!
My Fabric Pull
For this Sofa Station, I've used Tilda Cotton Beach, and pairing it with a Devonstone solid for the base, and another of the blenders that Tilda bought out a few years ago.
This will enable the hand quilting to really stand out, and I have to say this part is my favourite feature that adds just the right amount of handmade charm.
Also if you’re still stuck with where to buy the rest of the supplies like the magnets, self-cover button for the needle minder, and interfacings, just head to my shop page and you’ll find the shopping list with clickable links for where to buy everything. You can also download the shopping list here.
Here's my planning page all filled out with the version I'm planning to make, with my swatches pasted in place.
I don't know about you, but if I don't stick them in and note down my choices, when I come back a few days later I can't remember what I decided!
Download your planning page here, and fill out your swatches, then share your fabric pull plans in the facebook group.
To get started cutting out your pieces and sewing the base of your Smart Sofa Station, head to Part 3 here!
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