How to Measure Fabric for an Upholstered Chair

Write down a list of each piece of fabric covering your chair, using the paper and pen. Leave room between each line to write the dimensions and make notes. The common fabric pieces of an upholstered chair are the inside backrest, outside back, inner arm, outer arm, arm front, front gusset and seat. If your chair has welt cord running along the cushion edges, also list welt. If you see any other fabric areas, such as a ruffle, list those as well.

Measure horizontally across the first fabric piece on your list and write that dimension on your paper beside the name of the piece. Measure the piece vertically and write down that dimension as well. Add 1 inch to each dimension to allow for seams. Measure and write the dimensions for each piece the same way, making sure to add the seam allowance to each measurement.

Measure the length of the welt cord, if your chair has welt cord and add two inches to the length. Write down 1-1/2 inches for the width.

Turn the paper over and plan the cutting layout on the back side. Upholstery fabric is normally 52 inches wide, so if your paper is 8 inches wide, the scale to use to draw your cutting layout is 0.15. This means you need to multiply each measured dimension by 0.15, then use your ruler and the pen to measure and draw a rough sketch of the scaled-down fabric piece dimensions on the paper.

Measure along the long side of the paper and make a small mark at 8 inches. Each 8 inches is representative of 52 inches of fabric or 1 yard and 16 inches.