How to Choose Striped Fabrics for Curtains, Upholstery and Deckchairs

Updated

Choose striped fabric by matching weight and weave to the job first, then confirm stripe scale and colour with a swatch before you cut or order. The Stripes Company sells 100% cotton striped fabrics for curtains, upholstery and soft furnishings, plus replacement canvas for deckchairs and director's chairs, and offers up to 8 free swatches (you pay postage, refundable from your first order). That swatch step is the one that prevents most expensive mistakes, because stripe colour and scale read differently in your own room light than on a screen.

Start with the project, not the pattern

The same bold stripe can be right for a curtain and wrong for a seat cover. Work backwards from where the fabric will live.

Project What matters most What to check before buying
Curtains and Roman blinds Drape and how light falls through the cloth Fabric weight suits hanging, stripe repeat works at your drop, lining plan
Upholstery and seat pads Rub resistance and shape retention Heavier weave, stripe alignment across seams and cushion faces
Deckchair / director's chair canvas Tailored fit and outdoor exposure Replacement canvas cut for your frame, stripe direction on the seat
Soft furnishings (cushions, throws, table linen) Colour harmony and washability Stripe scale relative to item size, matching across a set

The site groups its range accordingly — fabrics, products, chairs, garden, beach and trimmings — so you can shop by end use rather than scrolling a single wall of pattern.

Stripe scale and direction decide the cut

Stripe width changes the whole character of a piece. A classic 1cm stripe (used across the site's tablecloths, napkins and seat pads) reads as neat and traditional; wider, bolder stripes make more of a statement and are harder to match at seams.

Two practical points before you order:

  • Repeat and orientation. Note which way the stripes run on the roll and decide whether they should run vertically on curtains (the usual choice, as it adds height) or horizontally for a deliberate effect. On seat pads and deckchair canvas the stripe direction is fixed by the cut, so confirm it matches your frame.
  • Pattern matching. Bold stripes must line up across seams, cushion pairs and curtain joins. Wider stripes need more fabric allowance for matching, so buy a little extra rather than exactly to measure.

Order swatches before you commit

The site offers free swatches — up to 8, with postage the only cost, refundable against your first order. Use them properly:

  1. Request the colourways you're seriously considering, not just your favourite.
  2. View each swatch in the actual room, in daylight and in evening light.
  3. Lay swatches next to existing paint, flooring and furniture.
  4. Check the stripe scale against the finished item size — a swatch can look calm and a full curtain bold.

This is the step that catches the common surprise: a stripe that looks subtle online can dominate a small cushion, or a colour that seems neutral can pull warm or cool against your walls.

Measure for the finished item

Accurate measuring is what makes the stripe run the right way and the fit look intentional.

  • Curtains and Roman blinds: measure the track or pole width and the finished drop, then add allowances for hems and pattern matching. The site also sells made-to-measure blinds and curtains, which removes the sewing step if you'd rather not cut and match stripes yourself.
  • Deckchairs and director's chairs: replacement canvas is tailor-cut for a perfect fit, so identify your frame type before ordering rather than estimating. The director's chair loose cover and seat pad bundle shows how covers and pads are sold as a matched set.
  • Upholstery and seat pads: measure the seat or panel, then add seam allowance and enough extra to centre the stripe.

Fabric by the metre or made-to-measure?

Both routes are available, and the right one depends on your time and skills.

  • Buy fabric by the metre if you sew, want a specific stripe placement, or are covering several items from one length. You control matching and can plan around the repeat.
  • Choose made-to-measure curtains or Roman blinds if you want the stripe handled for you and don't want to manage hems and pattern joins. Check current offers before ordering — the site has run 10% off curtains and Roman blinds with an order deadline, and a sitewide discount applied at checkout during a promotional window.

Either way, factor delivery time into your project plan, especially if you're working to a deadline like a room refresh or a gift.

Common pitfalls worth avoiding

  • Ordering on screen colour alone — swatches exist for this reason.
  • Forgetting pattern matching on bold stripes, then running short.
  • Assuming a fabric suited to curtains will hold up on a seat.
  • Guessing deckchair frame size instead of confirming the canvas fit.
  • Missing a discount deadline that would have applied at checkout.

Work through weight, stripe scale, swatch and measurement in that order, and the fabric you receive will match the project you pictured.