105 - Tufting in the Round

Dear Michael: I have some questions about tufting. I found an ottoman that I like that is round and has buttons tufted into the top. Some of the edges look fine, but in a few areas there are lumps of fabric. Was the fabric applied wrong? Susan

Dear Susan: There are three types of tufting – diamond, biscuit and bun tufting. Biscuit and bun tufting are square or rectangular and are used primarily in square or rectangular furnishings. Diamond tufting is used in all types of applications. For a round ottoman like you describe, I'm not sure what type of tufting was used. If it was biscuit or bun, this would look wrong since those shapes don't allow you to balance the tufting pattern. A diamond tufting pattern would work better on a round ottoman. But the excess lumps of fabric may have appeared if the entire application was completed using one large fabric cutting. A square of fabric wrapped around a round object leaves excess fabric in all four corners.

In years past, many round ottomans had the fabric applied in the diamond tufting sequence just like the rectangular ottoman. When I was shown this technique for one of my customers, I didn't like the extra bulk. The way to remove the bulk was to create a pattern for fabric pieces that would fit perfectly together on the top of the round frame without any excess. Creating the patterns for diamonds that would fit on a 24" round ottoman was easy since there were 6 small diamonds on the inside and 6 larger diamonds on the outside.

However, when we approached a larger round ottoman that was 30" or 36", this became a little more complicated. For the larger ottoman, it took 6 small diamonds, 6 elongated diamonds, and 12 large outside diamonds. Cutting the specific pieces gave me the chance to create a whole new design with the pattern pieces. For the pictures shown, both the 24" and the 36" ottomans were created from the same fabric. Selecting flowers that fit each pattern piece, then sewing them in a sequence allows creation of the most beautiful patterns.

Since you noticed the extra bulk on the top fabric of the ottoman, you will continue to see that portion of the ottoman if you purchase it for your home. That could be covered up with a tray if you really like the other aspects of the ottoman. You may want to continue looking, have a custom ottoman created for your home or possibly create one for yourself. When an ottoman like this is done correctly, the results are just beautiful.

Mike Rocheford can be contacted via the Web site,

http://www.upholsterystudio.com – click on Ask the Upholsterer