15 retro upholstery and curtain fabrics from Waverly

Finding and shopping at bona fide upholstery shops can be difficult, even intimidating. And, unless you find a place that sells at warehouse prices, it’s likely to be expensive. On the other hand, JoAnn’s Fabrics are pretty much everywhere. So, I popped over to their website to see if I could find any upholstery fabrics that would be good for vintage and retro style interiors. Indeed, I found quite a few.

Note, these are still not what I’d call “cheap” — $25 – $30 on sale half-price, as I write this story. Is there a Waverly Outlet anywhere near you? That’s where I bought a lot of my upholster and drapery fabric in the early 2000s, before they closed down their outlet in Adams, Mass.

My favorite design in this hunt: The Waverly Upstream Plaid in Coral (also comes in Moss) — this fabric reminds me of vintage camp blankets and I bet it would look great covering a sofa or a chair in a den panelled with knotty pine.

Above: I love the 1970s woven look of the Akira fabric line, at the right.  It looks like there are at least 11 colors for this design — from Indigo to Palm to Chestnut, and more.

Above: Some more 1970s style potential. I would like to see this in person to assess the weave — of course, you need to see all of these fabrics I’m showing in person — but I like the online look of Melody, four color ways.

Above: And here’s another design basic with lots of potential — Pera, 10 colorways. I am seeing a lot of moss, newly added on the Waverly site. Of course, A Moss by any other name would still look like Ripe Avocado.

Four color of Glitz still available online. Has potential. Need to see.

So when did Tommy Bahama get all 1960s mad about mod? Just recently, it seems — the design above is brand new. Drift Away in four colors.

Poodles in Paric fabric in three color ways. 54″ wide. Buy two yards — trim out the sides in black polka dots, add a button hole strip of black at the top — and you have your poodle shower curtain.

Tres Chic Paris novelty print, in three color ways.

These Tuileries prints — three colors — strike me as very 1960s. Or, do you think ’80s?

Yes, I’ve gone insane for anything crazy patchwork quilt, watch out, Holly Hobby. Two color ways, Waverly Cozy Quilt fabric.

For those of you who want retro country, I always like my tight plaids — with roosters, too, go for it! Farmhouse Friends has 2 colorways remaining.

Toile du jouy meets Chinoiserie, two colorways.

I’m pegging this at late 1980s early 1990s style, kind of hand in hand with Provence style. Piastrelle has three color ways — including the yellow and gray that’s super popular for a heartbeat 2012.

Rue de Ribbon in three colorways is really basically “sweet”, but it also has a kind of mod David Hicks look especially when it includes the black.

Just about any “novelty” print would make for great curtains in a bedroom or kitchen, or trimmed out to 72″ wide for a shower curtain. About Face, two color ways.