Textile Testing: Seam Slippage

Seam slippage commonly occurs when the yarns are pulled or separated along a seam. It doesn’t necessarily result in the breaking of yarns but generally leaves an unattractive gap along the seam.

Poor fabric construction or faulty yarn may cause seam slippage. Frequently, the reason is that the upholstery manufacturer lacked seam allowances, lacked stitches in the seams, or was unable to overlock raw edges during the upholstery process.

Seam slippage is common in areas where weight and pressure are applied. Seams, such as those in the seat cushion and armrest area, which come under a lot of pressure or are subjected to heavy loads are more likely to slip.

Firstly, we guarantee that the upholstery fabric with this label is not of lesser quality and will still be suitable as per the usage specifications. However, we recommend strengthening the seam to support that particular textile.

“Reinforce upholstery seams” means securing the seam by sewing a strip of tape along the seam to avoid fraying in load-bearing areas, such as the corner back cushions. Always overlock loose woven fabric and seated cushion seams.

It is challenging to remedy seam slippage once it has begun. If the issue is due to poor manufacturing, it will generally need to be professionally reupholstered. If the issue is due to the fabric being unfit for purpose, we recommended choosing a different type of fabric that is compatible with the frame design.

The seam slippage test assesses how resilient the fabric is to yarns slipping or opening along the seams. Two fabric swatches are sewn together with a standardised seam then pulled apart with an equal and opposite force. While being pulled on opposite sides, every seam is then measured. Following the Australian standard, seam opening should not exceed 6mm when maximum force is applied. The lower the result, the smaller the opening, which means that the fabric is more resilient to seam slippage.