Description
6½″ Upholstery Skirt & Valance Stiffener
Livedale 6½″ Skirt and Valance Stiffener is designed to add body and support to deeper furniture skirts, valances, pleated sections and suitable decorative soft-furnishing applications.
At 6½ inches wide, it provides greater supported depth than the 4″ and 5″ versions and is particularly useful for larger sofas, armchairs, beds and deeper furniture valances.
Available:
- Per metre
- 50 metre roll
Typical applications include:
- Sofa skirts
- Armchair valances
- Bed and divan valances
- Footstool skirts
- Deep box pleats
- Kick pleats
- Upholstered furniture borders
- Decorative fabric pelmets
- Larger furniture skirts
- Furniture-manufacturing applications
Browse the complete Skirt & Valance Stiffener range for 4″, 5″, 6½″ and 12″ widths.
Why Use Skirt & Valance Stiffener?
Upholstery fabrics often need additional support when used to create furniture skirts and valances.
Without sufficient body, a deeper fabric section may:
- Sag
- Curl
- Collapse around pleats
- Hang unevenly
- Show excessive movement
- Lose the intended tailored shape
Valance stiffener provides support within the fabric construction and helps the completed skirt maintain a cleaner, more controlled appearance.
It can help:
- Support longer fabric drops
- Improve the shape of box pleats
- Maintain straighter lower edges
- Reduce excessive floppiness
- Create a more tailored furniture finish
- Improve consistency across matching furniture
- Support decorative pelmet sections
The stiffener supports the fabric but does not replace accurate cutting, sewing and final fitting.
Why Choose the 6½″ Width?
The 6½″ version is particularly useful where a 4″ or 5″ stiffener does not provide sufficient supported depth.
It is well suited to:
- Larger sofa skirts
- Armchairs
- Deeper footstool valances
- Upholstered benches
- Bed and divan valances
- More substantial box pleats
- Decorative furniture borders
- Medium-to-deep fabric pelmets
It provides a useful step between the 5″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener and the much wider 12″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener.
Choosing the Correct Width
Livedale supplies four useful skirt and valance stiffener widths.
Choose 4″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener for:
- Shallow furniture skirts
- Smaller chairs
- Compact decorative sections
- Short pleats
Choose 5″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener for:
- Medium-depth chair skirts
- Sofa valances
- Footstools
- General furniture-skirt work
Choose 6½″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener for:
- Deeper sofa and chair skirts
- Larger furniture
- Bed and divan valances
- More substantial pleats
Choose 12″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener for:
- Very deep furniture skirts
- Deep bed valances
- Large fabric pelmets
- Applications where a custom width needs to be cut down
Select the width according to the complete construction rather than simply the visible finished skirt depth.
Measure the Complete Valance Construction
The visible finished drop is only one measurement.
Allowance may also be required for:
- Upper seam
- Lower hem
- Fabric returns
- Pleat folds
- Attachment method
- Turnings
- Stiffener position
- Decorative construction
A finished skirt that appears to require approximately 6″ of support may need the 6½″ product once the surrounding construction is taken into account.
Use Measuring & Marking Tools and Rulers & Tape Measures to establish the required dimensions before cutting.
For repeat production, record the dimensions and material usage once the first finished item has been approved.
Cutting the Stiffener
Use sharp Upholstery Shears & Snips to cut the stiffener cleanly.
A typical preparation process is:
- Measure the required length.
- Confirm the required supported depth.
- Mark the material accurately.
- Keep the stiffener flat and untwisted.
- Cut squarely across the material.
- Test the first section in the intended construction.
- Repeat accurately for additional pieces.
Clean, consistent cutting helps prevent irregular support beneath the finished upholstery fabric.
Cutting the Upholstery Fabric
The covering fabric should be prepared at the same time as the stiffener so both parts work together correctly.
Allow for:
- Finished drop
- Upper seam allowance
- Lower hem
- Side seams
- Pleat depth
- Returns
- Pattern repeat
- Pattern matching
- Corner construction
Browse Upholstery Shears & Snips for professional fabric-cutting equipment.
Where a stripe or strong pattern is being used, plan the complete furniture skirt before cutting individual panels.
Using Spray Adhesive for Temporary Positioning
When constructing deeper valances, several layers may need to remain aligned while the work is moved, sewn or attached to the furniture.
A light application of a suitable upholstery adhesive can sometimes help keep compatible layers positioned during this stage.
Livedale Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive can be used with suitable upholstery materials where temporary positioning or general assembly assistance is required.
This can be useful when:
- Aligning stiffener inside a fabric panel
- Positioning lining materials
- Preparing long valance sections before sewing
- Holding suitable layers temporarily while checking alignment
Always:
- Test the adhesive on the actual materials first
- Check compatibility
- Avoid saturating the stiffener or fabric
- Prevent adhesive reaching the visible face
- Use only the quantity required
- Follow the adhesive instructions
- Maintain suitable ventilation
Adhesive should generally be treated as an assembly aid for this application rather than a replacement for the specified stitched or mechanical fixing.
Browse Adhesives, Aerosols & Cleaners for other professional workroom adhesive products.
Avoid Adhesive Bleed-Through
Extra care is required when using spray adhesive with:
- Light-coloured upholstery fabrics
- Thin fabrics
- Open-weave materials
- Delicate coverings
Excessive adhesive can potentially create visible marks, hardened areas or uneven patches.
Always make a test piece using the actual stiffener, fabric and adhesive combination before starting the finished job.
Sewing Valance Stiffener
Depending on the furniture construction, the stiffener may be enclosed between fabric layers or incorporated behind the visible upholstery material.
Use suitable Upholstery Sewing Threads & Barbobs for the finished seam construction.
Consider:
- Fabric thickness
- Number of layers
- Stiffener position
- Needle size
- Thread
- Stitch length
- Seam allowance
Keep the stiffener straight and correctly positioned while sewing.
Avoid stretching one fabric layer more than another because this can cause distortion or rippling when the valance is allowed to hang naturally.
Use with Somabond Upholstery Thread
Somabond 40’s Bonded Nylon Sewing Thread is a professional upholstery thread suitable for many furniture-manufacturing and soft-furnishing applications.
It can be used for suitable:
- Furniture-skirt seams
- Valance construction
- Box pleats
- Upper attachment seams
- Decorative fabric sections
Choose the thread colour according to the covering fabric and whether the stitch line will remain visible.
Deeper Box Pleats
The 6½″ stiffener is particularly useful where a deeper structured pleat needs additional support.
A box pleat contains substantially more material than its visible finished width.
The construction may include:
- Visible front face
- Internal folds
- Returns
- Seam allowances
- Stiffener
- Hem
Build one complete test pleat before cutting all the materials for a large sofa or matching furniture suite.
This allows the stiffener depth, fold positions and finished appearance to be checked before production continues.
Avoid Excessive Bulk in Pleats
Stiffener should support the pleat without making the construction unnecessarily thick.
Avoid excessive overlap where several sections meet.
Too much material inside a fold can create:
- Bulges
- Raised lines
- Poor fold definition
- Uneven hanging
- Difficulty sewing through the layers
Position joins and edges carefully so that the finished pleat remains controlled and symmetrical.
Sofa & Armchair Skirts
The 6½″ width is particularly relevant to traditional sofa and armchair skirts where a deeper drop is required.
It can help provide a more structured appearance around:
- Sofa fronts
- Sofa sides
- Armchairs
- Wing chairs
- Upholstered benches
- Larger footstools
Check the furniture on a level surface before establishing the final skirt length.
Maintain a consistent gap from the floor around the complete furniture perimeter.
Bed & Divan Valances
6½″ stiffener can also be used in suitable bed and divan valance constructions.
Consider:
- Bed dimensions
- Finished valance drop
- Leg height
- Castor position
- Floor clearance
- Corner construction
- Whether the valance is fixed or removable
- Pleat design
Where the required supported depth exceeds the 6½″ material, move up to the 12″ Valance / Skirt Stiffener rather than leaving a large section unsupported.
Furniture Feet & Castor Clearance
Furniture skirts need sufficient clearance from the floor.
Before completing the valance, check:
- Furniture leg height
- Castor diameter
- Carpet pile
- Hard flooring
- Furniture movement
- Finished hem depth
A valance that sits too low can drag along the floor or become trapped beneath a castor when the furniture is moved.
Where furniture feet or castors are also being replaced, browse Furniture Feet & Castors.
Fixed Furniture Valances
Where the completed valance is permanently attached to suitable timber furniture, upholstery staples may form part of the final fixing method.
Browse Upholstery Staple Guns & Tackers and compatible Upholstery Staples.
Select the fixing according to:
- Staple-gun model
- Staple series
- Number of material layers
- Timber depth
- Required penetration
- Furniture construction
Keep the upper edge level throughout the fitting process and avoid crushing or damaging the stiffener with excessive fixing pressure.
Removable Valances with Hook & Loop Tape
Some furniture designs use a removable valance instead of permanent frame fixing.
Hook & Loop Tape can provide a practical reusable attachment system for suitable constructions.
A removable valance may be useful where:
- Periodic access is required
- The skirt may need replacing
- The furniture design requires detachable sections
- Appropriate cleaning of the complete valance is required
Sew-on hook-and-loop tape can be incorporated directly into the valance construction.
Position the fastening accurately so that the skirt remains level around the furniture once installed.
Decorative Pelmets
The 6½″ stiffener can also provide body to suitable medium-depth fabric pelmets.
Consider:
- Finished depth
- Overall length
- Side returns
- Corner arrangement
- Fabric pattern
- Mounting method
- Seam allowance
The stiffener provides support within the fabric construction but is not intended to replace a rigid structural pelmet board where one is required.
Joining Long Lengths
Large sofas, beds and long decorative runs may require more than one piece of stiffener.
Where joining is necessary:
- Cut both ends square
- Keep both pieces at the same height
- Avoid excessive overlap
- Position the joint discreetly
- Keep the joint enclosed inside the fabric construction
A large overlap can produce a visible ridge beneath the covering fabric.
A large unsupported gap can produce a softer section in the finished valance.
Where practical, position the joint inside a pleat or less visible section of the furniture.
Per Metre or 50 Metre Roll?
Choose per metre for:
- One-off furniture repairs
- Individual sofa or chair projects
- Small quantities
- Testing a valance construction
- Occasional upholstery work
Choose the 50 metre roll for:
- Upholstery workshops
- Furniture manufacturers
- Bed and divan manufacturers
- Regular valance production
- Repeat furniture ranges
- Soft-furnishing businesses
The full roll provides useful workshop stock where valance stiffener is used regularly.
Complete Skirt & Valance Workroom Setup
A deeper furniture-skirt or valance project may also require:
- Upholstery Vinyl & Fabric for the finished covering
- Sewing Threads & Barbobs for professional machine sewing
- Upholstery Shears & Snips for cutting fabric and stiffening material
- Measuring & Marking Tools for skirt depths, pleats and cutting lines
- Livedale Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive for suitable temporary positioning of compatible materials
- Adhesives, Aerosols & Cleaners for additional workroom adhesives
- Hook & Loop Tape for suitable removable valance systems
- Upholstery Staple Guns & Tackers for appropriate fixed furniture applications
- Upholstery Staples for compatible frame fixing
Browse the complete Skirt & Valance Stiffener range or return to Workroom Supplies for professional upholstery and furniture-manufacturing sundries.
Width: 6½″. Available per metre or in a 50 metre roll.
