What is a Railroaded Fabric?

Railroaded fabrics are simply fabrics whose designs run "sideways" on the roll. The process was developed to aid furniture manufacturers wishing to cut and sew covers on furniture without seams. Since most fabrics woven are approximately 54" wide, any furniture piece wider than 54" would require seaming two pieces of fabric together. Railroading solves this dilemma, now a cushion piece can be covered without seams no matter what the width. Railroaded fabric is very desirable by designers since they can be more creative.