Do you really need a CFA?

CFA or Cutting for Approval, do you really need one?Yes, it does take time but in the long run it saves time and money. If the dye lot comes in different from the swatch or memo then that fabric can't be used. And never cut into a bolt of fabric until the CFA is approved because if you do, and it's wrong, then you just bought yourself some fabric. So if you or the designer thinks that CFAs are a waste of time, think again.Choosing the right fabric for a job is both a fun and a serious search. We all love sifting through sample books and memos to find just the right fabric, color and texture. Getting the color right is just as important as selecting the correct type of fabric.

Our assignment was to find a light gray linen blend. Not to green, not too pink, slightly on the blue side and blends with the wall color - you get the picture. We must have gone through about 50 swatches of gray linen before we found just the right one. And then -eureka! Found it!For this master bedroom we needed 63 yards for 5 windows. Yardage was checked at the warehouse. They had 2 bolts of 11 yards and 53 yards. Now, those 2 bolts could be the same dye lot or not. So we asked for a CFA from both bolts. And wouldn't you know it, the dye lots didn't match. Not even close.

We requested a new bolt and the warehouse got a whole new bolt from the mill. It took an extra week but it was worth it. All of the yardage came in on one bolt and it was the perfect color. Continuous yardage is always preferred for each room over several bolts.So requesting that CFA only took an extra week and we got all of the yardage on one bolt. Definitely worth getting the CFA and the wait!