These are the handwoven Uzbek ikats our upholsterers come back for: silk velvet (bakhmal) at $39–48 a metre, silk-cotton adras at $14.50–17, and cotton. Many of our customers are upholsterers, and over the years they have chosen these cloths for headboards, occasional chairs, ottomans and stools. The section is built from what they buy, and the notes below are honest about where each cloth wears well and where it does not.
Widths are 40–50 cm (16–20 in), much narrower than mill upholstery fabric, so check the width notes before you order. One unit is one metre (1.09 yards), cut to order. Samples of up to three designs are free; you pay only the postage. Orders leave Bukhara within 24 hours by tracked airmail: USA 9–18 working days, Europe 8–16, elsewhere 10–20.
Reach out to our team using the contact form or direct via WhatsApp and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Whether you have a question about custom inquiries, wholesale support or would like to work together, we'll do our best to help you.
We strive to answer all email requests within 24 hours, but we are usually much faster than that.
Subscribe to the Alesouk mailing list to receive updates on new arrivals, special offers and other discount information.
*By completing this form you're signing up to receive our emails and can unsubscribe at any time.
Silk velvet ikat (bakhmal) is most of the section. A silk warp is tie-dyed before weaving, then raised over rods and cut by hand into a pile, 40 cm wide. Most of these velvets have the pile on a cotton ground, which gives the cloth body. A few have an all-silk ground: lighter, and better kept for a headboard or a chair back than a seat.
Velvet is what upholsterers choose for:
Silk-cotton adras and shoyi (50–70% silk, 40–50 cm) are the lighter cloths here. The silk carries the colour and the sheen, and the cotton gives the cloth its body. Our upholsterer customers have used them for years on:
Cotton ikat is the plainest and most forgiving cloth. It is firm, it takes staples and piping, and it washes at 30 °C before it goes on the frame. More cottons, including 65 cm cloths for larger seats, are under Cotton Ikats and Wide Ikats 65 cm.
Handwoven ikat is a decorative furnishing cloth, not a contract fabric. It is not sold with a Martindale or Wyzenbeek rub count. We have not had it tested, so we do not quote one.
What we can describe is how it behaves:
That is the look of an old Bukhara chapan, and some clients want exactly that. If you want the cloth to stay as it is in the photograph, use it where it is looked at more than sat on: headboards, chair backs, occasional chairs.
For any seat in daily use:
For a sofa, the back cushions, arms and scatter cushions are the safe places. For the seat cushions, tell us the piece and we will suggest designs.
Mill upholstery fabric is usually 137–140 cm (54 in) wide. A Margilan handloom weaves 40–50 cm (16–20 in). Allowing for the turn-under, that means:
Anything larger is pieced from strips, as Uzbek robes and hangings have always been. That includes headboards, sofa backs, large ottomans and curtains.
A quick rule: take the metres your upholsterer quotes for a standard 137 cm fabric, multiply by about 2.7 for 50 cm cloth or 3.4 for 40 cm, and add the repeats for the joins. Typical amounts:
| Piece | 50 cm cloth | 40 cm cloth |
|---|---|---|
| Stool top or seat pad, up to 30 cm | 0.4 m | 0.4 m |
| Drop-in seat, up to 40 cm square | 0.5 m per chair | too narrow — choose 50 cm |
| Two 45 cm cushion fronts | 1 m | too narrow — choose 50 cm |
| Double headboard, 150 × 70 cm | about 4–5 m | about 5–6 m |
| Armchair (5–6 m of 137 cm fabric) | about 14–16 m | about 20 m |
| Pair of lined curtains, each 130 × 220 cm | about 15 m | about 20 m |
Large patterns need more than these figures, because the repeat on the classical designs runs up to about 225 cm. Send us the measurements or your upholsterer's cutting list, and we will confirm the metres before you pay.
Silk-cotton adras makes a lustrous curtain that catches the light, and cotton hangs straight and washes; both take a lining. Velvet makes a heavy, warm curtain for a door or a draughty window.
For a full window the 40–50 cm widths mean several seams. The 65 cm cottons, woven wide for curtain makers, need fewer: two strips seamed at the repeat make a 130 cm curtain.
For lining, pattern placement and making up, see our ikat curtain guide.
Order samples before you buy metres for furniture. A 20–25 cm piece shows the weight, the hand, the true colour and, on velvet, the way the pile catches the light — none of which a photograph shows properly. It also lets your upholsterer see how the cloth pulls over a frame.
Silk velvet:
Silk-cotton adras:
Cotton:
More in how to wash ikat fabric.
If you are new to ikat, start at Ikat Fabrics. Our handwoven versus printed ikat guide shows how to tell the real cloth from a print. For more cloths of each kind, see Silk Velvet Ikats, Silk Ikats and Wide Ikats 50 cm.
Yes, for the right piece. Silk velvet and silk-cotton adras ikat are what upholsterers have chosen from us for years, for headboards, occasional chairs, stools and chair backs. For seats in daily use, choose cotton or a cotton-ground velvet and have it backed.
Yes, where it is not sat on hard every day. Silk-cotton adras suits headboards, panels, chair backs and occasional chairs. On a daily seat the silk polishes and softens with wear.
The back, arms and cushions, yes. For the seat cushions of a sofa used every day, choose a dense cotton or cotton-ground velvet and have it backed. Handwoven ikat is a decorative cloth and is not sold with a rub-test rating.
The cloths in this Alesouk section are 40–50 cm (16–20 in) wide — handloom widths, so large pieces are seamed. Mill upholstery fabric is usually 137–140 cm, and our widest cotton ikat is 65 cm.
Handwoven in Margilan, Uzbekistan, on wooden handlooms, from warps tie-dyed before weaving. The pattern is in the thread, not printed on it. Nothing in this section is printed or power-loomed.
We sell by the metre, and one metre is 1.09 yards. Order one metre for each yard on your list, then adjust for the narrower width as shown above, because yardages are usually quoted for 54-inch fabric.
Yes. Up to three designs are free, a 20–25 cm piece of each, and you pay only the postage. Extra swatches are $3 each.
Yes — minimums, lengths and trade terms are under wholesale ikat fabrics. Trade buyers can open an account through our wholesale programme, or write to us with the designs and metres.
Yes, worldwide by tracked airmail from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, within 24 hours of the order: USA 9–18 working days, UK and Europe 8–16, elsewhere 10–20. Duties, where charged, are the buyer's.
