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Southwestern Upholstery Fabrics

high quality faux leather, woven and Vinyl

More Details On Each Southwestern Fabrics Item Below

Southwestern Fabrics Home   Fabric Index   Fabric Closeouts   Faux Leather 

Cimarron
Tan vinyl fabric
waterproof vinyl fabric

Nutmeg
leatherette
waterproof vinyl fabric

Rawhide
leather
Southwestern distressed

Palomino Brown
Brown Cow Fabric
soft faux hide - Hot ! 

Rodeo
Rodeo cowboys and horses fabric
cowboys /  horses - western

Palomino Black
Palomino black cow and horse fabric
soft faux hide fabric - Hot  

Moss
ostrich
waterproof faux leather 
Emu
Emu
grained faux leather 
Sedona Southwestern
Sedona Southwestern Fabric
woven jacquard
  

Buckskin
Buckskin Fabric

distressed faux leather

Salsa
Salsa Southwestern Fabric
Salsa Chili Pepper / Tex-Mex

Cabin
Cabin Rustic Fabric 
rustic lodge fabric

     
Jade Levante
print
waterproof faux leather 
  Hunter
Hunter Grace Fabric
waterproof faux leather
 Abobe
Adobe Southwestern Fabric
Southwestern Native Fabric

Four Corners monument Southwestern landscape scene

Fabrics with the West in their Soul

The Southwest immediately conjures up images of cactus, desert dust, magnificent sunrises, and imaginative rock art by God. The Indian tribes that were native to that area, Navajo, Apache, Zuni, Pueblo and Hopi, were deeply connected to their spiritual beliefs and the earth itself and it manifested in their colorful and creative designs on pottery, baskets, jewelry and cloth. Many of their patterns used were symbols and signs of dreams and visions and these are the patterns that we treasure so highly today. These fabrics, even the reproductions, have become scarce in recent years and it is a great sadness that the textile industry cares so little for the very heart of the American West that it fails to keep these fabrics alive. But the spirit of the Hunter remains and we search for signs of a design that has its memory in the dusty ghosts of the American Indian tribes in the fabrics of the Southwest.

Many of their patterns used were symbols and signs of dreams and visions and these are the patterns that we treasure so highly today. These fabrics, even the reproductions, have become scarce in recent years and it is a great sadness that the textile industry cares so little for the very heart of the American West that it fails to keep these fabrics alive. But the spirit of the Hunter remains and we search for signs of a design that has its memory in the dusty ghosts of the American Indian tribes in the fabrics of the Southwest.

Southwestern plains indian artifacts of colorful leather clothing

Another part of this story is the animals. It is easy to forget that the Buffalo truly was the most revered animal on the plains as it was essential for survival for the American Indian tribes. Thousands upon thousands of these animals formed massive herds that could shake the ground when they moved.

Herd of buffalo on a grassy Southwestern plain
Herd of Buffalo

For the European settlers that moved into these Western states, it became all about cattle. With the ability to use very large tracts of land and the building of the railroad, huge cattle ranches were established and provided food for the new civilization that was springing up in the land. The American cowboy with his rugged lifestyle was born and made his living for two hundred years, even continuing today in the Western states.

Southwestern cattle drive with cowboys on horseback

Horses, such an integral part of both cultures, were greatly revered by the Indians and quietly loved by their European counterparts as they were not only transportation but sometimes a lonely cowboy’s only companion. A surprising fact about horses is that they originated in North America, the true natives from the prehistoric era, and moved on over the Bering Strait into

 iVintage horses drawing on Western grass plain

Eurasia to be tamed first in Asia, then Europe. The group remaining died out, or was wiped out as man moved from Eurasia through the Bering strait and down into the present United States.

The Spanish are credited with re-introducing horses into the environment, a biological reunion of a species and its roots. They adapted quickly and soon herds of horses roamed wild throughout the West.

Herd of wild horses on the Southwestern grass plain

Early European ranchers are remembered for raising cattle but they also created huge horse ranches as well. When the horses escaped and turned feral living in the countryside, the term “wild Mustang” became popular in describing these runaways.

These memories are captured in the rugged fabrics of the West and Southwest cloth and we continue today to outfit our homes with their influences.

Southwestern home decor with wood walls and leather furniture

Now a more practical application than original hides or skins is the modern use of vinyl or polyurethane reproductions of the original leathers. These reflect the colors of the West and the memories of those who lived there, both European immigrants and American Indian descendants. We can now capture the flavor of the Southwest to add a lot, or a little, to any room.

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