Calia Italia sofas: cutting and sewing

11 February 2021

The cutting and sewing phase is one of the most intricate parts during the process of making a sofa. The cutting of the fabrics is fully automated to ensure maximum precision and to fully optimise the yield, while at the same time minimising waste. When cutting the leather covers, on the other hand, this requires the attention and care that only human hands can ensure. These cut and shaped parts therefore are assembled thanks to a very detailed technical scheme.

Manual cutting is the first truly delicate operation in the production process of a sofa. Initially, the ‘non-compliant’ areas on the fabric or leather are selected and marked during the positioning of the templates (patterns that act as a guide during the cutting phase).

The success of this operation depends on the skill of the craftsmen who express all their mastery in forming the ‘puzzle’ that will be used to make the cut, whilst using as much surface of leather or fabric as possible. This process is called ‘nesting'.

The next step consists of sewing the covering. This is done by using special machines that can perform special stitching such as embroidery seams, or with thicker threads. The control of the sewing is visual and is done by a specialised operator who verifies that it has been carried out respecting the technical schemes.

Manual skill, experience and tailoring ability are all examples of how the importance of the human contribution in this phase is fundamental. After all, it is only the craftsmen, the repositories of know-how that is handed down through generations, who can give the upholstery of a Calia Italia sofa its perfect design.

Find out more about how a Calia Italia sofa is created!