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It seems to just be a matter of wear. It's 100% fine to use any fabric, but some will stretch and shrink more, and some will tear/stain more easily.

Here's an overview of different kinds of fabric and their benefits/drawbacks: http://www.homeinstitute.com/introduction-to-upholstery-fabric.htm

Some fabrics pill easily -- beware. Cotton denim and other heavier fabrics seem to work well, though.

I would suggest first trying slipcovers in a fashion fabric. It'd be less of a commitment, and you could take it off your furniture to wash or dry clean as much as you want.

I'm a clothing designer, and work with all kinds of fabric. Looking at the fiber content, it seems the fabric you're looking at might have some shrinkage or pilling issues. I would buy a small amount (maybe 1/2 yard), measure it flat, wash and dry it (or clean it how you'd normally clean your upholstery), and then measure it again to see if it's shrunk. You'd also be able to see how the fabric holds up in the wash, if it pills, fades, or the color bleeds.

Personally, I'd make myself a skirt from the fabric, wear it often for a few weeks, and see what it looks like. Then you'd know for sure!

Good luck!

I have found that the heavier the weight of the fabric, the more forgiving it is. With your light fabric you are more likely to see it pulled where the tacks or staples have been put in. It could even tear when someone sits on it. Hence the reason upholstery weight fabric is called "upholstery weight".

It's not so much the composition of the fabric that's the issue - it's the weave and tightness of the yarn twist. Loose weaves will not wear well - and even some tight weaves could pill upon use because of loosely twisted yarns.

I'd recommend staying away from fashion fabrics in general with the exception of Woolen Men's Suiting Fabrics for upholstering furniture.

I'd get a sample of the fabric, and take it to an upholsterer. They should be able to give you an answer.

Haha nice feedback. :)

I am really tempted to try some of the fashion fabrics I have found.

Any ideas on the optimum weight to start with?

Also keep in mind that some fabric created for interior design are made to resist fading from sunlight, and they're treated for staining more than your average apparel fabric. And I agree with the above comments- start with something tightly woven and heavier than your average clothing-weight fabric. Go to a fabric store and feel some of the fabrics in the home decorating department and compare them to the fabric you're looking at. If there is a big difference in weight (does it feel durable?) I wouldn't use it. I'd hate to go to all that work and expense of covering a sofa just to have the fabric shrink, warp, pill, or wear funny!. Keep in mind that apparel fabric is usually just fine for pillows and other accent pieces that don't get a lot of heavy daily use.

Fabrics used for upholstery are generally tested using the Wysenbeek test, which tests fabric abrasion durability. As you can imagine, apparel fabrics are given no such test. If you find an apparel fabric you can't live with out use it as drapery, throw pillows or some other application where durability is needed. I recently used some of the scarves I inherited from my grandmother to make pillows, they turned out wonderfully!

I would laminate it to some heavy duty woven interfacing