Almost all patterned fabrics are designed to be used “up the bolt,” meaning that the fabric is to be applied exactly as it is manufactured on the bolt because the pattern’s design runs from side to side across the fabric’s width as it is unrolled. If the “canvas” accepting the fabric is wider than the fabric’s width, then seams will be required to keep the pattern’s design running in the intended direction. If, however, seams are not acceptable and the fabric’s pattern won’t be badly compromised by doing so, the fabric can be railroaded — i.e., applied perpendicularly from the way it appears on the roll.