These days everyone seems to want an ottoman. Something about them says cozy. Right now I have 3 custom ottomans in the line at the upholsterer. All are very large. I am working on one now that is 52" x 40". It will allow everyone in the seating area to put their feet up on it. We're using a saddle colored microfiber for its durability and family-friendly features.
We decided to do some inset stitching to break up the mammoth size of the thing. So the question becomes: where does the stitching go? There's no classical shape to refer to, no cannon, no rule. The only way to figure it out is to draw it up and look at it. So I made a template. The paper kept curling and mugs did the trick to hold it down. Now that's a technical problem solver if ever I have seen one.
When I got to the upholsterer, he had made a template as well. Seeing both was interesting. Everyone has a different eye. I had made my stitching 2" apart and 6" from the edges, while his proportions were a bit different. We ended up re-working the details to be in between both of our ideas.
By the way, I am going to get some of the pattern paper Walter has. You can see below, it's the coolest stuff. It has dots on it as a guide and it did not curl up. Never seen that paper used before and I have been in a lot of work rooms over the years. I love seeing new things.