One Helluva Slipcover!

I sew.  A lot.  I’m self taught.  I’m pretty good at what I do.  But this was a PROJECT and a half!  I had no idea what I was getting myself into making this thing.  And it’s far from perfect but it’s perfect for me.  I started to do a tutorial but as I went along I realized this is one of those things that is going to be different for each and every piece that comes along.  There are going to be little quirks that only the seamstress will be able to modify and figure out.  So bear with me on this one…. At some point I stopped snapping pictures completely because I was so frustrated and I just had to focus and finish it!
Here was my subject.  A sofa I got from Craig's List for $50 but forgot to break my $20 on the way to pick it up and paid $60, humph!

I bought an 8oz 6x9 drop cloth from Lowes.  Okay I bought two.  I started by laying the drop cloth over the sofa and tucking it into seams and corners to figure out where to start cutting.

Then I cut and laid more pieces and cut some more.  May I add I was completely winging it!  I had no idea if this thing was going to turn out or not but the drop cloths were only $10 each so it was worth a shot.

I started pinning seams while the slipcover was on the sofa so I knew I was getting a nice fit.  Then I started sewing.  With each section I finished I would put it back on the sofa to check the fit.  I think I lost ten lbs. since my craft room is in our finished basement and this sofa is on our main floor lol.  I did a lot of up and down! Note to self * Set up sewing table in the same room as furniture next time!*

The fronts of the arms were a bit of a challenge but turned out better than I expected.  I just cut the shape for the fronts and pinned them to the sides that were already in place.


At this point I was onto the back.  I had to bring the back, the sides of the arms, the top of the arms and front of the back of the sofa all together on the back corners and I had no idea how I was going to do that.  I didn’t take pictures of this part.  To be honest, it’s not pretty!  I just started pinning and sewing and pinning and sewing and it’s now a hot mess of gathers and folds!  But it’s on the back where nobody will ever see it.  I also left the back corner seams open so I could remove it more easily.
Here is the finished slipcover, minus photo’s of the back.  I don’t want to discourage anyone lol.

Oh yes and I made a ruffle for around the bottom.  I would have liked to see the outside of the arms be a little more fitted but overall I’m very pleased it turned out this well for my first attempt!

I’m looking for that perfect coffee table to sit in front of the sofa so I have my purdy bench there for now.  Of course I’m even more pressed to re-cover it now that the bright blue fabric is sitting in my main living area!  Before it was at the foot of my bed so I wasn’t in a hurry to finish it lol.

Anyhow, I hope you got some idea of the process and don’t be afraid to try it.  It’s really only put me out $30 and my time and I’m pretty sure it will hold up for some time.  I won’t be making a business of it quite yet but this is how we learn no??

Don't forget to stop back by starting December 1st for the "Twelve Blogs Of Christmas"!  There will be a fabulous new blogger each day debuting their home holiday decor and on Dec 12th you won't want to miss the "Festival Of Tree's"!!!

~Sommer~

Pillow covers and a Silhouette

I finally put my silhouette to good use.  I got a bunch of decorator pillows from a free cycler and ripped off gently removed the ugly pink covers with bows.  I was so excited to have all these great pillow forms to work with.  The slip covers are super simple and I’ll walk you through that tutorial another time.  For now I’m just showing off my mad skills silhouette designs.
My New Gear ;P

My happy lil pillows… and they are for sale!  The covers only… please feel free to email me for pricing and sizes.





Thanks for looking!  Stay tunes I have so many more coming and holiday ones too!

I'm linking up to:

Ottoman Slip covered

I told you all last week that I went to upholster an ottoman and it didn’t go so well.  That is when I ended up with my beautiful new musical wreath instead.  It would seem we either need a wider crown staple for using drop cloth to upholster with, or we need a tighter weave fabric because the fabric kept popping right off the staples!

You can see my girlfriend decided to make her ottoman out of a square coffee table.  She order high density 2in foam for the top.  But with our little staple problem we brainstormed how else to tackle this table gone ottoman.  Then it came to me… A SLIP COVER!  I swear I could slip cover my life some days lol.
Here is what you’ll need:

• A few yards of fabric (we got drop cloths from the hardware store)
• Scissors
• Existing ottoman or table
• Sewing Machine

First we measured and cut our square.  We had a 38.5x38.5in piece.  Then we wanted the sides 9in total in length but half fitted and the bottom half ruffled.  So we four pieces (one for each side) 38.5in long by 5in wide.  Then we cut another set the same and set those aside (those will be the ruffles.  Now pin the first set of strips onto your square.

Make sure your corners line up.  You will sew the long sides to your square first.  Then you will sew down these corners until you meet the seam from the other direction.  I used a strait stitch for all of these.


Next we sewed French seams since we didn’t have any cording to use.  A French seam is when you sew wrong sides together, then flip and sew again right sides together.  It’s a stronger reinforced seam.  Normally the rim it creates is on the inside of the article but in this case we did it backward so that this would create our trim. 
Here is the first side we sewed.  This will be the inside of the slipcover in the end.

Now flip it over and sew along the same lines you just did on the other side.  And it will look like this…

This is going to be right side out.  Now strait stitch alone one side of those other four strips you cut.  Gather them so they are 38.5in and sew them onto the raw edge you see above.  Here is a tip.  Drop cloths have hemmed edges already!  So I used all the hemmed edges for my ruffle so I wouldn’t have to finish the edges, it was already done for me!
Here is what it looks like with the sides and ruffle attached…

And in place on the table/ottoman =)

I'm linking this post up with: http://sugarbananas.blogspot.com/2010/11/sweets-this-week-link-party.html

Dining Chair Slipcovers

If you have kids you know exactly what I mean when I say a kitchen table and chairs are one of the dirtiest places in the house.  Of course it's also the best because this is where we eat three times a day, play play dough, paint, make sugar cookies, play cards and a about a hundred other things that I enjoy doing with my family. 

So for a while now I've thought about how I can cut down on the cleaning in this space of my home.  It's always filthy.  The table has gunk glued to it, the spindles of the chairs look like something is growing on them and on any given day I can usually sweep up enough crumbs and food off the floor to create another meal entirely!

I don't care for seat cushions but I thought and thought and finally thought up a way to cut down on the grime at the table.  I created slip covers for the chairs that I could just pull off and wash at a moments notice!  This is especially great for the nights we have company.  Or I can leave them off all together but they are so neat I don't think I will =)

I have 6 chairs and the backs measured 16in across by 15 in tall.  So my fabric guidelines will based on this. This was a pretty simple project so I don't have many pictures of the "process" but I'm pretty sure you'll get it.

Here is what you will need:

3 yds fabric
Sewing machine (you may be able to make these with fabric glue but since I'm a sewer I don't know any no-sew methods sorry)
Scissors

Step 1:  When you get your fabric it will be folded in half.  This is how it's wrapped on the bolt.  You will add 1in to each of your measurements for seams.  I made a 3 in ruffle on mine so you will subtract 3in from your length first. Then add 1in for seam allowance.  So 15in-3in+1in= 13in.  Now measure 13in and cut long ways all the way down your fabric.  Set the raw edge piece aside.  You will use this for your ruffles.

Step 2: Take the fabric with the fold and you will make six 17in cuts all the way down your fabric keeping the fold in tact.  To cut down on sewing I am using the fold as the top of the slipcover.  Now you will only need to sew a strait stitch down each side leaving the bottom open. 

Okay hopefully you can see the each side has been stitched up and the top is the folded part.  Now the ruffle.

Step 3: Making the ruffle.  The open part of your slip cover will measure 16in.  But to get the ruffle all the way around you will have to double that for both sides.  So now were at 32in.  You will want your ruffle to be one and a half the length of your opening.  So 32in+16in=48in.  Now that long piece you cut in the beginning from the bottom of your fabric you will need to cut into 6 48in sections that are 4in wide.

Step 4:  Start by folding over one side about 1/4in and press with the iron.  Then fold again another 1/4in and stitch to make a nice finished hem/edge.  Run a strait stitch about 1/4in down one side of your 48in strip.  Only back stitch the start.  At the other end leave a couple inches of thread when you cut it off.  You will pull the back side of the thread to "gather" your ruffle.  You want your finished ruffle to measure 32.5in or so.  Remember to account for seam allowance!  Tie off the unfinished end and now you will stitch the two ends together.  It will look like a ruffle skirt with a big opening.

Step 5: Turn your slipcover right side out and keep your ruffle inside out.  Slip your ruffle over the open end of your slipcover so that both raw edges meet up.  Sew about 1/4in from the edge to attach your ruffle to the bottom.  Flip ruffle right side down and iron flat.  Your done!  That's it.  Now you can embellish or iron on some pretty stuff like I did.  Get out your fabric paint, whatever melts your heart =)