So, recently I found a blog called Miss Mustard Seed. I am sure many of you know of her, especially if you are a DIY Decorator. I recently discovered her six part video series on making your own Slipcovers. Let me just say, after watching these videos, I was inspired.
In our sitting room we have three comfy old chairs. None of them match, and they were all picked up at yard sales, estate sales or auctions for next to nothing. I don’t mind a second hand piece as long as it is clean, free of odors and bugs and critters and is comfortable and functional.
This is Keith’s chair. It is comfy, but not our style. I had previously covered it with a Surefit Slipcover, but you can see in the first picture how that turned out. Oh, it was super nice looking for about a day. If you actually use the furniture the slipcover then becomes an eyesore. And needless to say, we use this chair.
For years I have wanted canvas slipcovers on all of the chairs so that I could make them match. And I wanted white or cream so that I could wash them as I needed since we have cats and we often eat in the sitting room so we have food issues.
Well, after watching the videos and learning how to use drop cloths to make them (drop cloths are canvas, you know) I was ready to tackle one of the chairs this weekend. I figured I would start with Keith’s. And I would cover his little footstool, too.
Here you can see one of my helpers (Dixie) by the footstool, which by the way is a victim of a previous attempt at covering an old split and cracked vinyl piece with fabric using a staple gun. I had already ripped off the skirt, all that was left was the top and trim. I salvaged the trim and realized I could use it to make the piping for the footstool since it was already the correct size. Yay!
Oh, did I tell you the last time I had my sewing machine out was over two years ago? I made a quilt square in a quilting class. Well, lets say I started a quilt square. It s still a work in progress. Anyway, I don’t have a fancy new machine. In fact, I have the only one I have ever owned, purchased from the JCPenny Catalog when Keith & I got married back in 1985. This little puppy still keeps me in stitches, oh forgive me, but I am sure you saw that one coming.
Anyway, I had made a slipcover before for a chair and it was fussy. It had a zipper, a lined, ruffled skirt and the piping was sewn as you went to avoid duplicate sewing. I still have that chair in our guest room and it has held up well. It has a pretty floral decorator fabric, but it was not something I really wanted to do again. So, back to MMS (Miss Mustard Seed’s) videos.
I liked how simple she made it look. Don’t get me wrong, slipcovers are not for the faint of heart. They are tough. There is not a pre made pattern. You have to make it as you go. I liked how she didn’t use zippers, how she pre made her piping and that she showed you how to go through the basic steps. And, I could watch it over to see it again if I needed to.
Stormie & Pixie Supervise
So, I started on Saturday and ended on Sunday. I had already pre washed and shrunk the drop cloths. I used one 9 by 12 and about half of a 6 by 9 for the chair and footstool. I also used about 13 yards of cording (that includes the cording I salvaged). I didn’t make super ruffled skirts, so you will need more drop cloth if you go that route.
Dixie helps, too!
And I had lots of help. I probably could have done the chair in a day if I had worked straight through but I would stop and do other things which may have made it less stressful, having the ability to walk away and come back refreshed after a break.
Pixie is pooped from all he hard work!
I think overall the process went a whole lot better than I anticipated. I knew it would be hard work, but I am happy with the results. Not perfect at all but so much better than the Surefit cover. Here is the hot off the machine finished work. Not sure how that one section of skirt got so wrinkled, will need to fluff and steam those out. A few puckers here and there, but it looks fine to me, especially for my first try and first major sewing project in years.
One down, two more to go! If I do one a month, maybe I won’t get tired of making them and I will get them all finished. Wish me luck.
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