Slip Covered Chair from
Waverly Fabrics
Red and white toile fabric with bold solid
accents are the perfect combination of crisp tailoring and undeniable comfort
for a three piece slip cover. The chair back simply slips into place and
features a removable pleated peplum. The seat cover has an all-in-one skirt and
is held in place with fabric tabs adjusted with hook and loop tape.
Tips & Creative
Alternatives:
- To ensure perfect coordination, consider
covering your own buttons using scraps of the solid color trim and a covered
button kit.
- For additional comfort, add a light weight
quilt batting to the wrong side of the decorator fabric during the assembly
process.
- If your chair does not have a space between
the chair back and seat, eliminate the fourth drop on the seat cover and
attach the cover with long tabs from side skirt to side skirt.
- Before you shop, measure your chair, draw the
pattern pieces and determine the amount of fabric needed following Cutting
Instructions: steps 1 through 5. On printed fabrics, allow enough extra
fabric to position a dominant motif in the center of the chair seat and
back.
Materials Needed:
- 54 wide print decorator fabric
- 54 wide decorator drapery lining
- 54 wide solid decorator fabric, 1/2 yard
- 10 buttons, 1 1/4 diameter
- hook & loop fastener tape, 1 yard
- matching all purpose thread
Tools:
- sewing machine & thread
- iron and ironing board
- straight pins & scissors
- yardstick & tape measure
- pencil & tracing paper
How to make a Slip
Covered Chair
Cutting Instructions
1. Measure Chair
Chair Seat:
Using a tape measure, measure
the width and depth of the seat. If the seat edges are shaped rather than
straight, trace the curves by placing tracing paper on the seat. Mark with four
dots, the location of the front and back legs - this is the outside corner of
the front legs and the inside corner of the back legs. Note: The four corners of
the traced seat and the four corners (dots) of the legs may not be in the same
location as seen in our pattern. Also determine how long you would like the
skirt to drop down the sides of the chair - ours measures approximately 5.
Chair Back:
Measure the width of the chair back. To accommodate for the thickness of the
wood, wrap the tape measure around the side edges of the wood on each side to
about half the wood thickness. If the chair back measures wider at some
locations than others, use the widest measurement. Measure the height of the
chair back from the seat to the top edge. To accommodate for the thickness of
the wood, wrap the tape measure around the top edge of the wood at its
highest point to about half the wood thickness.
2. Draw Chair Seat Pattern
To ensure the two halves of the seat cover will
be symmetrical, fold the tracing in half lengthwise and mark one permanent line
(perhaps falling between the two traced pencil lines) to indicate the edges of
the seat. Unfold the tracing. With a small ruler, measuring from the permanent
line, add the skirt drop measurement (approx. 5) on all four edges between
the leg markings taking care to follow the curves of the seat if necessary. Then
add 1/2 seam allowance to all edges of the pattern.
3. Draw Chair Back Pattern
Using the width and height measurements of the
chair back, draw a rectangular paper pattern. Add 3/4 to the top and side
edges of the pattern. This includes your 1/2 seam allowance and 1/4 design
ease ( making the cover easy to slip on and off the chair). Slightly round off
the two top corners of the pattern. Add 1/2 to the lower edge.
4. Draw Peplum Pattern
(optional)
The peplum pattern height is 11 1/2. The
pattern width should equal the chair back width measurement plus 6. Cut a
rectangular paper pattern from these measurements.
Note: These measurements will give you a finished peplum length of 8 as
photographed.
5. Cut Fabric from Patterns
Cut one chair seat pattern from decorator and
lining fabric. Cut two chair back patterns each from decorator and lining
fabric. Cut one peplum pattern from decorator fabric. Cut two attachment tabs, 3
1/2 X 6 from decorator fabric. Cut six pieces of trim from solid contrast
fabric, measuring 2 1/2 wide X width of fabric.
Note: Cut all pattern pieces following outside
lines. Position all length measurements parallel to lengthwise grain ( selvage
edge) of fabric. If fabric is printed, position the dominant motif, stripe or
plaid in center of seat and chair backs.
Assembly Instructions
Construct all seams following 1/2 seam
allowance.
1. Contrast Trim
Cut a length of contrast trim to equal one long
edge of one skirt flap. With right sides of fabric facing, fold trim in half
lengthwise and stitch each short end. Turn trim piece to right side and press
flat. With long cut edges even, center trim on edge of flap and pin to right
side of fabric. Baste trim to seat cover following 1/4 from edge. Repeat with
three more trims for remaining 3 flaps.
2. Seat Cover
With right sides of fabric and lining facing and
trim in between, pin and stitch all edges of seat cover leaving a six inch
opening along one straight edge to turn. Clip corners off seam allowances on
outside corners and clip seam allowances up to stitching at inside corners. On
curved sections, clip every inch up to stitching if necessary. Turn cover to
right side and press edges flat. Hand stitch opening closed.
3. Attachment Tabs
With right sides facing, pin one tab in half
lengthwise and stitch together long edges. Press seam open, then turn to right
side and press flat. Repeat for remaining tab. Position seat cover on chair. At
one back corner of the seat cover, pin each end of one tab to two adjacent
flaps, positioning it underneath the chair seat and/or behind the leg. Allow
about 1 1/2 of the tab to come behind the side of each flap, hidden
underneath. Mark the flaps and the desired length of the tab. Cut the tab ends
to the desired length and clean finish with a zig zag or overlock stitch.
Cut two lengths of hook and loop tape, each 1
1/2 long. Following all edges of the tape, stitch the tape to each end of the
tab and to the underside of the flaps at markings.
Repeat with remaining tab in remaining back corner of the seat cover.
Using a needle and thread, invisibly hand stitch
the flaps together at each front corner of the skirt.
4. Back Cover
Cut two lengths of contrast trim to equal lower
edge of chair back pattern. With right sides facing, stitch together short ends
of two trim pieces creating a continuous circle. With wrong sides together, fold
and press the trim in half lengthwise. Set aside. With right sides of decorator
fabric facing, pin and stitch together sides and top edges of chair back. Press
seams open and turn assembly to right side. With cut edges even, pin trim to
lower edge of chair back on right side of fabric. Baste trim to back cover
following 1/4 from edge. With right sides of lining fabric facing, pin and
stitch together sides and top edges of chair back. Press seams open but do not
turn to right side. Slip lining assembly over decorator assembly (right sides
facing) and pin together at lower edge with trim in between. Stitch together
assemblies at lower edge leaving a 10 opening to turn. Turn assembly to right
side. Hand stitch opening closed.
5. Peplum
With wrong sides facing, turn up and press a 2
hem along long lower edge of peplum. Open out fold and insert cut edge into the
crease and press a 1 double hem. Top stitch hem in place along inside fold.
Repeat for short side edges of peplum. Clean finish long upper edge of peplum
with a zig zag or overlock stitch.
Measure the length of the peplum and divide by 3.
Using 2 pins, mark the top edge of the peplum into thirds. To either side of
each marking , fold a pleat approximately 1 1/2 wide. Try to keep the two
front sections and the three back sections of the box pleat equal in size. Press
pleats and stitch along top edge. Cut a piece of hook and loop tape to fit along
top edge and stitch tape to peplum along all edges. Stitch the opposite half of
the tape to the inside of the chair back along lower back edge.
Stitch buttons to seat cover at corners of flaps
and to back of chair back.
Copyrite F. Schumacher & Co. 1994-2002. All
rights reserved
