Tutorial~ Covering A Chair Cushion Part 1

I'm going to attempt to help any of you with moderate sewing skills make a boxed and corded cover for a seat cushion. Please ask as many questions you need to. I will be here to answer ALL of them. Some of the pics seem to be out of order because I added some and had after thoughts. I think you can make it work with these directions.

~ABOVE~ This is how you will measure the width of your cushion so you can cut the boxing strips. Most will be 3,4, 5 or 6 inches. (most new sofas cushions) I measure just between the cording. If your's has none, measure the exact thickness of the foam. You will cut an extra 1/2 inch seam allowence to the width. Add 1 inch to the length you cut, this will be the 1/2 inch on each end when you sew all of the pieces together.

Make the pattern like this. I feel the edges with my fingers as I'm marking. My markings are down in the gully of the cording around the cushion. If no cording, mark exactly the edges of the foam. Be sure when you cut your pieces you add your 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around. Cut 2 of these pieces of your fabric. 1 for the top and 1 for the bottom.

Here's a side view of the cushion I'm covering. Notice how I cut the boxing in separate pieces. It's so much easier this way. I'll say this again as you read down. You have the long piece across the front. The 2 short pieces along the sides. And the zipper piece in the back.

This is a "T" cushion. Usually you cut your boxing just at the bend of the "T". (like pic above) That way you have one length across the front...just going around into the curve of the T~1 length for the zipper ~ and 2 shorter pieces along the sides connecting all of them together. If your cushion has no "T", make seams at the 2 front corners and wrap the zipper in the back. You will have very short pieces down the sides between the zipper and the front corners.

Here's a pic of the wrap around zipper.

OK, getting started. I'll take care of a few steps first. Here's a pic of the boxing that has to be cut. ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU NEED ANY EXTRA HELP. YOU CAN DO THIS!

When you make the zipper boxing add a 1 inch (instead of the 1/2 inch) seam allowance to the width because you have to turn under 1/4 inch to attach the zipper to it. I'll detail this a little farther down. In other words, make this piece wider than all of the other boxing pieces.

When you measure your length of boxing, look at the piece you're covering. With a tape measurer, find the exact length of each piece and add 1 inch seam allowance to the length of each piece. You will be sewing them all together later. So you will need that little extra added length for the seams.

This part will come later. Another Oops

Note~ Sometimes I use an old sheet to make my patterns.

Measure the zipper on the cushion and purchase one the same size. They usually wrap around about 3 inches or so. Have your's do the same thing. Make the zipper boxing the same length as the zipper. But remember to add the extra 1/2 inch width. Cut this piece down the middle of the length of the boxing piece. Turn under about 1/4 inch all the way down, iron.

The 2 long strips will lay on the zipper like this.

Pin all the way down. It WILL shift while you're sewing if you don't.Attach the zipper foot to the machine. Be sure the open side is closest to the zipper, so you can sew close to it. Sew down both sides. Take the pins out as you sew along.

Sew all the way from end to end.

These next 2 pics go together. Here is the back. Attach this little piece to cover the zipper latch. Sew from the back so you can see that you don't hit the zipper. At this point you may need to cut the little excess off the end of the zipper to fit it into your seam allowance.

I used a different (thinner) fabric for this piece because my fabric is soooo thick!

Now here's how to make cording. I just cut across the width of the folded fabric. I cut a few strips and sew them together. Then I attach them to the cording. See below.

I cut mine about 2 inches wide.

Lay the cording on the strip, and use the zipper foot again for this too. It lets you sew really close to the cording

And that's all there is it making custom cording!

When you have to add more length to the fabric, just put right sides together like the pic. Sew together, open the seam, and keep going (see below).

Now these next pics should be in part 2. Oops. Well you can see how to put the cover on the cushion. And then see the finished results at the end.

Part 2 will be putting the whole thing together!

You have to fold the other "T" over and shove it all the way in. Put the other part in it's 'T' section. Then pull the rest of the cover down and zip it up. You can smoothe it all around so it's not tweaked.

Here's the cushion on the chair.

Part 2 is coming right behind this post.

Good luck! I know you can do It!!!!!!!

Kelly
By the way~~ Today I'm tagging my friends blog. http://jessicasinteriorsetc.blogspot.com/

Go by and check out her awsome Holiday Placemat Idea. I love this!! She's such a tatlented artist and interior designer. I can get lost looking through her blog. Stop by and tell her what you think.

Slipcovers I'm Working On/don't throw it away, slipcover it!

I met this very sweet girl/ lady who said she always wanted white slipcovers. Her husband wanted a natural color... So they asked me to make a set of each. She said she would use the white for company, and the natural for everyday kids and family use. You can see the rest, and the before when you scroll down.

Now this is a $35.oo thrift store find I'm going to cover in something really cool. Don't overlook these things in the thrift stores. They have so much character!

So far I've just spray painted it ivory. The best is yet to come. :)

OK, Here's the before of the chairs I'm covering. They are big and so comfortable!

Here is one of the white ones. There are 2 chairs, and one ottoman. (which I didn't get a pic of) I did a pleated skirt on the white one (so cute) and a plain skirt on the natural one.

This is the natural cover. It's so soft and cozy.

This is another pic of the natural cover. I will cover their couch in one of each too. It's on the way over. I'll show them when I finish.

Here's an ugly pink $15.oo wingback chair I found at a thrift store. I love the big wings on it.

This is a nice thick fabric with a weave to it. If you click on the picture you can see the detail.

I'm this far on it so far. I may do a short pleated skirt on it too.

I'm gonna put buttons down the back, instead of a zipper down the side. I don't even have a place for this chair, but I hate to get rid of it. I'm really, really loving the way it's turning out.

I'll update all of these when I'm finished.

Thanks for stopping by to look!

Kelly

Mirrors Over The Nightstands

Perasonally, I love this look. Our local thrift store has these things come in in droves. Sometimes they are so ugly in their original state. Some are plastic, most are covered in dust.
But, look at the lines. Picture them painted ivory, bright white, black, or maybe silver leafed.
Pastel pink or hot pink would be adorable in a little girls room. Tirquoise or aqua would look amazing too. How about bright, sunny, high gloss yellow. Spray paint comes in so many colors these days. Brushing on a custom paint color is easy to do too. Once I painted them white, then silver leafed the raised "carved" areas. It was so pretty.
However you do it, PRIME first for best results.
I usually find them for about $15.00 to $25.00 for a pair. They come off of old dressers, I think.
I have so much fun fixing these up.

I Succumed To Wallpaper...And I'm Glad I Did!

The chair is a thrift store find I got for $7.00. I painted it and recovred the seat. I may change the Koi fabric. Still pondering that one. I've had the table for a while. I put left over tile from the kitchen on the top.

The wallpaper is in the foyer only. This is just a sample of it so far. I'll show the rest as soon as I finish.
The plan was to go bold and graphic, but I chickened out at the last minute and did this very mellow print. I still love it. CLICK the picture to see the detail.
It's white pearlized Dahlia flowers on a cream background with beige vines and leaves.

Master Bathroom Remodel On A Budget

Welcome to Met Monday. You can see more makeovers at...

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

AFTER...

Total cost of the makeover was about $6,000. Most of this was the labor and materials to demo and repair the damage to the large shower and subfloor.

This is our master bathroom. The reason the blue tiles are everywhere is because I just wanted to band-aid over the ugly tiles without having to demo them. These are the very thin glass tiles. They covered over everything very easily. We would have done more, but we barely moved in and found...(the running theme of this house) the shower leaking, a small amount of black mold and water damage to the subfloor. It all sort of caught us by suprise.

I got the floors at Home Depot. They are a floating wood look vinyl. They actually stick to themselves... not the floor. They have texture and grain to them. I put them right over the pink marble.

BEFORE...

THE THRONE!! Yes we really did have to "sit" up on on the throne. The bidet was put in so wrong, there was no saving it. The floor is pink marble.

Here's another BEFORE shot. We just put the blue glass tiles all over this counter top.

We would have done a seamless glass shower, but the glass block price was $2,000 less.

The sconces are the same as our chandelier over the kitchen table. We reused the same sinks and faucets. I did all of the "raised panel moulding" on the soffet and around the tub.

$7.50 Chair Makeover

Welcome to Met Monday~~ Be sure to go look for a list of more makeovers at...
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/


BEFORE...

I got this chair and another one at my favorite thrift store for $15.00 for both.

When I took off the fabric... this is what I found. I thought I could save it but then I saw this side. Oh well.

AFTER...

I painted it ivory and covered it with a $4.00 per yard, pale blue linen fabric.

This is how it turned out. I covered it to sell, but I liked it so much I thought I would keep it for my bedroom. You can click on the picture to see the detail in the fabric. It's so pretty.

I would say it cost me just under $30.00 for the whole makeover!

Thanks for looking. I have another chair makeover a few posts down. You can read about it too.

I'm Burning Up The Sewing Machine Today!

Here's a quick chair makeover.
I made these today after I finished the chair.
You can see I covered the seats in vinyl for when kids are eating. But I made these covers to sit on them every day.
I put directions up if you want to try these. You can make them for each season and holiday too. Kids would love that.

I had a small amount of the yellow, (picked out by my 6 year old granddaughter) and I've had the white matelasse for years. I always wanted to use it, but never had a reason.

I cut the yellow to fit the drop of the seat.

For my type of chairs, I just turned under the back side and sewed a small hem. (no strip along the back.)

Then squared off the corners with a corner dart.

Then I cut 10 inch wide strips of the white and folded them in half.

I held the strips up to each side of the yellow cover for the correct measurement, and cut the strips to length. Adding a seam allowance.

With right sides together, I sewed up the ends of the strips to finish them off, and turned them back to the right side out.

Then again with right sides together, I attached the strips between each of the corners... just touching eachother.

Mine are just layed over the chairs. No ties or anything.

It was quick and easy.