Adventures in Slipcovering - The Finale!

I have finally finished my first slipcover!

Can you believe that is even the same chair? I was sort of shocked when I did the side-by-side comparison!

This has definitely been my biggest project undertaking thus far. Thank goodness for Miss Mustard Seed! I feel forever indebted to her and and her video tutorials!

My Mom and my washable, blue, fabric marker deserve a shout out too - couldn't have completed this project without them either!

My previous slipcover posts were only pictures of my prototype made with canvas drop cloth. So here are a few pictures during the process of making the real deal. * Just a note. Sorry most of the photos aren't that great. I snapped them very quickly as I was working on this project. Since I have a toddler at home I was usually working after bedtime so the lighting was never great.

Here is the beginning. Just laying out the fabric and cutting the pieces.

Here's where the blue fabric marker came in handy. I had a hard time pinning in some areas, especially the little crevices and around curves. For the crevices, I would push each piece of my fabric into the crease and draw a line with the marker. Then I would match up the two pieces and pin along the my blue line. On the cushions I used my marker to mark all the rounded corners because I found it impossible to make a straight pin form a rounded corner. How Miss Mustard Seed does this without a fabric marker I have no idea. She is magical.

See the faint blue lines below? And it washes right out when you wash the slip cover. Or if you dab some water on it.

Here is a close up of the front arm piece. It's the only piece on the body of the chair that I piped. Piping and I have a love-hate relationship. I didn't have to use my seam ripper once during this project until I got to the piping. Ugghhh. I am glad I only piped the arms and the cushions. Any more piping and I would have thrown the whole chair and the slipcover through my dining room window.

Here is the completed body of the slipcover. I was pretty happy with the body. I am so glad I did a prototype first. I really learned a lot and this second time around my seams met much smoother and whole body just looked more neat and clean.

I did not do a prototype for my cushions for several reasons. One - I didn't have enough drop cloth and two - I have sewn pillows and I thought sewing cushion covers would be similar. Well, I guess they would have been without that darn piping! Looking back I wish I would have done a prototype. I think if I had I would have decided to cut the size of my cushions down slightly before making my real slipcover.

Below is a picture with the top cushion. It's just fits a little too tight on the sides. I knew it was a tight fit when I cut the foam, but I thought the covers would pull the foam in a little making a perfect fit. I was wrong. My cushion looks much taller than the old one too. However I swear I traced the old cushion exactly so I don't know how that happened.

Here it is. Finally complete - both cushions piped, skirted hemmed, all done.

This is not a perfect slipcover, by any means. There are a lot of mistakes. A LOT. And if I look at some of the details up close I see all the imperfections. But if I stand back and look at the big picture I am pretty pleased. Especially considering this is my first slipcover and really my first big sewing project. Before this, I was the girl who sewed so infrequently that I had to get my manual out every time I hemmed a pair of pants to remind myself how to thread the machine. :)

The color of the fabric looks more pale in these pictures than it is in true life. At least on my computer.

If you are a first time slipcover maker and you decide to go with a patterned fabric, this is the one to go with. It's very forgiving when it comes to matching. I really didn't match up the pattern on any of my pieces and I don't feel like you can tell.

I am really happy with the back. I love the bows. I decided to go with this option because I thought it would make for a better fit and would be easier to take on and off when I have to wash it. And with a wild toddler in my home I definitely plan on washing it a lot.

The picture below is probably the most accurate, as far as color. Still not perfect, but better than the rest.

And just for fun....the before and after one more time. :)


Next slipcovering project......my couch! Wish me luck!

Linking up with Miss Mustard Seed, of course!!