I’m In Love

allie • Apr 04, 2011

Remember my “free” chair I snagged at a city wide garage sale?? If not, here is  a reminder…

In all her glory. It’s kinda hard to tell but she’s a buttercream with country blue stripes…and a little dirty!

So I had been thinking lately that I really wanted to change the color scheme of this room.  The red was great for a time but after four years of staring at it, I was ready to move on.  I know, Ryan was thrilled:)  So, this chair was kind of holding me back, but yet I needed it for seating.  So while I was visiting another blog I love at The Nesting Place I saw that she had a slipcover party and slipcovered her chair in white.  It looked amazing.  I found out that a girl had written, The Lazy Girls Guide to Slipcovering (seriously, can it get any more perfect??) and decided to give it a whirl.  I will explain a little of how I did it but if you decide you want to try it yourself you might want to download her e-book here.  I think it cost $10.  Well worth it!!

So, the first step was to buy my fabric.  I bought the white duck cloth at jo-anns.  It was $10/yard but with my 50% discount I got it for $5/yard.  I started with 4 yards, cause that’s all they had…and this is how far it got me.

This is inside out, with the pieces sewn together. Here’s a closer look.

I started with just laying the fabric on the chair, and cutting my back piece and the seat back. Then pinned them together. I then proceeded to the arms, seat, and arm front.  After pinning them I basted them (loosely stiched them) so they would hold up after I took the slip off to sew it. Again, explained much better in the e-book

The back

Then I started working on the skirt and cushions of the chair.  I did a pleated knife skirt, you can you tube it to see how to make that.  I didn’t take pictures during this process but I do have a picture of my finished product.  Another sidenote, I put piping in that I had to make with cord and fabric, sounds intimidating but actually super easy!  I also must say that if you are a perfectionist (which we know I am not) or a great sewer, you may be disappointed with this e-book.  I on the other hand, who had two years of sewing in high-school and that’s about it…was ecstatic.  You don’t need to worry about cutting on the bias, ironing, sewing perfectly.  It’s great.  My mom was having a mild heart attack reading it.  She told me she wouldn’t be able to be around for this project, it went against everything she believed in:)  She might change her mind after she sees the chair!

Ta-Da…there she is in all her glory!

Not perfect, but great for me…a non-sewer. It ended up costing about $45 dollars in fabric, but the pleated skirt took a lot! If you did a flat skirt it wouldn’t take as much.

So if you have a chair or couch that has been bugging you like crazy, or run across one at a garage sale for cheap, think about slipping it.  The possibilities are endless!!

You may have also noticed that the pillows and curtains are different.  The transformation from bold to soft has begun.  I am only half-way done..and it is bugging me like crazy…but it’s a start.  When it is finished I will blog on the before and after:)

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