How to Sew a Replacement Slipcover

{note to friends and family...scroll to the bottom for gratuitous Elsie B pics}

Happy Friday to y'all!  As a stay-home mom, the weekends don't seem too different than the weekdays, but today is particularly exciting because it's....date night!  We're going out to eat and to hear a friend's band.  Should be fun!  Plus, I make an exception to my "hot tea instead of wine" resolution on the weekends.  That's definitely something to look forward to!

So, recently I found myself making a replacement slipcover, and I thought I'd share the process for anyone else who may be interested in doing the same.  Basically I disassembled the old slipcover to use as a pattern for the new.  This is a great project for someone who has experience sewing simple projects like pillows or table runners, but who wants to move up and try something a little more challenging.   The most important steps are in the planning.  Even though this slipcover is for a tiny little chair, you could certainly apply these principles to any size slipcover.  Here's a glimpse at the final product.

We were gifted with this cute little hand-me-down toddler chair,

 complete with a  handle and a pocket for books.

It's a Pottery Barn "My First Anywhere Chair," and is a soft, lightweight, comfy spot for little bums to rest.

source

It was embroidered with the previous owner's name, so I thought about creating some sort of patch to cover that, but soon realized I could whip up a whole new slipcover.  I dug through my fabric box, and found a big enough piece for this project, a contrast piece for welting and a stash of extra unfinished welting.   That means $0 spent!  I love this kind of project!

You could use this method to make a replacement slipcover for anything.  We're just going to use the old slipcover as a pattern.  We will be sacrificing the old slipcover, so be prepared to never use it again.

I started by labeling all of the pieces with a black permanent marker.  Just use whatever terms that will help you remember where the piece goes. 

Then I realized I needed to be even more thorough.  I'm so glad I thought to do this, because it was a crucial step, and is what made this project really easy in the end.  Label each intersection of fabric pieces with a separate number, and mark it on each corner of the intersection.  Start at any intersection, and begin with number 1, then keep marking until each intersection is labeled.  Here is the number 2 intersection.

Here's the 23 intersection. 

It was helpful that these numbers were in red ink...it stood out later.  There were almost 30 intersections on this chair.  Also mark any button holes or zippers.

Now, take lots of photos of your project from many different angles.  Make sure you can read your markings in the photos.  You may find yourself referencing these later.   

Next you want to use a seam ripper to disassemble the pieces.  Do so carefully, so you don't accidentally tear the fabric.  I didn't pay much attention to the welting while I seam-ripped, and it ended up staying attached to a fabric piece.  It would be a good idea to number the welting at the intersections, as well, in case yours comes away from the fabric.

Here are all of my pieces.

Now, iron your old pieces, so they're completely flat when you use them to trace the shape onto your new fabric.  You can simply arrange your pieces on the new fabric.  You'll want to pay attention to any stripes or patterns and think about how that will affect the look of the finished slipcover.  My new fabric was a narrow stripe, so I made sure my pieces were arranged so all of the stripes were vertical.
Once the pieces were cut, I used a tiny black marker to transpose the numbers at each corner to the new fabric.  I kept the old piece stacked on the new one until I sewed, just to keep everything very organized and labeled.

The back piece included a pocket and a handle.  I recreated both and sewed it all together.

On Wednesday I shared my quick 'n easy method for making bias strips for welting.  You could follow that tutorial, or buy pre-made cording, or skip the welting detail altogether.  For those pieces with welting, I sewed a strip of welting to my new piece, just as it was sewn to the old.  I made sure to leave an extra inch on each end, to make sure there would be enough during the reassembly.   See how the bottom edge of that Seat piece below had a strip of welting?

 I just sewed my new welting onto that same edge of the new matching piece. 

The front of the arms had welting, and were quite curved.  To help make that sharp turn, make little cuts along the raw edges.

Once all of the pieces had been cut and any welting or details had been added, I began to match the numbered intersections together.  I started with the middle section.  Here are three pieces sewn together.  You can see that extra welting hanging off the edges below.

Remember to sew right sides together, and just match your numbers up!

Those curves on the arms were tricky to sew to the adjacent pieces, so I pinned them.

 Just keep sewing away until all of your pieces are in place!  I neglected to take any photos of the zipper in this project.  Many slipcovers don't have zippers, so you most likely won't need that visual anyway.  I re-used the zipper that was on the old slipcover, which was that seafoam green color.  But, it's on the bottom and won't be seen.

Now that the slipcover was finished, I put it on the chair.  I knew I wanted to personalize it for this little peanut below.  She can barely see over the window sill when on her tippy toes.  Isn't she precious, or is it just my biased opinion? 

  I had these acrylic paints on hand.  They are fine for fabric projects like this, but I wouldn't use them on apparel.  They are pretty stiff when dry, and could crack if the fabric bends much or is washed often.  But, I knew this would stay fairly flat.

I wanted the letters to be pink, to add a feminine touch.  I didn't have pink paint, but I had white and red.  Here's a little color mixing tip for you...always start with the lighter color.  Then add drops of the darker color to get your desired hue.  It's much easier to slowly go darker than it is to try to go lighter.

I measured the center of the back of the slipcover and used pins as a visual guide.  I started with the middle letter and worked my way out.

Not perfectly centered, but close.  I later went in and added shadows to the letters in a color similar to that of the welting.  The pink seemed a bit out of place, and I thought it needed something to bring it all together.
Here's the finished product!

Not too shabby for a freebie, huh?  I love that it's personalized and unique.  I know that Aria loved this chair and used it often, and I hope Elsie will do the same over the next couple of years.

notice the perpetually curled toes

showing off her "how big is elsie?" move

Linking to Serenity Now and Living Savvy. 

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