I used to do slipcovers all the time. I had a nice little word-of-mouth business going for myself. Now, I sew full time for a big company (nothing to do with home decor or clothing at all whatsoever) and I sew a lot less in my "spare" time. I miss using the tiny bit of creativity that I have. Slipcovers, in spite of what they seem to be, do not involve too much creativity. It's all measurement, symmetry, angles and fit.
Here are a few of my favorite slipcovers.
I patterned these on site in the customer's home and stopped by for one fit check. (I actually did two identical couches) It has no zipper- it slips on and since it gets tucked into the sides, the fit depends on the tucking so a zipper in not necessary and it could add visible asymmetry. This is a stretch white puckered fabric. Fabulous- but it would last about a week in my home before I lost my mind trying to keep the white white...
This one was a dumpster dive ottoman that I covered to match a comfortable over-sized chair. Before and after are night and day!
And here's the oversized chair. Sadly, I only have one "progress" photo of it. This could not be fitted inside out as the chair is so well used that it lost it's symmetry big time. I agreed to do these in a heavy tapestry for the customer. Yes, I charged an inconvenience fee. :)
And here are a pair of barrel chairs. I took one to my work room and hoped like hell that the other was structurally identical. The customer later told me that the chairs were stored on their sides for awhile. You can see the fit on the back of one is a tad loose. When I pointed it out to the customer she had no idea what I was talking about but this haunted me for a few days after delivery. I'm over it now, in case you are wondering...
I only have a little experience with barrel chairs. The fit was a challenge. Just like fitting a persons body (no angles or edges) you want it to really fit, but not be too tight. All you need is one big person to sit on the thing and if it's too snug, RRRRRRIIIIIPPPPP!!!! That would be very awkward. Here's a photo of my attempt at fitting the back and placing the zipper as per the customer's request.
Lastly, much like the shoemaker's kids have no shoes, I have one slipcover in my home. Even though I purchased a used sofa solely based on it's shape and size, (like I choose my men, ha... just kidding) it is still living in my living room in an ugly multi colored floral jacquard. This slipcovered chair is in the corner of my bedroom. I love it's feminine curves, don't you?
More to come- and I do sew more than just furniture costumes. Thanks for looking!
