Chair covers are required in two cases. Firstly, if the furniture is expensive and you want to keep it safe and sound for as long as possible, and secondly, if the furniture is old, the seats are frayed and you want to put it in order so that the chairs look decent, but you don’t have to buy new ones. How to sew a chair cover with your own hands? In fact, everything is simple. Of course, it all depends on the skills of the master and his capabilities. However, even a simple seamstress can sew even a simple style. The main thing in the work is to make the correct measurements and accurately cut the fabric.
The sewing options are different, because the covers are whole and separate, short and long, with folds and frills, with a variety of fasteners and decorative elements. There are everyday, for example, kitchen covers, and there are festive ones designed to decorate the wedding hall.
The article will discuss how to sew a cover on a chair with your own hands, what is needed for this, what fabric is better to use for sewing this product, so that it retains its appearance for a long time. Consider the proposed samples and their production step by step. A novice master should be able to make measurements correctly, because then you will not have to redraw or suture the product in place repeatedly.
How to take measurements?
The pattern of the chair cover consists of several components. First you need to take measurements of the back of the chair. The front measures the distance from the highest point to the seat and the width between the edges. The back measures the length from the top to the estimated length of the cape. If it is long (as in the photo in the article below), then the length to the floor is measured. If the chair cover is sewn one-piece with your own hands, then you need to take into account the width of the back of the chair. It can be cut out separately or added to the width of the backrest on one side and the other.
The seat is measured on all four sides, as more often the chair does not have the shape of a square. If the seat is removed, then it can be removed and circled along the contours, using as a template. If the seat has a rounded or unusual shape, then you can do the opposite. You need to take a sheet of whatman paper or newspaper, put it on the table and put the inverted chair on paper. Then circle the contours of an unusual seat.
Recent measurements relate to the hanging part of the fabric. Here you need to think about what length and shape of the product you choose. If the chair cover is sewn in a classic style with your own hands, then you need to measure the distance from the seat to the floor from all sides. If shorter covers are expected, then it is necessary to measure with a flexible meter how many centimeters they will hang from the seat.
You also need to consider the issue of decorating the product, how the covers will be worn, how to fasten, etc. If a frill is planned around the bottom of the chair, then you need to add fabrics to the folds.
Drawing a pattern
The diagram below gives an approximate appearance of the pattern of the cover on the chair. This is a fully cut option. Let us consider closer all the parameters of this drawing, indicated by the letters of the alphabet:
- a) the width of the back of the chair;
- b) the height of the back, measured in front of the furniture;
- c) the height of the back, which is measured at the back;
- d) the width of the chair seat;
- d) the length of the seat;
- e) the length of the short frill around the seat (borders are indicated by a dashed line);
- h) the length of the long frill to the floor.
If the back of the chair is closed with fabric to the floor, then the length from the seat to the floor is added to the upper point of the pattern. If the back of the cover will be without fasteners or ties, and put on by pulling, then you need to add the width of the back of the chair to the pattern. Adds her measurements only on one part left and right.
However, separate covers are often sewn: separately for the back and for the seat. Then you will need to perform two drawings, dividing this pattern into parts.
Covers for round chairs with their own hands are sewn according to the following pattern: the details of the back remain the same, and the lower part of the chair is done differently. The seat is a circle circled along the contours of the seat, and the bottom frill is represented by a rectangle, the length of which is equal to the circumference of the seat, and the width is the length of the frill (can be short or reach the floor).
Fabric selection
The fabric for the cover should be dense, preferably natural and not wrinkled much. It is preferable to choose linen, cotton, satin, gabardine, jacquard, bamboo. However, some prefer flock. It stretches well and is easy to wear. You can use satin, silk, but it’s harder to work with.
How to sew a chair cover
When the drawing is completed, and all dimensions are taken into account in accordance with the style of covers, you need to transfer them to the fabric. To do this, use a long wooden meter and chalk. When cutting, do not forget to leave 1.5 cm on each side of the seams.
Before you sew the cover on the chair completely, you need to fasten the parts with pins and try on the product on the chair. Suddenly he has bumps? But the cover should fit the product tightly. The fabric is adjusted in place. After fitting, you can stitch all the seams, iron and try on a chair again. Only after all these manipulations can we start stitching the parts already on the sewing machine.
Custom covers
The shape of the chairs can be very different, so the patterns can also vary significantly from each other. There are backs curved with a rounded upper bar. The legs can stand upright, but often have a back arch. All these nuances must be taken into account when drawing and cutting fabric. In addition, you can independently plan a non-standard pattern, which will have uneven lower edges, for example, as in the photo below.
The pattern for such a cover is made up of three parts. The first is a rectangle, the dimensions of which include measurements of the length from the front edge of the seat to the end of the cover, plus the length of the seat, the height of the backrest in the front and the height of the cover behind the chair. The second part is a thin strip having the width and height of the back of the chair. The last pattern is drawn for the sides of the cover. It can be an even rectangle or in the shape of a trapezoid, that is, as in this photo. After measuring and drawing up the pattern, do not forget to leave a couple of cm at the seams at all edges.
Chair covers for the kitchen
With your own hands you can create a cozy atmosphere in the kitchen. This is the place where the hostess spends most of the time, where you can gather with friends for an evening tea party. At the kitchen table, all family members meet after a working day. Of course, I want her to be comfortable. Harmonies in the interior will help to achieve beautiful covers for chairs, combined with curtains and tablecloths.
Consider the sample in the photo above. Such covers have a separate structure. On the seat is a simple square of cotton fabric with a short frill on three sides. Running the back is even easier, as it is represented by a simple circle with a frill around the perimeter, which folds in half on the back and is tied to the strings on the back of the chair. The rim is made in small folds, more like light pinches. Thanks to the light and warm tones of the material, the kitchen turns out to be pleasant, has a good energy of warmth and home comfort. In this room I want to be more often.
Seat decoration
If you have new chairs in the kitchen with beautiful wooden backs, then it makes no sense to hide them under the fabric. You can only sew the covers on the chair seat with your own hands on a seamless pattern. In shape, it resembles a cross, the central part of which corresponds to the size of the seat, and the remaining parts are the sides of the cover. The details are sewn on the front and notches remain on the back, which are fastened on a beautiful strap on a button or two.
The lower edge can be decorated with a cant or small frill, gathered with folds (as in the photo above). When sewing such a cover, the chair upholstery will remain for a long time, and the beauty of the furniture will not be hidden from the eyes of others.
Cover for a teenager
You can sew a chair cover into a teenager’s room from old jeans. Usually strong fabric does not withstand only in the area of friction between the legs. There may appear holes and jeans can no longer be worn. However, the legs are in excellent condition and fabric can be sewn cover on a chair made of jeans. With their own hands, the fabric is cut along the seam and laid out on the table. If the width of the material is not enough, then you can sew both strips of trouser legs together.
With a lack of fabric, you can always combine it with another, preferably also natural and dense fabric.
Conclusion
The article describes in detail how to sew a cover on a chair, how to make a pattern, it is described how the details of a pattern can be sewn together. As you already understood, there can be a huge number of styles. It all depends on the choice and form of furniture. Also, tailoring depends on the general interior of the room, because covers should be in harmony with other pieces of furniture, curtains or wallpaper. Before sewing, you need to calculate all the little things so as not to be disappointed after the labors. Good luck