Do it yourself sewing: How to make a sofa slip cover

How to make a fitted sofa slip cover at home

I love the slip cover. Whole rooms can be changed, if not at the drop of a hat, at least with some skill and a little work. I learned this method in England and found it to be straightforward and the result a perfect fit.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
Before starting…I recommend that you read, and satisfy yourself that you understand, all the directions before beginning.

Before cutting…All pieces require at least a couple of inches more than the widest measurements of your sofa. The slip cover is pinned and cut while it is on the sofa and you’ll want some fabric to play with.

You’ll Need…Fabric – non-shrink, or pre-shrunk. There’s nothing worse than having your creation unusable after the first wash. It should be of a weight that will sit well, but not so heavy that it’s difficult to work with. Plain colors are okay for experienced seamstresses, patterns best for those not so confident that their seams will be dead straight.

Piping – as much as you will need to pipe the seams that you want piped.

Bias Binding – optional.

Fringe – optional.

Velcro – enough for the back opening of each cushion.

*PIPING: You can insert piping into any seams you want; I like to put it along the seam at the top of the back, around the front of the arms, and, of course, around the cushions, top and bottom.

You can cut strips of self-fabric from off cuts – cut on the bias, sew strips together and press seams open before inserting piping cord. Fold over piping cord and sew close to cord but not tight. When sewing into seams, sew on the inside of the line of stitching holding the cord in.

Alternatively, you can buy sturdy bias binding in a contrasting or matching color and insert the cording into that.

SLIP COVER

To start you need to measure the sofa in question. Write down the measurements as you take them.

- From the floor in the middle front of the sofa, up and across the seat (having removed the cushions) to the back of the seat crevice.

- The next measurement will be from the back-of-the-seat crevice up and over the top of the back to the seam of the sofa upholstery.

- Next from the seam of the sofa upholstery, down the back to the floor.

- You will need to add eight inches to all these measurements, except the outside back, for the surplus fabric that will tuck into the crevice at the back of the seat.

Next the arms. From the seat at the bottom of the inside arm, up over the arm and down to the floor. Again you will add eight inches to be tucked into the side crevices. Measure both arms separately (you never know).

How much fabric you require will, of course, depend on its width, but I found that two widths for the body of the sofa and one width for each arm were sufficient.

One of the two widths for the sofa body and the back drop will need to be cut in half (lengthwise) so that there are two seams a few inches from each end instead of one seam in the middle, a real eyesore.

Cushions are measured separately and can usually be fitted with one width of fabric.

Don’t forget the “odd bits”: the fronts of the arms, the outsides of the cushions. You will have to eyeball roughly how much fabric you will need. In some cases the off cuts of the main parts can be used. It depends on the size of the sofa.

To clarify: when all pieces are cut you should have the following rectangles of fabric.

Front, seat area, inside back: one width, two half widths X the measurement for that part.

Outside back: one width, two half widths X the measurement for that part.

Each arm: one width X the measurement for that part.

Front arms (each): a strip as wide as the widest part X the measurement for that part.

Cushions: two pieces (front and back) per cushion, cut to the measurements of the cushions. A strip cut to size across fabric width and seamed together to make a measured length of strips to go around three sides of the cushions. The strip for the fourth and back side should be one inch wider than the rest of the siding.

Step 1. Take the rectangles for the front, seat, inside back, and sew the half-width pieces to either side of the full width.

Step 2. Do the same thing with the pieces for the back of the sofa.

Step 3. Place the piece for the front, seat, inside back, on the sofa making sure that the center of the full width is in the center of the sofa and the seams are an equal length from each end. There should be sufficient fabric at the bottom front for a two inch hem. Anchor in place to the sofa upholstery with pins along the front of the seat area. Anchor the other end along the line of the sofa upholstery seam at the top of the back, leaving sufficient fabric along the edge for cutting and pinning. Tuck the surplus of fabric at the back-seat-crevice into the crevice, smooth the entire area of fabric over the seat area and down the inside back.

Step 4. Place the pieces for the arms over each arm, leaving sufficient fabric at the bottom for a two-inch hem, and surplus fabric to tuck into the crevices inside the arms. Smooth entire area of fabric over arms.

Step 5. Anchor with pins outside back piece along the sofa upholstery seam leaving sufficient fabric at the bottom for a two-inch seam.

Step 5. Pin all seams together smoothing the fabric to fit the sofa without being too snug.

Step 6. Fit the pieces to the front of the arms, anchor with pins to the sofa and leave enough fabric at the bottom for a two-inch hem. Pin seam around arm-fronts.

When you’re satisfied that the slip cover fits smoothly and hangs correctly, trim the fabric from the seams taking care to leave enough to make a good seam. Pull the surplus fabric gently from the crevices of the sofa, remove the anchor pins and take the cover (carefully) off the sofa.

Now you need to turn the seams so that the pins are on the wrong side of the fabric, making sure that they go in exactly as they were when it was pinned on the right side.

Sew all seams inserting *piping where you require it without removing pins until absolutely necessary.

CUSHIONS:

The cushion covers can be cut to the size of the cushions, leaving a seam allowance.

Sew side strips around all four sides of the top of cushion cover pieces inserting *piping as you sew and, if possible, leaving the front edge of the cushion free of seams, and making sure that the wider strip of back siding is at the back of the cushion.

For the bottom of the cushions, sew sides around bottom cover pieces on three sides only, inserting *piping as you go.

Make a cut across the length of the back siding. Finish sewing bottom siding to cushion cover, inserting *piping.

To either side of the cut in the back edge of the cushion, sew Velcro tape, turning in the raw edge of the fabric.

Finish the edges and seams, if necessary, of the fabric to be tucked into the crevices on the slip cover. Sturdy card or plastic tubes will keep this surplus in place in the sofa when the cover is in use. Trim any seam allowance surplus that seems to require it.

I like to hem (two inches) the bottom of the cover by hand but it’s not absolutely necessary. A fringe can be added if that’s your preference.