Sensational Selvage Slip Cover for Sewing Chair!

Yes, I do have to say it - the slipcover I made for my sewing chair really is sensational!

Thanks to my friend Candy I took a day and just did some sewing for me!  (Though I think she was encouraging me to work on my Dear Jane quilt - oh, well!)  I walked into my sewing room and said to myself  "What would I like to work on today?"  My eyes landed right on my sad looking, torn rolling chair and I knew it was time to make that slipcover for it.

I upended a container of selvages looking for enough long ones and pulled out a nice selection of strips.  Then I had to dig through my closet to find the heavy weight muslin I had left from another project.  Once I found that I measured the seat and cut out a square of fabric that was about 10 inches longer and wider than the top of the seat and started covering it with selvages.  When I was finished I decided that it would be easiest to complete if I lined it with another fabric.  I had some nice white denim in my tote bag bin, so decided to use that.  First I rounded the corners of the pieced selvage section.  Then I laid this right sides together with the denim and cut it out to match.  

I sewed them together with a 1/3 inch seam allowance, leaving a gap for turning.  I turned it right side out, then sewed a seam 1/2 inch from the edge to make a casing for the elastic.  For my elastic I used a nice round elastic that I had removed from the bottom hem of one of my husbands coats (he dislikes those and I get to cut it out and use it for my creations!!)  After feeding the elastic through the casing, I used one of the cordlocks from the coat to hold the ends so I can adjust it - double bonus!  I also stitched up most of the opening from turning it, just leaving a small area for the elastic to come out and go through the cordlock.  I added a scrap of fabric to fasten the ends of the elastic together so they can't accidentally get pulled back through the casing.  I should have rounded the front corners just a bit more, they are a little bulky, but it's not a big enough problem that I'm worried about it.

I did the top section the same way, but made a pattern to cut out the cover instead of just eyeballing it.  I traced around the top cushion, then added 4 inches all the way around.  After cutting out my top and backing I put it together the same way I put the bottom together, and it fits perfectly!  I'm really glad I took the extra care and time to make a pattern for this and make it look nice - especially because the back of the seat is visible.  I'm so pleased with this project!

Hope your Saturday was good and you took a little time to do something to please yourself!