Time to re-cover my Ironing Board

If you sew a great deal you probably go through ironing board covers on a regular basis - I know I do!  I've given up on the boring silver ones and started using my own fabric and making them.  It's really not to hard, and this time I tried a different technique and am really happy with the results!

In order to cover your ironing board you will need two pieces of fabric large enough to cover the entire surface of your ironing board plus three inches all around.  You will also need about 3 yards of good sturdy elastic.  I have used 1/2 inch elastic in mine and have been able to reuse it several times.  Two layers of cotton batting the same size as your fabric.  Sewing machine, thread and an hour or so of your time.  Not bad!

If your old cover isn't in too bad of shape you can use it for a template, or just lay your ironing board upside down on the fabric on the floor to draw around it.  Then layer your two pieces of batting, back and front of your cover (right sides together):

Cut all layers out on your line.  Pin in several places all around and starting at the wide end, stitch a 1/2 inch seam, leaving a 4 or 5 inch gap for turning:

Trim away the extra batting in the seam to make more room for the elastic:

Then turn right side out and press around the edges.  Don't worry about the gap, we'll take care of that in a little bit!

Now sew all the way around the cover 1/2 inch from the finished edge.  This will be your casing for the elastic, so don't leave any gap in this stitching.  

Now comes the worst part part - pulling the elastic through the casing!  I used my drawstring threader to get this job done, you just have to be patient and work it all the way around that long casing.  Make sure you don't pull the end through - then you end up starting all over again.  (I stitch the elastic end that goes through the loop so it won't slip out of the loop as you pull it through...)

When you get the elastic pulled through, your cover will look like this mess - I sewed my ends together at this step because I was reusing the elastic from the previous cover and new it was the right size.  If you are making a new cover you won't be able to sew the elastic until you fit the cover on your board and pull up the elastic so it is tight.  So, here is where you would do that step if you need to.  Put your cove on your board and smooth and pull it into place, then tighten the elastic until it keeps the cover snug.  Pin it together, over lap about 1 inch and trim off the excess.  

Sew your elastic ends together, then trim off the extra batting in the opening and turn the edges in and top stitch.  It doesn't have to be pretty - it will be under your ironing board and no one will see it (wink, wink)

Now, put your new cover on your ironing board and enjoy!  Theoretically you can wash it, but I never do.  It is also reversible, so when one side is trashed you can use the other!  Double duty!

Check it out!  This one is made out of home dec fabric, so I hope it will last a bit longer.  In any case, it will make me very happy for however long it lasts.  Then I can make another one.   I've had a lovely day in my sewing room, doing some cleaning up and making it a happy place -  hope your day was lovely, too!

How to Slipcover Your Office Chair

Like many things we own, often our sewing or office chair will start to look really bad, but still be quite functional.  Most chairs are actually fairly simple to make a basic slipcover for - just a seat and a back.  Even if your chair has arms you will probably be able to make a seat cover with an elastic band that will keep it firmly in place.  I created my covers with selvage strips sewn on to a heavy muslin backing, but you could certainly do this with any fabric yardage you have and not have to sew strips together!

For each cover you will need fabric yardage for the top and lining large enough to cover your chair seat or back plus an additional 10 - 12 inches width and length. (I chose a white cotton denim fabric for my lining because it would be sturdy).  Thread, elastic cording, newsprint or other large paper for making a pattern.

Place a sheet of newspaper over the pad on your chair that you want to cover.  Use a pencil or pen to trace the outline of the edge of the seat.  Fold your pattern in half to make sure it is fairly symmetrical and make any corrections needed.  Next, measure the height of your seat pad and decide how far you want the cover to go under the pad.  (My seat is about 2 inches thick and I wanted my pad to come in about 1 1/2 inches)  Add these figures together and add another 1/2 inch for your seam.  (For mine - 4 inches)  Trace around your original pattern, adding this extra amount all around.  Remember to take into account that your elastic band will have to draw all of this fabric in around the bottom of your pad - that is why I only made a small overlap for my seatback, otherwise it would have been very bulky because of the denim backing.

Use the newspaper pattern to cut out your top and lining pieces.

Take these to your sewing machine and sew them right sides together with a 1/2 inch seam all the way around, leaving a 4-6 inch gap at the center of the back edge for turning.  Trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch and turn right side out.  Press edges

Sew a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around your cover to create a casing for your elastic band.  Stitch all but 1 inch of the opening you left for turning as well.

Now you can thread your elastic through the casing.  I like elastic cording because it tends to keep its stretch well for this type of application, plus you can use a cord lock to make it more adjustable.  I had salvaged the cording and elastic from the bottom edge of a jacket and it was perfect for this job.  To thread your elastic through the casing you can use a large safety pin, an EZ threader (this is what I used) or a bodkin.  Depending on what kind of elastic and fabric you use this might be a bit of a job, but persevere - it's worth the results!

Once you have your elastic completely through the casing pull it snugly, pin it together and try it on your seat.  Adjust to where it hold firmly, then either use a cordlock to hold the ends of the elastic in place, or sew the ends of your elastic together.  If you are sewing the elastic, do an extra good job of it because you don't want it to pull out! (Then you can sew up the remaining opening for a neat finished look)   After adding the cordlock to mine, I cut the ends of the elastic and sewed them together with a bit of leftover fabric to cover the ends so they won't fray and look shabby.  

For the seat back, I left the opening at the bottom.  

I think these slipcovers will wear quite well, and it will be nice to be able to launder them if needed.  This technique can be used on a variety of chairs and barstools - it's easy to do and can give an outdated piece of furniture a new look with a minimum of time and effort.  Best of all, I didn't have to spend any money on my chair makeover because I had all the supplies on hand!