Getting Oriented
Unless you have an extra large sofa, your slipcover will have no seam in the center. As you begin this project, keep in mind that you are making 1 large center panel that will cover the seating area and 2 smaller side panels of equal size that complete the cover. It will be helpful if you have a piece of paper and a pencil to jot down measurements and draw these three rectangles so you can visualize what you are doing. Mark the measurements of the drawings so you can keep track.
You will make the center panel from one king sheet and the two side panels from another king sheet. The seams will disappear into the crevice where the arms meet the back of the furniture and into the cushion crevices. If you have a very large sofa (over 8 feet) you will have a center seam. This is unavoidable because of the size of the sheet and the width of the sofa.
A king-size sheet is 102" X 108". The 108" side (the width of the sheet) will go on the front-to-back direction of the piece of furniture. The 102" side (the length of the sheet) will go from arm-to-arm. Take the time to lay the king sheets on the furniture to get oriented. This will make things easier as you go along. You will want all the panels to be going the same direction.
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The skirt measuring and cutting instructions are detailed in the skirt instructions. You can make either a tailored or gathered skirt. Both are beautiful and easy to make. A snap! |
Now measure the width of your furniture across the top back of the piece. Write it down on the piece of paper for easy reference.
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Open or trim the shallow hem off the 108" end of both king sheets so you will have clean edges to work with. |
Chair cover for a chair up to 40"
108" X 120" finished
One king sheet will almost cover a chair, so all you need to do is to add narrow side panels. The seams will be covered by the skirt.
Open or trim all sewn hems from one king sheet.
Simply cut two 12" panels from the second king sheet from along the 102" side of the sheet. The result is two panels that are 108" x 12". The skirt will be cut from the rest of the second king sheet that you cut the side panels from.
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If the chair is wider than 40" use the instructions for a loveseat! |
Loveseat cover for loveseat up to 6 1/2 feet wide
108" X 150" finished
Now measure the width of your furniture across the top back of the piece. Write it down on a piece of paper for easy reference.
For the center panel:
Add 8" to the measurement of the loveseat so the seam will disappear into the crevices. This is the dimension of the center panel cut from the 102" side of the king sheet.
Example:
Loveseat measures... |
66" |
Add 8" |
+8"
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Total: |
74" |
The center panel measures 108" x 74 ".
For the side panels:
The cover is 108" x 150". You will cut 2 side panels to complete the cover. So you deduct the center panel measurement from the total. Divide by 2, then add 1" seam allowance. This is the measurement of the individual side panels. Remember, you must cut 2 of these from the 102" side of the second king sheet. Double check to make sure you are cutting from the right direction. Never hurts to check again!
Example:
Cover... |
150 |
Deduct center panel |
-74
|
Total: |
76 |
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divide by 2 = |
38 |
Add 1" for seam allowance = 39. The side panels are 108" x 39" each.
Cut two panels from the second king sheet.
Sofa cover for sofa up to 8 feet wide
108" x 180" finished
Now measure the width of your furniture across the top back of the piece. Write it down on a piece of paper for easy reference.
For the center panel:
Add 8" to the measurement of the sofa so the seam will disappear into the crevices. This is the dimension of the center panel cut from the 102" side of the king sheet.
Example:
Sofa measures... |
80" |
Add 8" |
+8"
|
Total: |
88" |
The center panel measures 108" x 88".
For the side panels:
The cover is 108" x 180". You will cut 2 side panels to complete the cover. So you deduct the center panel measurement from the total. Divide by 2, then add 1" seam allowance. This is the measurement of the individual side panels. Remember, you must cut 2 of these from the 102" side of the second king sheet. Double check to make sure you are cutting from the right direction. Never hurts to check again!
Example:
Cover... |
180 |
Deduct center panel |
-88
|
Total: |
92 |
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divide by 2 = |
46 |
Add 1" seam allowance = 47. The panels are 108" x 47"
Cut two panels from the second king.
Extra Large Sofa cover for a sofa over 8 feet
108" x 200" finished
No measuring is required. Just trim off or open the 108" shallow hem on the two king sheets. You are ready to start making the cover.
Go to Step Two
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