Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Footstool Slipcover


This is another project that, due to my lack of sewing skills, should have NEVER worked.


A few years ago I "reupholstered" a footstool  I found at Home Goods.  I never warmed up to that scary clown monkey fabric and finally decided to give it a new look.  Click here if you want to see the creepy monkey fabric.

So, here we go with the slipcover.  I cut and pinned a piece of fabric to fit the top.  So far, so good.


Next, I cut a bunch of strips to make the pleats.  My friend Pink (I can call her a friend, right?  After all, I met and sewed with her once) gave a great tutorial on making knife pleats.  She said measure twice around and add about a foot.  Well, you should really do that.  I only added about 6 inches and I came up short and had to add another section.  Grrrr. 


I sewed the strips together and hemmed the edges.  I eyeballed it because I am too lazy to pin.


Then I had a piece of coconut cake and caught up on a sweet mom from our church that is fighting pancreatic cancer.  Please pray for Leigh.


There is no getting around pinning and ironing on this part.  Again, I eyeballed it because I am lazy and I enjoy "good enough" sewing.  A real seamstress would probably measure each pleat for precision.


Chloe woke up from her nap at this point, so I got a little help.


I pinned the pleats (right side, to right side) on the footstool.


Next, I attached the pleats.  I was amazed all this fabric fit through my sewing machine.  I was also shocked I didn't break a needle with all those pins.  I removed the ones I could see as I went but I ran right over a few.


And here she is, my little beauty.


...and the rest of the room.

I am linking this to YOU:Create and Works for Me Wednesday, go check 'em out. And don't forget to go to Pink and Polka Dot's Slipcover party!  She taught me everything I ever needed to know about making slipcovers.

10 comments:

  1. Tracy that is so cute - you did a wonderful job on the slipcover! And, you church mom is in my prayers.

    p.s. thanks for sharing "the rest of the room" it's important to keep it real.

    xoxo

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  2. It's very cute! Thanks for sharing the steps you took. I am an "eyeballer" too. LOL It keeps things interesting!

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  3. She is very pretty! And you're just being transparent with the rest of the room! Good for you! :D

    When I made a pillow out of some vintage mattress fabric from my grandparents' house, I just KNEW I was going to wreck my sewing machine. I was using thick fringe and pins all over the place and had forgotten everything I learned as a Home Economics Major in college. But I didn't...it lives to tell the story. : )

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  4. Wow! You did a great job-at explaining it, too! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I think it looks great! And your rest of the room looks just like my whole main floor does right now. :)

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  6. That looks great. Matches the couch so well.

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  7. wow!! so cute and much better than the other one.... :) praying...

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  8. Wow, you did an AMAZING job!!! Want to come over and give me some lessons? :)

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  9. what a cute helper you have! I love the fabric you chose and the pleats and the finished product!

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  10. Neat tutorial Tracey!
    I follow you on Twitter and I believe we're both attending the Relevant Conference next month in PA! I also live here in Northern VA, and after reading your blog (and this post in particular), I realized we might know some of the same folks. My friend Terry is the one who is updating Leigh's CaringBridge page, and I remember Leigh's family from years back when my husband and I used to attend RBC. I've been lifting her up in prayer!
    So glad to have *met* another local sister-in-Christ like you, whom I'm already connected with on Twitter. It's a small world!
    Laura, Frugal Friends in Northern Virginia

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