June 1952 Extension Bulletin 269 "L~~ YOUR FURNITURE gJip eou.e/Linr; YOUR FURNITURE Charlotte Kirchner SLIP COVERS are a definite year-round part of modern room planning. Made of carefully chosen fabric, fitted trimly and tailored smartly, slip covers offer these advantages: e Protect upholstered furniture from When you select the material for a dust and soil. slip cover, consider: e Camouflage poor structural lines. 1. Is the material itself suitable for • Cover worn upholstery. slip covering purposes? • Fit odd pieces into a room's color 2. Will the color and pattern be right plan. in the room? • Substitute for upholstery some­ Excellent selection can be made from times at considerable saving of either drapery or dress goods counters money. although drapery fabrics sometimes cut e Clean easily. to better advantage. Cotton materials The modern homemaker supplied are a good first choice because of their with simple equipment, good material, informal character and because they and enough time and patience can launder well but rayon, wool, nylon, make these slip covers for herself. linen, and mixed fiber fabrics also offer wide possibilities. From fabrics you will see you might choose corduroy, crash To Make a Slip Cover You (cotton, linen, rayon), cretonne, chintz, Will Need: denim, gabardine (cotton, rayon), ging­ ham, sateen, homespun, monk's cloth, 1. a tape measure percale, rep, sailcloth, and suiting (cot­ 2. a ruler ton, rayon, wool). Good points to check 3. tailor's chalk-(blue and white) in selecting your fabric include: 4. pins-(heavy pins-half pound box or 5-6 papers) 5. thimble Firm and Close Weave 6. needles Loose weaves let dust sift through 7. sharp shears and snag. Loops and long surface yarns 8. cording or zipper foot (floats) woven in to form patterns are 9. basting thread apt to catch and pull on buttons. Ma­ 10. double duty thread to match slip terials with much sizing often are limp cover material-6-8 spools and sleazy after washing. 11. muslin or sacks to fill hollows in upholstery if needed 12. zipper or snaps for closing back, Shrinkage Possibility cushion, and anchor under chair The words pre-shrunk or sh1·unk 13. welting cord (covered or uncov­ have little meaning although they may ered) for seams appear on the bolt. More specific are 14. material terms such as: SLIP COVERING YOUR FURNITURE 3 e Sanforized- (cotton) -claimed to • If more than one slip cover is be­ shrink less than 1 per cent length­ ing used, choose materials in varia­ wise and crosswise tions of one color rather than in e Perma shrunk-(cotton)-little or too many unrelated colors. no shrinkage • Look for clear, rich colors that are • Tebelized-(rayon)-little or no new and fresh. ' shrinkage • Clear yellow and red bring light Look for labels regarding shrinkage. and warmth into a room. They will be found on selvage, end of • Consider the use of the chair in bolt, or on a tag attached to the bolt. selecting the color. A lounge chair If there is no shrinkage indication, the for a man's corner will hold little material should be shrunk before mak­ appeal for him if you dress it in a ing up the slip cover. pink sateen cover. Finishes That Increase Wear­ Good Design ability • Select plain or textured fabrics Indications of these may be found where there is much design in the on bolt or tag and include: rug or wallpaper of the room. • One pattern for both draperies and e Crease resistant finishes such as slip covers is better than two or Superset, Brodu1·a, and Wrinkl­ more different designs. Shed e Large floral patterns are difficult • Water repellent finishes such as to work with. They must be cen­ Zelan and Aqua-set tered and require more yardage. • Crisp finishes such as Saylerized, e Broken and irregular plaids and Bellmanized, and Everglaze stripes of unequal width and color value are easier to look at than bold, regular types. There is usu­ Color Fastness ally a right and left interest in spacing of stripes that should be Yarn dyed materials are woven after followed in using the material. yarns are dyed. They do not show Plaids should have either a domi­ changes in color from surface wear. nant horizontal or vertical line to Printed materials are dyed after prevent confusion. Stripes and weaving and the dyes may .not pene­ plaids make good design accents. trate heavier weights and coarser tex­ • Small, all-over, geometrical pat­ tures. Color may wear off, giving the terns, gay in color and easy to look appearance of fading. at are good selections and simple Look for labels containing best ob., to work with. tainable vat dyes, vat dye, or vat color • Modern designs have uncrowded for assurance of color fastness. and less detailed patterns. Colors are clear and rich and fewer colors are used in one design than in Color Selection other style materials. Modern de­ • Slip cover colors must live with signs can fit into most rooms. those of walls, curtains, floor cov­ Note: Select plain or small woven erings, and other furniture in a design if this is your first slip cover. room-be sure they harmonize. It will be easier to work with. 4 EXTENSION BULLETIN 269 Back length-Chair frame to top A-B Cushion length-I-J plus 2-inch seam plus 2-inch seam allowance. allowance (double). Front back length-B-e plus 2-inch Cushion depth-J-K plus 2-inch seam seam allowance plus 4-inch tuck-in al­ allowance times distance around cush­ lowance. ion divided by width of material. Seat length-C-D plus 2-inch seam Flounce-L-M plus 2-inch seam al­ allowance plus 4-inch tuck-in allow­ lowance times distance around chair divided by width of material. ance. Width of chair-N-O plus 2-inch Apron~seat edge to chair frame seam allowance will indicate width of D-E plus 2-inch seam allowance. material needed. Outside arm length-F-G plus 2-inch Total divided by 36 inches (one yard) seam allowance (double) equals yards needed. Inside arm length-F-H plus 2-inch Note: If large floral pattern needing s~<tm allowance plus 4-inch tuck-in to be centered is used, add 1% to 2 allowance (double). yards to above. SLIP COVERING YOUR FURNITURE 5 The following table shows the ap­ yardages shown will provide a guide proximate yardage of material and for those who do not wish to measure, welting needed for various types of it is better to actually measure the chairs and couches. If you are making furniture to be covered since there are your own welting, add the yardage in variations in construction of different column 3 or 4 to the goods yardage pieces. shown in column 1 or 2. While the --- Goods yardage Allowance for (yards) welting (yards) Welting Stock welting Type cord or fringe 36" 50" 36" 50" (yards) (yards) -· --~~~~-·------·- - (1) (2) (3) (4) (5} (6) Lounge chair l Barrel chair f 11 9 Jllz % 18 18 Wing chair Club chair ....................................... lO 8 !Vz % 18 18 Cogswell chair ...... ''"'""""""'"""' .......... 10 71;2 11;2 % 20 20 Boudoir chair ......................... ,.. sv~ 5 11/z % 11 II Davenport (3 cushions) 20 15 3 2 36 36 Studio couch (3 cushions) IS 12 2 ll/2 30 30 Studio couch (extra mattress) 21 16 3 2 40 40 Old Furniture If Chair Is Leather Covered • Patch torn places. • Fit muslin to surfaces of chair. • Fill hollows in back or on arms by Old sheets may be used. applying layers of muslin until • Using an upholsterer's half round needle sew muslin through the upholstering material to keep slip cover from slipping on chair sur­ face. Chairs with Wooden Frames • Be sure chair is sturdy. Replace rounds and brace back with angle irons if necessary. • Pad frame with upholsterer's cot­ ton. e Cover frame and cotton with mus­ lin. e Sew in place. surface is filled out and smooth. Note: Old comforters can be used to Catch stitch these layers to up­ pad frames. Foam rubber can be used holstery. to cover chairs before slip covering. 6 EXTENSION BULLETIN 269 Step I <I q \ I \ I Pin welting to, or mark with tailor's <I '\ \ I '? chalk, the exact line at the outside top o. ' '' I 0.. ......' '' 9 of chair that you will want in your I finished slip cover. Make a similar line 9 around the entire bottom of the chair I 9 at the depth the flounce should start. I -- -4-<1-<19-.. _<1--o- 1 9 I 9 I I I I I I I 9 --1 I I I I I I I --66666669 I 2. Place a row of pins down center back and across center back to prevent slipping. 3. Continue pinning around the en­ tire outside edge of chair. Have the material fit snugly but do not stretch. Indicating these two lines will adjust 4. Trim to seam depth on all sides. the slip cover to correct poor structural 5. Mark exact seam line with tailor's lines if they are present. chalk. Step II Step III Cut a length of material to reach Cut a length of material long enough from the outside top of the back to to fit from the inside top of the back the indicated line at the lower frame of chair to the seat line plus 6-inch of the chair plus a 2-inch seam allow­ allowance for seams and tuck-in. Cen­ ance. Using right side out, center the ter this the same as you did on the material at the top and lower edges, back of the chair.· making sure it is on the grain.