How to Make a Simple Bench Slipcover

For those of you who leave comments......

i'm sorry!!!!!

BUT

I had to install the word verification to the comment section due to the 

unholy

amount of robot spammers I was getting.

I started receiving around 30 a day.....

First I felt 

REALLY POPULAR!!!!!

and then I realized I was just becoming a victim to the weirdos on the internet.

Some of these spammers were promoting stuff related to my blog:

like windows and shutters and plumbing and on and on.....

BUT

I didn't think you guys would be interested in erectile dysfunction 

or

having a larger penis.

After all.....

most of you don't even have penises!!!!!!

So I have now installed the word verification, so you have to prove that you're not a robot.

BUT

if you are a robot.....

and like my decorating.....

I don't mean to discriminate...........

BUT NOW!!!!!

BACK TO THE DECORATING!!!!!

We last left off showing how I upholstered my niece Miriam's bench top...

This followed how I painted this bench.

SOOOOOO.......

Today I am going to show how I made the slipcover.

Now.....

you may wonder why I slipcovered it, since I had just reupholstered it, and I could have made it like this in the reuholstery job......

The slipcover is a slightly more casual look.

It created more work for me,

but then 

I am retired!!!!!!

 Below is my inspiration picture from Kim's Kottage

 Sooooooo.....

This is how I done doed it.....

First I cut a piece of fabric that was 1" longer and wider than I wanted the body of the slipcover to be, centering the design in the piece I cut.

This supplies an allowance for a 1/2" seam when I attached the skirt.

Then I turned the fabric over (to the wrong side)

and I 

 pleated the corners and pinned them in place.

Then I carefully removed the fabric with the pins in place, and sewed the short seams for each corner. 

 Then I..... 

turned it back to the right side....

put it on the bench....

took a picture to send to Miriam....

so she would know....

just what a bangin' aunt she had!!!!!

Then I tackled the skirt.

I am all about the skirt.

I love me a pleated or gathered skirt.

Now.....

Not a tight gather.....

I don't like a full skirt with lots of fabric.....

Just a nice loose gather......

Since the fabric was somewhat thick,

 I decided that I didn't want to self line it.

Self lining is easier, because you can just fold the fabric in half and stitch it to the body, 

and voila..... you have a lined skirt!!!!!

But if the fabric is thick, and you want to pleat or gather it, 

and you have a sewing machine that isn't for the big girl commercial situation.....

It's not that easy to sew through tons of thickness.

Just sayin'......

 So, I made a lining out of ..........

lining fabric!!!!!!!

That I keep in my closet with all my other goodies!!!!!

Soooooooo.......

I wanted a 3" skirt on the bench.

I wanted a 1" cuff on the inside edge (lining side) of the blue fabric.

so I cut the lining fabric 3" wide,

and I cut the finish fabric 5" wide.

This way, I was able to fold the finish fabric over to show one inch on the back of the skirt.

Sooooo.....

The first thing to do is figure out how long a skirt piece you need to make if it's going to be gathered.

Because I always do different fullnesses, I can never know how long I should make it, so I always err on the side of caution.

I cut four pieces of the blue fabric and four pieces of the lining fabric and sewed each together into long strips.

Then.....

I seamed the lining to the finish fabric, right sides together.....

with a 1/2" seam.

Then I ironed the seams.....

ironing is very important!!!!!

It makes everything look gooder!!!!!

 Then I folded the sides together and stitched them along the top of the skirt.

The reason for this extra step, was the blue fabric was very stretchy, and I wanted the lining to give it some stability.

Then.....

I ironed it again.....

to crated a sharper edge at the bottom. 

At this point I made the welting.....

what many of you call piping.

Well!!!!

Get with the program!!!!

In interior design, for furniture and home stuff....

it's welting.

For clothes it's piping.

I wear sweatshirts, so my clothes don't have no stinkin' piping!!!!!

If any of you have an interest in how to make welting, 

let me know and I'll do a tutorial.

I lined the welting up with the edge of the body, and then started sewing in the skirt, lining up the unfinished edge of the skirt with the edge of the welting.

I had a brain cloud and forgot to take pictures.......

When I do pleats like this, I don't measure them but do it by sight.

After I attached the skirt, I put it on the bench to see how it looked.....

 Then I took it off and ironed in the pleats.....

 Here's a view of the top.....

I love this fabric.

It's from Calico Corners.

It's velvety!!!!!

sooooooo.....

I went from this .....to this!!!!!

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!!!

 Later, Gator