Home improvements

Does anyone else find that they use their home differently at different time of the year? No? Just me then. In the summer I like to sit in a big armchair in my living room next to the patio door, so that I can make the most of the light. In the winter months however that location, even though the door is double glazed, becomes a little chilly, and the light is less good as the sun doesn't rise above the neighbouring buildings. Then, I prefer to sit by the radiator at the other end of the room!

The armchair doesn't really fit in that space, so instead I use this mid-century chair which I bought absurdly cheaply at auction. Among other things, it's perfect for winter knitting - because chair arms plus long actual arms plus short torso is a messy combination!

Front view

From the side

Like most mid-century furniture it is well made and still sound, but the fabric is a bit worn and has acquired some mysterious stains, and the seat could use a little more padding. Last winter I just put a fleece throw over it. I had intended to reupholster it over the summer, but that was one of many projects which somehow just didn't happen. So as an interim solution I bought a foam pad to boost the seat, and a suitable remnant, and set about making a plain loose cover.

I've done this before, albeit over 30 years ago. Plus, I can remember watching Mum make loose covers when I was small, so I knew the basic principles. Obviously, it helped that the chair is a simple shape. I measured the various parts of the chair and cut out fabric pieces with very generous seam allowances. First I sewed the front back and the seat together, and pinned this onto the chair wrong side out so that I could pin on the base section. Once this was sewn on, I could pin on the back.

Pinning the back section on

And seen from the back

Because the back narrows slightly from the top, I had to insert a zip down one side.

Super-exciting zip shot

Once I was happy with the fit, I could trim off the excess seam allowances and neaten the edges. This gave me the basic cover.

Starting to look like a cover

Next I needed to do cut-out sections around the legs, so that the excess fabric could be pulled tight underneath. Originally I was planning to just turn the edges under, but the fabric is quite loosely woven and I felt that it needed reinforcement. So instead, I went for a dressmaking approach and added facings made from scrap cotton. (Actually a discarded toile which had in turn been made from an old bedsheet - serious recycling!)

The facing sewn on and trimmed to shape

Turned to the wrong side and sewn down

The right side (with bonus mystery stain on the chair)

And here is the completed chair.

Lacking decorative detail, but clean

And well-padded - result!

The underside does need a little work to tidy it up, but I'm very pleased with result. Plus, there's just enough of the remnant left to re-cover an old pouffe to match, which is now my next project.