How to Sew Slipcovers for a Scatterback Sofa

Measuring Your Sofa and Calculating Fabric Needs

• 1

  Measure from the lowest upholstered point to the highest upholstered point on your sofa with a yardstick. If your sofa has a skirt, include this in the measurement. Measure the width of your sofa. Write both of these measurements down.

• 2

  Multiply the height of the sofa by two. Multiply the width of the sofa by four. Divide this total by 36. The total will be how many yards of fabric you need for the main slipcover.

• 3

  Measure the pillows. If they are square, measure one side. If they are rectangular, measure a short and long side. Add 1 inch to each measurement. If you have more than one size pillow, measure each size.

• 4

  Calculate fabric needs. For square pillows, multiply the measurement by two. For rectangular pillows, multiply the length by the width. Multiply your new measurement by the number of pillows of that size. Multiply by two. Divide by 36. This will be the number of yards of fabric you need for pillow covers. If you wish to have different colored pillows, divide this number by the number of contrasting fabrics you wish to use.

Make Your Slipcover Pattern

• 5

  Purchase fabric for your project. Buy equal amounts of main slipcover fabric and muslin. Buy your decided-upon amounts of different pillow cover fabric. If you wish to put piping on the slipcover or pillows, purchase that as well.

• 6

  Remove all pillows from your sofa.

• 7

  Drape the muslin over the sofa going from the back to the front. If the muslin doesn't cover the arms, that's fine.

• 8

  Pin the muslin to the bottom of the sofa. If there is a skirt, pin the muslin to the sofa skirt.

• 9

  Pattern the back of the sofa. Pin the muslin to one side of the back of the sofa. Pull the muslin so that it is not loose but not stretched. Pin the muslin to the other side of the back of the sofa. Work your way over the top of the back of the sofa and down to the seat of the sofa in the same manner. Mark the muslin at the sides and across the base of the back. Leave an extra 2 inches when marking for seam allowance. At the base of the back, leave 4 inches for seam allowance and for tucking the slipcover in. Cut the extra muslin away from the pinned fabric.

• 10

  Repeat this process, draping the fabric from the back of the seat cushions or seating area to the front bottom of the couch. Leave 4 inches at the back of the seat cushions and 2 inches everywhere else.

• 11

  Drape a piece of muslin over each arm and repeat the process, leaving 4 inches where the slipcover will be tucked into the cushions on the sides and 2 inches everywhere else.

• 12

  Remove the marked pieces of fabric, and cut along the markings. Label each pattern piece.

Cut and Sew the Slipcover

• 13

  Wash the main fabric and the pillow fabrics, if they are washable.

• 14

  Lay the main fabric out on a flat surface, right side down.

• 15

  Cut out the slipcover. Lay the pattern pieces out on the main fabric. Mark around each piece. Cut on the lines. Mark each piece of main fabric with its corresponding pattern piece name.

• 16

  Pin the slipcover. Lay each piece of the main fabric, in its place, right side down, on the sofa. Pin the pieces together, leaving about 5/8 inch seam allowance. This will allow for a bit of room in your slipcover.

• 17

  Pull the pinned pieces off of the sofa and stitch together at 5/8 inch seam allowance. If you wish to add piping, slide the piping in with the cord out and the seam allowance lined up with the seam allowance of the slipcover. Use a cording or zipper foot to stitch with piping.

• 18

  Press seams open, and put the slipcover on the sofa to confirm the correct fit. Trim away excess seam allowance in areas where it causes lumps.

Making Pillow Covers

• 19

  Lay out the pillow fabric, right side down, on a flat surface.

• 20

  Using the measurements you took from the pillows, cut one square, or rectangle, out of the pillow fabric for the front of the pillow cover.

• 21

  Fold the pillow fabric over on itself, right sides together, and lay on a flat surface.

• 22

  Fold the first piece in half and lay it on the pillow fabric. Draw around the top, bottom and one side of this piece. Measure 1 1/2 inches from the unmarked edge, and draw a straight line from the top to the bottom of the piece. Finish drawing the lines that connect this new measurement at the top and bottom.

• 23

  Cut both layers of the fabric to create two back pieces.

• 24

  Fold a hem over, twice, on each of the two back pieces at 1/2 inch. Stitch down, and press flat.

• 25

  Assemble the pillow cover. Lay the front piece of the pillow cover on a flat surface, right side up. Lay the two back pieces of the pillow cover on top of the front piece, right sides down and with the hems facing each other and overlapping slightly.

• 26

  Stitch around the outside of the pillow cover at 1/2 inch seam allowance.

• 27

  Turn the pillow cover inside out from the opening in the back and press flat. Trim corners if necessary.