How to Recover a Natuzzi Sofa

Batting Over the Leather

• 1

  Remove the loose cushions on the sofa and set them aside. Drape quilt batting from the top of the seat base over the back of the sofa and down to the floor. Trim the batting along the bottom edge of the sofa.

• 2

  Drape your second piece of batting from the seat back across the seat base, over the front edge and down to the floor. Trim the batting along the bottom edge of the sofa. Sew the batting together at the joint where the two pieces meet, using a large, curved upholstery needle and heavy-duty thread. Use large stitches as they will not be seen later. Tuck the seam area tight to the joint with your hands.

• 3

  Place batting over one sofa arm. Cut and fit the batting to align with the edges of the batting already in position. Sew the batting together trying to create a tight fit. Repeat with the second arm. Stretch the batting to tighten the fit as you work. Some sofas will also need small pieces cut for the front face of each arm. Sew these to the other pieces of batting.

• 4

  Place batting on the worktable. Position a cushion over the batting. Wrap the batting to the top center. Trim off any excess. Sew a seam along the center of the batting. Fold and tuck the sides. Remove excess batting. Sew a seam. Repeat for the second side. Repeat for each loose cushion. Place the cushions on the sofa. The batting should hold them firmly in place.

Slipcover Over the Batting

• 5

  Drape muslin fabric over the back of the sofa from the top of the seat cushion, over the back and to the floor. Allow 2 inches overhang on the floor and over the seat cushion. Drape the second piece from the seat back across the top of the seat cushions and down the front to the floor. Allow 2 inches overhang on the floor and over the seat cushion. Pin the two pieces together along the joint seam.

• 6

  Cut and fit your arm pieces. Drape the muslin from the inside, over the arm and down the outside to the floor. Overhang the seat cushion and the floor by 2 inches. Pin the muslin to the seat and the back muslin following the lines of the sofa. Repeat for the second arm. Cut a small facing piece for the first arm front and pin the piece to the front of the arm muslin. Repeat for the second arm. The seams should face outward and be snug to the sofa. Remove the cover and sew the seams.

• 7

  Turn the cover right side out and fit it onto the sofa. If the fit isn't snug, turn it inside out, fit it onto the sofa again and correct your fit with more pins. Sew until it fits well. Mark your correct seams with an ink pen. Label each section. Rip the seams with a seam ripper.

• 8

  Pin the muslin pattern pieces to washed and dried decor fabric and cut out your pieces. Sew your pieces together following the correct seam lines from your muslin pattern. Clip your seam allowance corners at 45-degree angles to reduce fabric bulk. Ease your curves with notches in the seam allowance. Turn the cover right side out and fit it to the sofa.

• 9

  Smooth and press the slipcover into position. Go around the bottom edge pinning the hem at the length you want. Remove the cover and sew the hem. Trim off any excess fabric and place the slipcover onto the sofa.