New Sewing Project: Couch Slipcover

Okay, so, our couches are old.  I'm talking the family we got them from had moved these to their basement after they got a new couch and then got another new couch and moved their other new couch to the basement and gave us the ones from the basement. We figured out they are at least 12 years old. Those 12 years were years of heavy use by adults and also small children.

Well, the material for the cushions actually started to wear through.  Not have holes ripped in them.  I mean, get thread bare and then finally wear away until there just isn't any more material. 

Yesterday I saw that Big Lots had curtain panels for $5, buy three get one free. I thought, 'hey, if I can get a bunch of panels, I can start piecing together a new couch slipcover as I can and when I need it.' So I went to Big Lots, but alas the only curtains were bright pink that were $5, buy 3 get 1. BUT, in the same aisle were the slip covers.  I looked through them.

Now, I have never been a fan of couch slip covers because they always get all wrinkled, they don't stay in place, they LOOK like slip covers, and I have rowdy kids that are on and off and on the couch again all day. Nevertheless, I picked some that looked decent because they were by far the best price (about $60 for the pair) I was going to find on slip covers anywhere.  I have priced them for the couches before, but never got any because when it came down to it, I didn't want to spend $100+ on slip covers about which I just wasn't happy.

I came home with my slip covers, reluctantly put on the loveseat one, and purposed to give it a few days to see if I could stand it.

By the end of the night, I decided to keep the slip covers and modify them to suit me.  It will be cheaper than buying fabric at Jo-Ann's, and all the pieces are already cut to the general shapes that I need them.

We'll see how this goes!  I will have to keep you posted.

Today I washed the cover and cut up the pieces into five big parts: two arm pieces, two front of the arms pieces, and the one big one that goes in the middle.  Now, I am going to need to cut the big middle piece into three pieces: the part that goes over the back and down to the floor, the part that goes down the front to the wall, and the rest of the cover I am going to use to make covers for the cushions. Then I will connect the back part and the front part with a panel of plain fabric that I have left over from another sewing project.

That last paragraph seems a little confusing.  I will have to post some pictures. But I haven't started the pinning/ sewing part yet.

I found this blog which will hopefully help me out along the way.  It was my inspiration for taking on this crazy project.  :-)