Drop Cloth Parson Chair Slipcovers

Cut Fabric

Use a quilter’s mat, square and rotary cutter to cut out all the pieces as directed in the cut list. If your fabric has a direction, be careful to cut in the right direction.

Sew Seat to Aprons

Start by sewing the front apron to the seat along the front edge, with 1/4″ seams. Then start at the back and sew the side aprons to the seats, stopping 1/4″ from the end of the seat edge, with needle depressed in fabric, rotate the fabric to sew the front apron to the side apron. Repeat on other side.

Fit Seat

The seat should look like the above photo if you have done step 1 correctly. Adjust seams as necessary.

Back and Sides

Now sew the back (not the seat backrest, but the back back, measuring 21″ long x 18″ wide) to the sides as shown above with 1/4″ seams.

Step 5

Fit Back and Seat

If you did step 4 correctly, the back should slide onto the back of the chair like a snug sleeve. Fit to and adjust if necessary. Remove and again, start at the center of the back of the seat and the bottom of the backrest, with right sides together, sew the back to the seat, turning corners to sew the side apron to the side. Repeat on the other side.

Fit

If you did step 5 correctly, your slipcover should look like the above diagram – a snug fit but not too tight, with all corners lining up, and any differences showing up along the hem and not in the slipcover. You can simply hem the chair at this stage or you can opt for fancy knife pleats.

Knife Pleats

Looks to complicated? Yeah, I thought so too. But consider this – what you see above is my first attempt at knife pleats and I did not have to do any ripping. You can do this! Simply cut your fabric into strips 7″ wide, and sew strips together until you have a piece that is 12 feet long. Then press with a steam iron the entire strip in half lengthwise. Then press the knife pleats into the strip (I eyeballed mine, but you can measure if you want exact knife pleats). Then simply start in the back, pinning right sides of the slipcover to the knife pleat raw edge, all the way around. Sew. And then trim the ends and sew together. It is really really simple. Want a step by step tutorial?

Check out Pink and Polka Dot’s tutorial That’s how I learned!

Oh, and you can make the pleats longer for a more formal, longer skirt, or just use a tradditional gathered skirt, but you cannot simply make the aprons longer – won’t work for this chair. Good luck, and here’s to someone going for a really bold floral!

Finishing

Sand all surfaces, starting with a medium grit and finishing with fine. Wipe off the dust, fill any holes or gaps with wood filler, and sand smooth once dry. Apply primer if you're painting, then finish with your choice of paint or stain and seal with a durable clear topcoat. For outdoor projects, use exterior-rated primer, paint or stain, and sealer so the piece stands up to the weather.