Gather your supplies

-4 large flannelette shirts;
-2.5m x 147cm-wide denim;
-1.5m Velcro strip;
-56cm dress zip to match denim (or size to fit your particular chair cushion);
-sewing thread;

-general sewing supplies

Notes:

Armchairs come in all shapes. Adapt slipcover’s cutting instructions to fit your armchair.

To fit the cover to the chair, you need to pin your fabric to the chair itself. Start at the back of the chair and work your way over the top to the front.

Always lay the right side of the fabric against the chair and use the piping on the chair as your pattern guide.

The technique is the same for the entire chair: pin the fabric to the appropriate chair part, add seam allowance, cut out the piece and sew to the previous cover pieces in order.

Each time you pin and add a piece, try the cover back on the chair to make sure it is a good fit (and adjust if it’s not).

Use denim or flannelette where it seems most appropriate. Here, denim is used on the upper side of the arms and on the seat cushion, because it is more durable, and on the chair back.

Flannelette is used for the remaining areas, including the outer sides of the chair, where the features of the shirt, such as pockets, can be adapted.

Here’s how

Step 1 Pin denim to chair back. Feel chair piping through denim with your fingers and insert the pins through both layers of fabric, just outside the piping line.

Step 2 Cut denim chair back, adding 1.5cm seam allowance at top and side edges and 3cm along the bottom edge.

Step 3 The seat back is made from the back of a flannelette shirt. Cut sleeves out of the shirt at armholes (open these out and use them in Step 5) and trim off the collar, leaving the yoke. Trim top edge of the yoke straight by cutting off the shoulders and neckline curve. Lay this piece across top of seat back, lining up the edge with the denim piece on chair back. Use pleat in the back of the shirt (below the yoke) to accommodate the curve of the seat back. Allow a 1.5cm seam allowance at the top and sides, and a 10cm allowance along the bottom edge.

Step 4 With right sides facing, stitch the denim and flannelette pieces together across the top edge. Finish raw edges with overlocking or zigzag stitch.

Step 5 Use pieces you have cut from sleeves to fill in the side sections remaining between the seat back and chair back. Stitch the front seams fully closed but only stitch down 5-10cm for each back seam. The remaining side edges will be joined with Velcro.

Step 6 Turn the cover right side out and smooth it on the chair to check the fit. Make any adjustments before continuing.

Step 7A,B Using denim, use the same techniques to measure, cut and stitch arm panels. Switch back to flannelette for the sides. For all these pieces, leave a 3cm allowance at bottom edges. If using shirt fronts to make the sides of the chair, as shown in the image, do up buttons and stitch the edges together to permanently secure the opening of the shirt. You can then treat each front as a single piece of fabric. Remember to leave back seams open on both sides.

Step 8 Using flannelette and the same method, fit the inside arm panels, leaving 10cm at the bottom of each (where they meet the seat). The extra fabric here and on the seat back allows for a little ease when chair is sat in, and once the cover is finished, any excess can be tucked into the crevices of the upholstery. Cut the denim seat piece with an extra 10cm at back and sides, then, keeping the seam allowance at 1.5cm, stitch to back and inside arms.

Step 9 Using flannelette, cut the lower front to fit chair, with 1.5cm seam allowances at top and sides and a 3cm allowance at the bottom. The width of this piece will not match the width of the seat piece: centre it when stitching and leave the excess from the seat section tucked neatly at each corner.

Step 10 Turn right-side out and check fit. Turn cover wrong-side out and place back on chair. Then pin up hem, overlock or zigzag raw edge and stitch hem.

Step 11 Overlock or zigzag the raw edges of the back openings and stitch a Velcro strip to inside of both edges on each side.

Step 12 To cover removable seat cushion: measure original cushion from side to side, then measure the whole way around cushion in the other direction. Add 1.5cm seam allowance all round. Cut a rectangle from denim to this size.

Step 13 For the 2 sides of the seat cover, measure length and depth of original cushion sides. Remembering to add 1.5cm seam allowances, cut out 2 rectangles to this size.

Step 14 With right sides facing and using a 1.5cm allowance, stitch short edges of large rectangle together at each end, leaving an opening in the centre for the zip. Insert zip.

Step 15 Slip cover onto cushion with wrong side facing outwards and, with zip slightly open, adjust so that zip lies along centre back.

Step 16 Pin 2 side pieces in place. Open zipper fully and carefully remove cover from cushion. Sew together as pinned, trim excess at the corners. Turn cover right-side out and insert cushion. Make scatter cushions from leftover fabric.