Sunday, July 13, 2008

Covering My Sofa: One Pillow At A Time



WIth the help of a free online video, I decided in early May, that I could recover my sofa.

How it started: After a flurry of spring cleaning, my sofa, with its sad, worn, age soiled upholstery stood out like the elephant in the room. We either needed to replace the ugly-but-comfy sofa or cover it with something, anything! more permanent than layered sheets. About that time I happened upon a video that made covering a pillow look soooo easy- with piping even!

I watched that video by Threadbanger a couple of times and it gave me the guts to try to give that old sofa a make-over. After all, what is a sofa but a collection of pillows? If I could cover one loose pillow, surely I could do a bunch. Since it showed one pillow being made in less than five minutes, I had wild hopes I could finish this project while hubby was off to Canton for three days. A cinch! and wouldn't he be surprised?

aha ha ha *gasp* aha ha ha . In three days, I had ONE pillow completed. ONE!!!! My sewing skill level was thread a needle and go in and out.

Really not all that confident I could do it, I had decided NOT to buy fabric but to use what was on hand - a bolt of about 13 yds that cost five dollars at an estate sale. I knew it wasn't nearly enough so I would have to make the bottoms and backsides out of some muslin I already had, the end pillows out of blue and cream plaid, the piping out of an old sheet and forget about matching the pattern. I used heavy cloth clothesline bought from the Dollar Store for the piping. My idea was if I did ok, well, later I could do it again with good stuff.

Regrets: Knowing now that it is a major labor/time intensive project and that I'm not anxious to do it again, I sure wish I had invested in enough fabric in a fabric I loved (I don't particularly love this) to have enough without supplementing with muslin and to match the patterns. The sheet made ok piping covers but I don't know how long it will hold up; however, the dollar a bolt for the clothesline for piping was a winner. The contrasting end pillows? Those I love...

It took about three weeks, not three days -silly me. I found myself chanting, "One potato, two potato, three potato, four..." as I stacked up the pillows. Finally I was able to say "NO MORE". I managed to finish it right before my 83 yr old mom came to visit. She loved it! (and at least it's fresh and clean) Total cost? Less than ten dollars.

Next Project: I've got my eye on that old stained drop-leaf coffee table. I KNOW I could have it painted blue by the time my hubby returns from Canton next month. What do you think? Would I like the design on the fabric better if the coffee table is a matching blue? Indecision: Would it be better in a cream that matches the sofa with blue accessories? I think the blue with accessories in the natural wood and cream and that berry would look better with the floor. Maybe blue that chips away to rich cream underneath and some wood peeking through? ARGHH! I never know what I will like best. Help me.

Here's the video that inspired me.
They make it look soooooo easy.





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8 comments:

Daydreams and Nightmares said...

WOW, you did a great job! & congrats for hanging in there. That's no small project, & I probably would have given up after the first 3 hr. cushion! (& I've been sewing since childhood) Maybe now I will have the courage to try covering my loveseat. Gloria

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

LOL ohhh Devonia...you are so like me. I have two chairs in my foyer waiting to be recovered and you've given me a push.
Yours came out beautifully !

Hope you will visit my blog before Friday and enter for the July give away...all sweet things I promise.

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Devonia, WOW!!~ what a beautiful job you did on the sofa. No small feat! You have what I call,"Staying Power" I will be anxious to see how you do the coffee table. I have been painting furniture all day in antique ivory!
Thank you for thinking of me for the award. It means so much coming from you!
Glad you are feeling better!
hugs, Celestina
la rea rose

Kay said...

Your sofa looks great.... I think I'd do the coffee table in a more neutral color, that way when you replace the sofa in a few years you won't have to repaint the coffee table... I think a creamy that works with the sofa would be my choice. Congratulations in completing such a huge project!!

Kathleen Ellis said...

WOW! You've got guts, girl! and determination...and stick-to-it-iveness!!!
Your sofa looks great! and I think the fabric is quite cheery! But then again, I LOVE florals...have them all through my home. Haven't seen too many I don't like!
As far as the coffee table...what about cream with a bit of the blue showing through? That way you tie the blue in now but have a more flexible look for down the road when you change things up!
I'm sure whatever you decide will look beautiful!
I love your floor, too, is that tile?

Sandra Evertson said...

Are you kidding! Done like a pro! It is Gorgeous!
Sandra Evertson

Naturegirl said...

Ahh.. you are braver than! No skills in sewing here.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog Nature Trail!
I love meeting and greeting new friends! :)NG

Vickie said...

THanks for stopping by, Devonia! Glad to meet you - you did a great job on your sofa! I have done a little of that but never a sofa - biggest project was some zippered window seat covers with piping and a matching cornice board over my bay windows in the bedroom. I've decided at 50 that most of the time I'd rather hire someone else to do these things. I used to do them myself all the time when I was 35! haha - (except for painting of course!) Take care - I added your site to my list, too! Vickie