sewing

watermark · Post by **watermark** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:53 pm

I need help!

Here's a mind twister for all you calculating folks:

I want to cover a footstool. How many yards of material do I need if the stool is a cube 18 1/2 inches. The fabric is 54" wide? I only need to cover 5 sides. The material is very expensive and I don't want to buy more than I need. Oh and the seams have be at least 5/8 inch.

Thank you in advance. This kind of math drives me craZy!! (leave formula if you would.)

Erin

911 · Post by **911** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:09 pm

Just off the top of my head. . . . you won't have enough material.

One side is 18 1/2", top is 18 1/2 ", second side is 18 1/2 ". That equals 55 1/2 ". You'll need at least 2 yards of fabric for all five sides.

What you can do, is put a ruffle around the bottom to cover up the gaps on the sides. You'll also need two yards of that. Be sure the ruffle is a heavy fabric so you can't see through it and see the gaps.

More fabric is better than too little. Whatever is left over, maybe you can make a small pillow to bring the room together. The best pillow to make if you only have a little bit of fabric is a round one that is tied at each end with ribbon and a couple of stiches to keep it together. It will look like a piece of candy wrapped in a twist package (does that make sense?).

Good luck and a staple gun and a glue gun are your best friends! And with this technique, you won't need to worry about seams at the bottom:-6

watermark · Post by **watermark** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:35 pm

Even though you may be funny this was a serious request. Btw I don't plan using fillers. Unless heirloom most lace is cheaply made which = tacky. Although I make allowances for some people.

If you are serious about the 2 yards of material needed please say. That was my guesstimate right off the bat but I'm known to be wrong about these things.

Pillows, actually, are another serious matter. I'm torn between dacron and down. Do you think down is pulled from live or dead birds?

thnx,

yours truly

libertine · Post by **libertine** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:44 pm

Buy 60" (1 2/3 yds) of 54" material. Cut one strip 20" x60" and fit it to the top and two sides, allowing enough to secure the bottom and have a little ease . Be sure to mark the top Cut 2 20" squares for the remaining sides and attach them . I'd start with the top seam first, as that will be the trickiest to fit. The sides and bottom can be eased and tucked . It will go easier and faster if you work with the cover wrong side out so you can pin and tuck as needed, then sew

It is not an easy thing you are undertaking, even if it does seem like an afternoon project.

There is merit in the idea of using hot glue and covering each side separately, or even using upholstery tacks and tacking it in to place. If you do that , cut 5 20" squares, go round the corner with one side then tack the corresponding side over that raw edge, folding under the cut edge. You can use a decorative braid to hide the seams if you're so inclined. I prefer decorative tacks.

With 60" of fabric, you will have some left over but it's nice to have a little leeway in case of a screw up.

Good luck

Post by **spot** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:15 am

Libertine's numbers are the same as what's on my pad of paper. You'll have a 14" strip left over that's 60" long and a square 20"x20". You'll have used 62% of the material and left over 38%.

If you could live with a single visible seam toward the bottom of the back you could make it with a 40" length rather than a 60" length. You'd use 91% of the material and have 9% left over. I'd suggest that if it's ornamental you could do that, if it's to be used you can't really - the seam would end up being stretched and eventually showing.

watermark · Post by **watermark** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:10 am

Hi libertine and Spot--

Now that's EXACTLY the answer I was looking for!! Thanks you guys!

Libertine, I didn't even think about using braid at the seams nor hot glue. Your ideas have really given me something to consider. Actually yours too, Spot, because I hadn't thought about left over material. I can certainly make welting that I could use to connect the edges where the side pieces come together. EXCELLENT suggestions!

I'm going for material to match a chair I just bought new, that didn't come with a footstool, however I think I can make this slipcover for the stool I have at home. The matching upholestry is 40 dollars a yard--ouch!--though much cheaper to make myself than buy ready made if it were available.

thnx again

:-4

911 · Post by **911** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:33 am

watermark;892037 wrote: Even though you may be funny this was a serious request. Btw I don't plan using fillers. Unless heirloom most lace is cheaply made which = tacky. Although I make allowances for some people.

If you are serious about the 2 yards of material needed please say. That was my guesstimate right off the bat but I'm known to be wrong about these things.

Pillows, actually, are another serious matter. I'm torn between dacron and down. Do you think down is pulled from live or dead birds?

thnx,

yours truly

Sorry, maybe my math was off, but that was a serious answer.

I sew but maybe we had two different ideas in our heads when thinking of covering the stool. I was calculating using one big piece instead of a slipcover type cover.

I've seen some very nice lace (lace = anything with ruffles) and I'm not a tacky person.

Glad someone could help you.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:10 am

Watermark

Have you laid the material out across the foot stool?

that should determine whether it'll cover.

Easy tailored look - use the upholstery TACKS

I've re-upholstered many chairs - stools etc. & sew alot.

Take the old material off - lay it out - thats your pattern.

Tools - small hammer - screw driver (to lift old tacks & staples) nails.

Staple gun - glue gun - Tacks - sissors

out come - sore & cut fingers and a beautiful foot stool..

Good luck

Patsy

watermark · Post by **watermark** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:45 pm

Maybe I failed to clearly communicate my constraints in the situation. I was looking for dimensions and amount of material I'd need to make a slip cover for a cube shaped footstool by the measurements I gave.

The footrest needs to match the chair I recently bought new from a furniture store. The store didn't have a ready made stool but will sell the upholstery, however they only sell by the yard which is very expensive by my budget. Upholestry fabric hasn't been on sale at this store that I've heard and I can't expect it to be in the near future so I have no choice of waiting for a cheaper deal.

The salespeople know absolutely nothing about frugality in measurement so that's why I tried you all on FG. Usually I would lay newspaper over what I wanted to cover, cut a pattern, and go from there (buying muslin or some cheaper material for trial purposes); in this case I don't want to make any mistakes in the measurement.

911, your suggestion was fine it just seemed like you were not taking my project seriously but since you told me your reasoning I understand where you are coming from.

I bought a fake leather footstool for my other chair this evening for 8 bucks from a local craft store (I felt so lucky! it was 80% off). I can seen how this could become or is a problem with our national economy-- us consumers not buying things at full price from retailers.

Sidebar:

Goddang who would? Why would I buy my trash can at the mom and pop hardware store for triple what it would cost me from walmart? Believe me I don't even like to shop anymore it's just that desperate these things I'm going through with shopping and stuff! Makes me sick really, I can conveniently buy a new item cheaper than I could get something from hours spent searching yard and estate sales (I'm not keen on those anyway). What can consumers do anymore? It's all too icky!!I know it's a disgrace to be spending my money at these places but it's gotten to the point I don't even care. It's not like it'll kill me or something buying discount!

ciao,

Erin

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:37 pm

Watermark

My house is furnished thru Estate sale & yard sale, thrift shops.

I recover/reupholster -

Can you take this foot stool in with you for the right amount of material?

or can you take the material cover off - that's your pattern, and take that in with you to buy the material.

Throw pillows - sew a cube - stuff it with that stuffing stuff, sew the end, done.

Or use material to cover a existing pillow.

I just finished covering 2 chairs - matching bench cushion & 2 throw pillows.

well good luck

Patsy

Post by **spot** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:39 pm

911;892222 wrote: Sorry, maybe my math was off, but that was a serious answer.I'll try to help out here though I might get slapped by everyone for it as usual - I know it was a serious answer but I think you saw something in the question implying the length available (perhaps you read it as having a yard?). "you won't have enough material" was the puzzling bit. The rest of it fits in exactly with what the rest of us found when we got out our pencils and caught up with you.

I've been toying with how to cut out your all-in-one-piece shape from that 54" width and yes, it's actually possible. If you have a 54"x54" square you can cut a diagonal cross-shape out of it with all the points trimmed off, that shape could still have 1" seams. All the trimmed-off corners are at the bottom of the four vertical edges of the cube and the material does reach past those bottom cube corners. I'd not have dreamed of cutting it that way but it's the only answer which has no seams anywhere along a top edge, just a seam running down the outside of each leg.Here's how to make that shape to see how it works. Take a sheet of lined paper (it's lined so you highlight that you've cut on the bias when you look at the final shape). Fold diagonally at one corner and trim off the excess to bring the original paper to a square. That represents your 54"x54".

It's a triangle at this stage. Fold the triangle in half symmetrically. Fold one flap back to the centre to halve the length and then back to its own middle to mark on it where the quarter lies. Unfold the flap. Cut off slightly less than that quarter from the end of both 45 degree points at both ends, cutting at right angles to the short sides. Take one of the cut-off ends, open it out (it's a triangle), use it as an exact template to cut out the centre of the long side (that gives you another four identical waste cut-out triangles giving you eight in total). Open the sheet flat and make a cut toward the centre at each internal right angle. You can then fold the eight seams back and the four sides up representing the cover inside out.

Post by **spot** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:41 pm

You need a picture, I'm not good enough at describing.

Attached files

watermark · Post by **watermark** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:10 pm

Just came back to refresh my memory of what everyone had to say about my slipcover. Hadn't read your recent posts- Spot, thanks! You are pretty good at describing with words. That thumbprint looks like a paper box pattern I've seen before minus one side. The edges on my stool cover are straight not rounded which is what the photo seemed to show.

I've decided to buy the two yards necessary to make my slipcover. I don't think I'll need to have a seam in the middle of one side.

The pattern on the material is not symmetrical so that's good too. I can lay out the fabric anyway I want, makes no difference.

Patsy, the best part about my project is that I do have a cover on my footstool that easily is removed for washing and, yes, I'll use it for a pattern just as soon as I find my seam ripper.

Thanks again everyone,

Erin

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:07 pm

I glad it'll all work out

I've reupholstered alot of furniture & enjoy sewing from time to time. I know how to sew, I have to be in the mood with patience I guess.

I'm currently sewing sheers for the M Bedroom

and making/covering lamp shades for the M Bedroom.

I just finished making cushions, pillows for the patio - Red of course.

Enjoy

Patsy

anita.bryant · Post by **anita.bryant** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:57 am

any body make quilts hrer ?

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:40 am

Anita B

I haven't made a Quilt in years

I'm a seamstress - and I'll try to help you with any questions .??

Patsy

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:04 am

OK for those who sew -

I need a new sewing machine - I'm currently using one I should've thrown out.

old Kenmore.

Yesterday my machine just about went out the window.

who's great idea was to put the main component (bobbin) under the machine, in the most awkward position to get to?

My bobbin thread broke @ 10 times yesterday - My back is killing me, feels like I drove a vehicle with a clutch for hours...:wah:

What type of sewing machine do you recommend ?

I don't want one that talks to me

I don't want one I'll need to go to school for lessons.

so that should narrow the selection.?

Patsy

Post by **spot** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:08 am

Mine's a Toyota ESG325, they don't get much simpler or more robust and it's never annoyed me. I expect the range has upgraded a bit but whatever's the current equivalent should be much the same.