My First Attempt At Slipcovering......An Exercise in Frustration

Good morning! Long time no see :) I have had a rather interesting last few weeks. I will get to the slipcover in a minute, but first I will fill you in on the happenings around here! My husband was in Japan on a business trip and I looked around and decided our current house was no longer working for us(mostly I mean me). I simply need(desperately want) a workshop space. I am constantly painting something in the dining room or have my sewing set up on the table. I have completely taken over the garage and am just feeling too crowded. What did I do? I simply found the perfect house for us to move to complete with a separate full two-car garage workshop for me! I was kind enough to tell my husband of our(my) plans when he checked in from the Dallas airport on his way home. Went over like a lead balloon. After much begging, pleading, and a tour of said new perfect home he got on board. What this means to my family is that I have been a crazy person for the last few weeks getting all those little projects finished that need to be done in order to put the house on the market. I am a perfectionist and it has been no treat for anyone living in this house I can assure you. We are done and the house is listed and our offer has been accepted on the other house(contingent on this one selling of course). The problem is the real estate market is still soft here and we need to sell our house before someone swoops in and buys the other house. God willing it will all work out the way it is supposed to. It will work out the way it is supposed to, I guess I mean the way I want it to :) Why do I have such a hard time putting thing in His hands?! Worst case scenario is we stay here. All the little nit picky things are now done :) I will just continue to park outside and paint and sew in the dining room. But I really want that workshop!!!!!!!!!!
Okay enough of that! Slip covering..........Miss Mustard Seed makes it look so easy. It is A LOT of work! I am sure that like anything it gets easier with each one you complete, but the first one is a bear!! It all started when I found this awesome wing back chair. I fell in love with the size and shape of it. The fabric not so much. As a faithful follower of Miss Mustard Seed (www.missmustardseed.com) I knew that I could do a slipcover and make it beautiful. She had more confidence in me than I did about an hour into the project. Step one: go to your local home improvement store and get a painters drop cloth. Awesome heavy duty fabric at a great price. Check. Step two: wash and dry said drop cloth. Check. Step three: measure cording for the piping on the chair and cover with fabric. Check. Arrogantly smile to my self thinking I have this in the bag. Check. Step four: cut pieces of the fabric similar in size to the various parts of the chair. Check. Step five: start to pin said pieces inside out with the cording in place. Check? hmmm maybe. Steps 5-100000000: keep working along continuing to pin and stitch pieces while turning right side out and trying each piece in place. Then turning wrong side out and doing adjustments and getting out your seam ripper and taking out said stitching time and time again. Then saying terrible thing about Miss Mustard Seed and her confidence in you. CHECK. So after taking it off and putting it on and adjusting and ripping out and sewing more about 1000 times it was done. The end result....not perfect but good :) I actually love it. I am sorry Miss Mustard Seed! You were right. Patience is the main ingredient needed for this project to be a success :)  The chair before:

Cute right? Very comfy too! Flame stitch? Uh no.

After :)

Way more cute!! Comfy cozy slipcover? Yes please!

Some cute little bows down the back, super cute fabric on the cushion, coordinating throw pillows, my blood sweat and tears........fabulous :)

 This little beauty is waiting at Antiques On The Prairie for someone to take her home.  See you soon! Really I mean it :)  ~Christy