21 Oct Polka Dot Slipcover Save
Had such a nice fall break at the little green cottage last week. Was reminded how much I love the porch. When I bought it the porch was one of the spots I couldn’t wait to decorate. It seemed like such a unique space from anything I would normally have in the city. I pictured curling up with a book out there on something comfy. However, it’s hard to justify buying something for an unheated area in the dead of winter when you haven’t bought furniture for the living room yet…
In the basement of the cottage there were various things left from the previous owners. One was this couch. EEP. I must have walked by it a million times. But I do love a good re-purposing project so finally I got up the courage to sit in it. Aside from needing a good cleaning I was impressed. It was super comfy. I flipped up the cover only to see the words ‘Marshall Fields’. As a long time Chicagoan I have a soft spot for the days of MF. I immediately wondered if it could be slipcovered and salvaged for the front porch.
I know zero about slipcovers and even less about sewing, but I did want a GOOD fit. My fear was it would end up looking like our couch in college that we decided to ‘slipcover’ with a leopard print flat sheet. You just had to sit very very still! Anyway, after much searching online I took a chance on doing this entire process remotely with HandmadebyStella. I wondered how she got such a good fit, but took a leap of faith as her before and after picture looked so promising. The tight fit comes from the many photos she requires and emails back and forth. I also had homework from her and even traced out a life size piece of the arm profile and mailed it to her:
The final product was better than I had hoped. I couldn’t wait to get it on. We went with an indoor outdoor fabric to help with sun fading and while I wasn’t sure how it would turn out I was so happy I had the guts to…GO WITH THE POLKA DOTS! Seems to make men, women and children alike smile with glee. There is just something about polka dots. The very back of the couch had a velcro seam allowing for any little sizing issues. The skirt at the bottom hung perfectly to the floor. And details like the piping made a huge difference in making it appear more structured and custom and not store bought. Can’t say enough about the piping.
She even included a little surprise so the other side of the porch has two matching pillows. So if you are considering reviving a couch or chair this might be a good option for you! XOXO
