Recycling week starts today so am posting some classy recycling projects on my blog this week. When I spotted this down at heel cocktail chair in a charity shop, I knew I was onto a winner.
I made a pattern and then created my own shibori print just by pleating and using clothes pegs. The hook and loop tape opening on the side seam makes fitting easy.
Tip: Before doing anything with the fabric, wash on a hot wash and then tumble dry it on a hot setting. This way it will shrink as much as it is ever going to. Iron so you have flat fabric to work with.
You will need:
6m of medium weight Calico
Pins, needles and thread
Safety pins
Cotton tape
Water-soluble pen
Dylon Ocean blue hand dye
Salt
Clothes pegs
Sewing machine
Hook and loop tape
1.To make the pattern for each section of the chair cut out a piece of calico, cut them large so there’s enough spare fabric for fitting, the lower edge of the chair will need more than you think necessary to allow for making a tape casing, so be generous. Pin each section onto the chair and then add seam allowance. Remove the section and cut out. Sew the calico cover together, leave one of the side seams half open. Fit the cover onto the chair, pin the side seam closed and adjust the fitting, taking it in to give a closer fit.
2. Remove the calico cover from the chair, mark the sewn seams with felt pen as well as the centre line of each panel.
3.Unpick the calico cover, your pattern, and pin onto more calico to make the chair fabric. Cut out the fabric, into as many pattern pieces as you need, I had 6, and press.
4.Concertina each pattern piece of calico into pleats.
5. Press flat with a steam iron.
6.Peg the pleated pieces at even intervals.
7. Wet the pegged fabrics. Mix the Dylon hand dye according to the manufacturers instructions and then put in the pegged fabric pieces. Follow the instructions on the dye packet.
8. Once the dye has taken, remove the pegs and open up the fabric and put the pieces under running water until the water runs clear.
9. Wash and dry the pieces
10.Sew the pieces together as you did for the original calico pattern leaving one of the side seams half open.
11. Try the cover on the chair inside out and pin any adjustments that need to be made. Remove the cover and make the adjustments on the sewing machine.
12. Cut a 3cm bias strip from calico to bind the curved raw edges around the chair legs. Pin, and sew, turn the raw edge under by 0.5cm then turn the binding and sew in place. Sew hook and loop tape to both sides of the seam opening.
13. To make the tape casing, turn lower edges of the chair cover in by 4cm, turn in the raw edge by 1cm then sew down close to the edge. Measure up for the tape, thread through the casings with a safety pin.
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