Versatility of slipcovers

One of the nice things about slipcovers is their versatility as a decorating aid. They can be use in both traditional and trendy settings. You can create many different impressions and keep changing from season to season, just by giving the same couch or armchair a completely different cover each time. You can change the character not only of furniture but also of the whole room by changing the fabric, color and pattern o the covers.


The original purpose of slipcovers was to protect costly find fabrics on upholstered furniture from wear and tear and to keep them clean. Today we make a decisive point of coupling the practical purpose with a decorative one. If protection to the upholstered furniture is the main concern, dirt and dust must never be allowed to work their way through to ruin the upholstery under the covers. Then you must choose a fabric that is closely woven and easily laundered or dry-cleaned, because the covers will receive all the soiling that would otherwise attack the upholstery. Fabrics that are crease-resistant, fade-proof and pre-shrunk are also ideal for slipcovers.


Trends and changes in slipcover fashions continue to govern the design of slipcovers. Unpiped seams can help to bring an uncluttered and simplicity to a setting, whereas, piped seams make traditional furniture look better and correct.


If you plan to use prints and pattern fabric, choose them wisely. The density of color and pattern can alter the apparent size of the chair or couch quite considerably. Large patterns, bright, intensive colors and rough textures tend to make the covered item appear larger. The opposite is true if the pattern is small or the color is light and the texture is smooth.


Large patterned fabrics require more thought and care than do small all-over patterns or solid one-color fabrics. Large motifs must be well centered on every section of the cover. Seams too, must be matched exactly, and this means you have to buy extra fabric and there will be a certain amount of wastage. Small all-over designs and plain fabrics are the easiest and most economical to use as they don’t have to be matched at the seams and there is no wastage.


If in some cases that the print you want to use seems a bit too overpowering by itself, then tone it down by using a solid color with it. For example, make the main cover in the print but cover the loose seat cushion with plain, solid color that matches one in the print. If the unit has a separate back cushion as well, then cover it in a solid color too. The final effect will be more relaxed. Another way of using a print and plain combination would be to cover the whole unit in the print and the skirt in plain. The skirt could be left either quite plain or trimmed at the hem edge with the print. Usually the nature of the print will inspire you the best method of trimming or mix and match with loose cushions.

Finding the right cushion filling

If you are thinking of making your own cushions, you will concert about finding the right cushion fillings. There are all kinds of materials available to stuff into your cushions. They all have different features and feel. We will see some of them about their characteristic, quality and comfort.

Down

This is a filling to use if you are thinking in superlatives. It is soft and fluffy and very light in weight; it keeps its buoyancy better than any other filling, therefore a little goes a very long way and it lasts almost a lifetime. It is also very expensive and not easy to get from shops. If you have an old down quilt that you no longer need, then lucky you, because you can make a super exclusive cushions that would cost a fortune to buy.

Feather and down mixture

This is less expensive but still in the luxury class. It is only a little heavier than Down. The more feathers there are in the mixture, the heavier the cushion will be. Also expensive to buy and not always available, but if you have an old feather pillow to spare you can make a fairly sizeable luxury type of cushion.KapokThis is a vegetable down and reasonably priced compared to the first two. It is soft, lightweight, resilient and highly moisture-proof. Although it tends to lose its body and turns to powder eventually, and sometimes goes lumpy, it is still considered as a very good filling material because of all its other good qualities. In spite of its eventual loss of body, it will probably outlast the life of the cushion cover.

Man-made fiber filling

This category includes Terylene, Nylon or Dacron and is much cheaper then Kapok and quite inexpensive. These fillings are non-absorbent, therefore are practical to use because you can wash the whole cushion without removing the cover if you wished.

Poly-form filling

This is a 50/50 mixture of latex and plastic foam crumbs. It is fairly lightweight, resilient, and inexpensive and goes a long way. It makes a firm, light and comfortable cushion but not a smooth one because the crumbs show up occasionally in little lumps under the cover. The best way to stop this happening is to make an inner case of fine plastic sheeting, and then fills it with the poly-foam filling.

Polystyrene beads

They are great for floor cushions. They are light, resilient and firm in use. The more you use in the cushion the firmer it becomes but the less you use the more comfortable it is to sit on. Don’t tempt to use too little or you will defeat the purpose of a floor cushion.

Shaped foam forms

They come in many shapes and sizes, or they can be cut to any size and shape that you wish. These forms come in a variety of thick nesses. You can choose from Latex or plastic foam. Although an inner case for foam forms is optional, it is better to have one, because the outer cover slips on more easily and once on will not slip out of place