How To Recover A Nursery Glider

I have a little confession: it's not completely finished. But the back and bottom cushions are slip-covered and, since a lot of gliders don't even have arm cushions, I'll explain how I did these and then update this post when I do get the arms completed. Here's how she's looking at the moment...

Even without arm cushions, I still think it's a vast improvement on the boring blue that is hiding underneath the pretty new covers, don't you?

You Will Need:
- An ugly glider
- 2-3 yards of fabric (I used Waverly Cross Section in Charcoal)
- Sew-on Velcro and/or sew-on snap closures
- Needle & thread
- Sewing machine (I have a Singer Simple - it's the most basic, cheapest model Singer makes, and it's great for a proper beginner like me. Also, if you buy one from Jo-Ann Fabrics, they do a free "How to Use Your Machine" class which was really helpful.)

The Back Cushion:
I actually started on the arms, made a big mess and gave up, then did the back cushion. But I'll skip that first bit and start with the successful part instead. ;)

I should point out, in case you're not aware, that I don't really know how to sew. This is the first thing I have ever made, so this tutorial is designed for beginners. I'm sure there are better ways of doing things but this is what worked for me. :) I chose slip-covers over just recovering the cushions, which I think is probably more difficult (if you picked the original covers apart, you'd have a pattern to work from at least), but slip-covers are removable and washable, which is what you want for a piece of furniture that's probably going to get spit up on on a regular basis.

I began by removing the back cushion from the glider, laying it out on my new fabric and cutting two pieces of fabric big enough to make a slip cover.

With the two pieces of fabric pattern to pattern (if they'd been sewed together already, the cover would be inside out), I tacked all the way around the edges. Tacking, in case you are as much of a beginner as me, is very loose, hand-sewed temporary stitching designed to hold the seam until it's properly sewn.

 (Apologies for the horrendously out of focus pictures - hopefully you still get the idea!)

You could probably pin instead, but I thought this was a more fool-proof way of making sure that when I sewed it on the machine, it would be a good fit.

Keeping the cover inside out, I removed the cushion and used my machine to sew all around the sides and top, leaving the bottom open. When that was done, I turned it the right way around and put the cushion back in to test the fit...

...and felt very proud of myself and started to think that this might not be as impossible as I originally thought! (If you get to this point and it's not perfect, it's easy to fix - see how I made alterations on the seat cushion below.)

To close the bottom of the cushion, I folded the fabric under and ironed along the seams...

...then sewed over the ironed seams with the machine:

I used sew-on snap closures to hold the opening together (like these), but if I did this again, I'd use Velcro like I did on the seat cushion (see below) because I think it looks tidier when the slip cover is on the cushion. Sorry, no picture of this step, but I promise it's very straight-forward - just sew a few on at intervals along the bottom edges of the opening. I also sewed the edges (a couple of inches on either side) with the machine. I did a better job on the seat cushion than the back cushion for this step, so I'll explain this part better later on.

Next, I made ties to secure the cushion to the glider frame. I copied what was on the original cushion by first ironing two long strips of fabric so they'd be easy to sew like so...

Then I sewed them on the machine...

Then I hand-sewed them onto the back of the slip-cover so that they'd be in the right place to tie on to the chair back.

And with that, the back cushion was done. Just the seat and arms left to do...

The Seat Cushion:
The seat cushion went pretty much the same way as the back cushion. The only difference was that because it was thicker, I had to make a few little adjustments.

Again, I began by removing the seat cushion from the glider and laying it out on the floor between two wrong-way-round pieces of fabric. I then pinned along the back on the cushion in a straight line. I hadn't needed to do this for the back cushion because it was easier to see that the pattern was straight with the thinner cushion. Obviously, if you're using a solid, it wouldn't be so important.

I tacked all the way around the cushion again, aiming to keep the seam at the bottom of the pillow rather than in the middle - I thought it would be easier that way because I'd only have to deal with one lot of corner folds.
Speaking of corner folds (which I'm sure is not the technical term), I pinned them in place as I tacked the edges:

 All tacked and pinned, it looked like this:

Then I removed the pins, took the cushion out, and sewed the sides and top on the machine. When that was done, I put the cushion back in to test the fit:

I trimmed the excess fabric:

Then turned it the right way round to admire my handiwork. This way round, though, it was easier to see that the fit wasn't as tight as I'd have liked.

See how the left and right sides aren't even? One was too loose, and the whole seam along the top could have been tighter too (it's not that obvious in the picture, but it was enough to bug me). Thankfully, this is an easy problem to solve - I turned it all inside out again, re-pinned it for a better fit, and then sewed along the pins, removing them as I went:

This time when I tested it, it was perfect. :)

 Now I just had to finish the bottom. I started by folding the fabric inward and ironing along the seam.

I used sew-on Velcro this time. The top row of pins in this picture was my guide to make sure I left enough fabric for a neat closure, then I pinned the Velcro on underneath, removed the cushion again, and sewed around the edges of the Velcro on the machine:

I tested it when I was done, and it was a good fit - the pattern even matched up pretty well:

To finish the corners, I folded the fabric inwards and pinned it on the outside.

I removed the cushion again and sewed along the seams I'd pinned from the outside, removing the pins as I went:

I put the cushion back in again and was happy with the fit again - yay!

I just had to make one more tie to hold this cushion to the chair frame. I used the same method as for the seat back ties - ironing the seams the way I wanted them to sit before sewing them on the machine - only this one was shorter and wider and used Velcro.

I pinned it to the seat cover where I wanted it, then sewed it on the machine. I went over it three times to make it extra strong.

With the seat cover finished, it looked like this:

And with that, the seat cushion was done!

The Arm Cushions:
Like I said, I haven't finished the arm cushions yet. I actually only finished the seat at 10 last night (which is past my bed time as it is), and it's taken me till now to write up this post, so I'll get to it later. Having done the two big cushions though, I have a much better idea of how to tackle the arms, so I'm definitely not as intimidated as I was! I'll update this post/tutorial when they're done.

Before & After:
Want another look at how far we've come?

 

Honestly, even though it's not finished, I'm really pleased with how far it's come. And I wouldn't have even started it without the motivation that the Imagine the Possibilities Challenge gave me! (Thanks to bloggy friend Linda at It All Started With Paint for introducing me to it!)

Here are a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Oh, and I might have been able to get some better photos had I not had a problem with trains appearing and wanting to "Say cheese!" :)

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Glider Progress

Just a quick update on how I'm doing with my "impossible" project.

You know I started with this:

Well, now the back cushion looks like this (except I've finished the bottom):

It turned out pretty good, I think. Buuuut then I tried to recover the arms and failed miserably, so I haven't made any more progress on it in over a week. I'm hoping to get the bottom cushion done today, then have another go at the arms soon. And I better get on it, since the deadline for the Imagine the Possibilities challenge is a mere week away, not to mention baby girl is due to make her arrival in less than three weeks!

Another DIY Button Art

I sewed another button initial for one of the Little Man's best buddies, who just turned two (happy birthday J!)...

I used the same technique I did for the original S - see the tutorial here - but this time I didn't mess it up so it took about three and a half hours versus the eight it took me first go round. I quite like the process - I can only do it at nap time when S isn't around trying to eat all the buttons, so it forces me to sit down and gives me a chance to catch up on all the HGTV shows I've recorded. I'm planning one more for our baby girl who, incidentally, is due in less than a month now! Eek - better get back to recovering the glider...

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A Possibly Impossible Project

I mentioned yesterday that I'd really like to recover the glider in our baby girl's nursery. And I also mentioned that I was entirely intimidated by the idea. I don't really know how to sew. I can do buttons and patches, and I did add ribbon to a duvet cover (which I still need to share), but I haven't actually made anything since I was in school.

This is the glider in question (I already removed the sleeve on one of the arms):

It was cheap as chips ($70 from Walmart) and it's uuugly, but it is also incredibly comfortable. We bought it just after S was born and I have spent at least 1350 hours in it over the last two and a half years. Which equates to more than 56 straight days or two whole months! And it is still just as awesomely comfy as the day we bought it. So, despite it's less than desirable looks, it's staying for baby girl too. But it could definitely benefit from a make over - imagine it recovered in the same Waverly Cross Section fabric I used on the Big Boy Bed (because it's a neutral charcoal/stone combo and I have a bunch of it left over):

I'd probably still be putting it off right now, though, were it not for fellow Chicago blogger (and new bloggy friend) Linda at It All Started With Paint. Along with five other bloggers, she is hosting an awesomely motivating linky party.

The idea is that we all tackle our seemingly impossible projects at the same time and share the results at the end of the month. And now I've just announced my plans here too, so I'm doubly accountable. I'll be back to share my progress just as soon as I've made some. Wish me luck!

Nursery Art & Progress

I've come to terms with the fact that the nursery just isn't going to be finished by the time baby girl arrives. I want to stencil one of the walls in there, using this stencil from Royal Design Studio...

...which I can't do until the Little Man is moved into his new room. And we can't move him until all our visitors have left (since his new room is also the guest room), because it would be too disruptive for the poor guy, especially if it coincides with the arrival of a new baby (we have family coming to stay, on and off, for six weeks or so, starting next month), so it's not going to happen until at least the end of March.

Still, in the mean time, I have been slowly girlifying the room (thankfully S doesn't seem to mind). I realised that I have basically designed the room around this print by Alison Keefe:

{Secret Garden by Alison Keefe}

Isn't it divine? It's probably my favorite piece of art in the house - I bought it a while ago and would love to replace our basic print with a giclee print. When I realised that this was the obvious inspiration for the room, I extended the color palette from turquoise and coral to turquoise, coral and lilac (with some neutrals too).

I've put this decal above the crib (it's considerably smaller than it appears in this photo, FYI)...

{Birds in Tree Decal - Amazon}

And bought this rug:

{Lattice rug - PB Teen}

And this complementary lamp shade:

{Lattice shade - PB Teen}

I've also re-matted some frames with the same paper I used in the office area, as well as other paper in coordinating prints. They're awaiting photos - I'll share pictures when they're finished. 

So that's where I'm at so far. As for finishing the room, I want to make a crib skirt out of this gorgeous Caitlin Wilson fabric:

{Mint Fleur Chinoise Fabric - Caitlin Wilson Textiles}

Line the back of the bookcase with something like this (since it sits against the to-be-stenciled wall, it can't be too fussy)...

{Michael Miller Dumb Dot Petal at fabric.com}

And I'd like to recover the glider in something more neutral - possibly even the same print I have left over from the Big Boy Bed (Waverly Cross Section in Charcoal). I'm more than daunted by the task, but there's no room in the budget for anything else.

I also want to create a mini gallery wall with another button initial like the one I did for S (in different colors, obviously)...

...and create an ode to our corgi - this pin has me inspired:

{French Bulldog Appliqued Wall Panel by oliverbludesigns on etsy}

...and something else. I'm not sure what, exactly. Maybe a print from etsy. We'll see.

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