SHIBORI CHAIR COVER

R&B Designs use pegs, calico and dye to transform a faded old chair into a stylish shibori centrepiece.

YOU WILL NEED

Calico: medium weight, 6m (6½yds)

Velcro: see instructions for details Cotton tape: see instructions for details

Dylon hand dye: ocean blue

Salt

Clothes pegs

Basic sewing kit

PREPARINGTHE FABRIC

Step one Before you begin, pre-wash your fabric 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.

Step two Press it well so you have flat fabric to work with.

MAKING A PATTERN

Step one To make the pattern pieces, cut out a piece of calico for each section of the chair. 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. Step two Pin each section onto the chair and then remove them but keep the pins in place. Add a seam allowance all the way around outside the pin marks then cut out.

Step three Sew the calico cover together, leaving one of the side seams half open.

Step four Fit the cover onto the chair, pin the side seam closed and adjust the fitting, taking it in to give a closer fit if necessary.

Step five Remove the calico cover from the chair, mark the sewn seams with felt pen.

Step six Unpick the calico cover so you have your pattern pieces. We had six for our chair.

CUTTING OUT

Step one Press each of your pattern pieces so they lie flat then pin each one onto some more calico to use for the chair fabric.

Step two Cut out the fabric pieces and press.

PREPARINGTHE FABRIC

Step one Concertina each pattern piece of calico into pleats then press flat with a steam iron to hold them firmly in place.

Step two Peg the pleated pieces at even intervals down the length of the pleats through all the layers of fabric. Place the pegs alternately on each side of the fabric.

Step three Wet the pegged fabrics thoroughly.

DYEINGTHE FABRIC

Step one Mix the hand dye according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then immerse the pegged fabric pieces in it. Follow the instructions on your dye packet for more instructions and dyeing time.

Step two Once the dye has taken, remove the pegs, open up the fabric and put the pieces under running water until the water runs clear. Step three Wash and dry the dyed fabric according to manufacturer’s instructions.

MAKINGTHE COVER

Step one Sew all the fabric pieces together as you did for the original calico pattern, leaving one of the side seams half open.

Step two Try the cover on the chair inside out and use pins to make any adjustments.

Step three The raw edges around the bottom of the chair need to be cut 4cm (1"⁄#in) longer than the chair all the way around the chair for the casing.

Step four Remove the cover and stitch any adjustments needed.

FINISHINGTHE EDGES

Step one Cut a 3cm (1¼in) width bias strip from calico to bind the curved raw edges around the chair legs.

Step two You’ll need to put the cover back on the chair to mark exactly where the legs meet the cover then snip up to them. Now remove the cover again.

Step three Turn the raw edges of the leg sections under so they reach the top of the chair legs. Trim just these sections to 5mm (¼in) outside this, leaving the rest of the raw edge longer to make the casing.

Step four Fold the long edges of your binding strip to the WS so that they meet in the centre then pin this on top of the turned-under edge of the chair leg section on the WS and stitch into place.

Step five Sew velcro onto both sides of the seam opening, with the hooks on one side and the loops on the other.

MAKNGTHETAPE CASING

Step one Turn the lower edges of the chair cover beside the hemmed leg sections under by 1cm (%⁄#in) then by 3cm (1¼in) to the WS. Step two Stitch the casing in place close to the edge on each section.

Step three Cut a length of cotton tape that will fit through the casing with extra to tie.

Step four Put the cover on the chair, close the Velcro then thread the tape through the casings with a safety pin and pull so that the cover fits snugly on the underside of the chair. Now tie the ends tightly together to finish and position your new chair in pride of place.