Sewing Project: Chair pad for a tufted leather chair. Requirements: Fabric must be tough, easy to care for, affordable and easy to replace. The fabric is a lined denim and navy piping was chosen as a simple embellishment that mirrors the lines of the fabric and is suitable for the simple design. I wanted a pad that appears like a finely made linen but is homespun at the same time.
In the photo above the fabric had been washed and dried two times to allow for shrinkage and is laid out here for sizing. This step was vital as the seams did not match up with the lines being straight. Therefore, I had to forget about the seams matching and line up the lines instead. At the end of the project the seams were straight and vertical and it is because of this first step. After the fabric was sized, the measurements for the chair pad were transferred on to the cloth and the cloth was cut accordingly. The fabric was then pinned, with the piping inserted into the seam, allowing for a 5/8″ seam allowance.
The pinned fabric was then brought to the sewing machine and I used a tough cotton thread to match the denim material. I checked the first seam after basting the first six inches and found that the seam allowance did not put the piping exactly at the seam edge (finished edge) so I removed the stitches and lined up the cloth in the machine allowing roughly a 3/8″ seam but really just feeling the ridge of the piping as I stitched down the seam. This was done during a practice session of piano and fiddle and I found the machine humming along to jigs and reels.
Here, in the photo above the viewer can see the seam stitching to the left of the basted outer seam finish. I decided to just give a longer, almost basting stitch based on the stiff cotton denim and limited usage of the final product. It was quick and easy. On one seam I decided to leave it unfinished and ironed both edges and piping ribbon open (just for the “halibut”).
To turn the chair pad right side out I left about 8 inches of the seam open so I could flip it all out through the hole, which I’m doing in the photo above.
Ironing one of the seams (oops- this was done before I turned it all rightside out as seen above. (But this proves I did heat up my iron- the orange button is definitely lit- oh this Modern World where irons gather dust!)
Hand sewing the open 8 inches of the seam to seal up the chair pad!
The finished project. Piping did exactly what I wanted it to do and, despite my “feeling my way along as I sewed the piping, the edges are mostly perfect. No-one else would notice except my grandmother. She, and anyone else would notice my corners- which I was hoping would be perfectly 90 degree sharp, but that didn’t happen. I remember thinking, wow, I can just continue stitching AROUND the corner (jigs and reels in the air) and I also tried a coming to a corner and lifting the foot and starting down the other seam. In retrospect, I should have done straight solid seams all the way to the end of each seam, especially to fasten down the raw edges of piping. However, after a little poking and darning of the corners, they turned out to be quite satisfactory and certainly carry my own seal of doing the project.
Two neat sites for learning more about basic sewing, using patterns and has lots of inspiring projects- who else but Martha Stewart!
and this one, from how to sew dot com (great basic teaching of how to use a pattern for kids)
http://howtosew.com/blog/sewing-basics/pin-and-cut-pattern
Curriculum Link to FST 7
I think it is really important for every child to understand a concept (like using a pattern) by relating to themselves. For this first lesson I would have students take turns helping each other to trace their hand on to paper. The would then use this pattern to sew their hand as a “glove”. This could be a hard item to sew and turn because their fingers are small (generally) so I would explicitly ask for only the thumb to be free of the rest of the fingers. They then come to understand how the “inside” needs to be turned out, and the importance of measuring for seam allowance. Any too tight fingers certainly would teach a person what happens if you don’t allow for seams. A great hand for posterity or for adding to a possible future project of a puppet or class quilt of happy hands.
studioart3613aitchison 
I am glad to see that you got your chair pad project done. Turning a corner with piping in place is a challenge. I made a dress this summer with piping about the neckline…making the V neck was a challenge as symmetry really mattered!
I think piping this piece was a good idea because it would have looked a bit ho-hum without it. I suspect you did wash the piping before sewing it…as you mentioned in prepping the fabric, it too will shrink…disastrous when this happens after the piece is sewn.
Interesting about the choice of thread, to use 100% cotton. For a project like this, I would use a poly-cotton or polyester thread as it would have some ‘give’ to it. Your ongoing use of the pad will tell whether the cotton thread will be serviceable for you.
I enjoyed your narrative. Poor neglected iron…I think I use mine daily…that’s what comes with trying to make things from natural fabrics. Cotton and linen look awesome after ironing!
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Thanks Cathy. If I was sewing frequently I would be definitely ironing more. And yes, cotton and linen looks so good when ironed, especially linen. Some linen is almost pre-treated by washing many times and are not so ruinous when getting out of the car, etc. I’ve started wearing bamboo a lot and it doesn’t need anything to look good. A faux pas, above, is that I DIDN’T pre-wash the piping. The thought never even occurred to me. I’ll have to be careful when I do wash it. Piping a hemline must have been quite tricky- I’m impressed!
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