Month: October 2016

Wondering what a slipcover is? How it’s used? Why you’d want one? Or just curious about the benefits & downsides of a slipcover. We’ve got you covered!

Slipcover Basics and Definition

slip·cov·er

/ˈslipˌkəvər/

noun – NORTH AMERICAN

noun: slip cover; plural noun: slip covers; noun: slipcover; plural noun: slipcovers

1. a removable fitted cloth cover for a chair or sofa.

   • a jacket or slipcase for a book.

A slipcover (sometimes called a loose cover) is defined as a protective fitted cover that be slipped on or off a piece of upholstered furniture. Slipcovers are usually made of cloth and may be removed for the season, or for cleaning, moving, or simply for long storage.

The Slipcover Origins

Slipcovers have been used since the European medieval period and became more important during the formal traditional period. Originally, these were very simple dust covers for fine furniture in rooms that were rarely used. Everything of value in the room would be covered in white muslin, or lightweight canvas (duck, drill) covers. Think bedsheets but sewn to approximately fit each piece, protecting them from the sun, humidity, grime and even insects / rats.

The turn of the century comes, and it’s the 18th century in England. The wealthy start using custom-tailored sofa covers as seasonal furnishments. Lightweight plain or twill weaves of cotton, or linen, or cotton-linen blends were very much in style as they absorbed moisture and were breathable. Perfect for summer.

Time passes and now the definition of slipcovers is attention to detail. Piping, welting, cording, ties and bows, covered / contrasting buttons, French pleats, box pleats, ruffles, and more are found in custom slipcovers. Slipcovers are now fabricated by tailors and seamstresses, just like clothes.

And the wheel turns, it’s now the Victorian Era. Slipcovers move towards a looser fit, what we call shabby chic these days. The sofa covers are bigger than the furniture and flow to the floor with strategic wrinkles. The reason behind this? Slipcovers were made from linen or linen blends, and due to the change of heat and humidity in the seasons, would expand and shrink unevenly. Thus, fashion changed to suit.

Modern(er) Times

In modern times, some slipcovers were even available in clear vinyl, or plastic slipcovers. These clear plastic slipcovers were available in large department stores or were custom made by artisans.

Slipcovers took off in popularity around 1935, and peaked at about 1950, before declining due to the cost of new furniture falling below the cost of a custom slipcover. New manufacturing techniques, new upholstery fabrics that were easier to maintain and clean, all contributed to the decline in popularity.

Since the 70’s, they’ve been making a comeback!

The Comeback for the Slipcover

The advent of new production techniques for slipcovers, new fabrics and other textile advancements seems to have sparked this comeback in sofa covers. Knit covers, elasticated covers, ties and other fashions meant that slipcovers could now be mass-produced for every size and shape of sofa out there.

The tradeoff was a loss of the custom look for the ability to price-match the cheaper sofas out there. Because of these, there’s been a pre-conceived notion that all slipcovers or sofa covers have to be the above lumpy mess.

But wait, there’s more!

Well we don’t really believe that. Because we’ve made custom sofa covers or custom slipcovers completely affordable and easy to obtain for anyone in the world :)

Check out what we’ve done:

Slipcovers are a great way to bring back that lost lovin’ feelin to your couch, that same feeling you got when you first bought it.

After several years of wear, pet scratches and some unwashable stains – all you really need is to re-cover it without having to throw away your sofa.

The other benefit of slipcovers is to provide yourself alternative looks, something that makes it uniquely you.

Personalisation is something we strongly believe in at Comfort Works, and the sky’s the limit as to what you want custom made to your preference – be it a snug or relaxed fit, piping or plain seams, pleated or straight skirts even.

You design it, we’ll sew it.

I mean, I don’t want to brag. But I think we’ve done a pretty good job at shaking those horrible old stereotypes.

Inspired? Let us know and we’ll put the same effort in on your custom sofa slipcover :)

Now that we’ve opened up a whole new world of slipcover customizations with skirts, seams and piping, we have whole lot more time to explore the finer aspects of making your slipcover as special as possible. One of the simplest ways to up the ante on your slipcover style is by varying sewing styles.

Today we’re discussing two seemingly different, but similar types of decorative edgings: flanges and inverted seams.

 

Flanged Edges

A flanged edge (in relation to sewing) is a wide flap of fabric added to the edges of an item for decorative purposes. The overall effect is a larger cushion with a loose, fluttery look which is perfect for an informal family room or TV room.

Here’s an example of a flat cushion with a basic flange:

The flange edge is usually seen on cushion covers, not on sofa frame covers for practical reasons. It’s basically a wider strip of fabric that’s attached to the edges to give it the look of a sham. There are many ways to sew the flange, so we aren’t going to explain it step by step here, but eHow is a great resource!

We’ve seen it recently on the Ikea Holmsund sofabed, pictured below.

Ikea Holmsund back cushion cover with flange.

Take it a step further with these flanged styles:

Ribbon style double flanged edges.

 

Box cushions with double flanged edges.

Inverted Seams (or French Seams)

In our previous blogpost titled Seams, Stitches and Piping, we defined the inverted aka French seam. The inverted seam is easily identifiable by the “pinched” look of the raised seam. The overall effect is a crisp, tailored effect as the borders are very clearly defined.

As you can see (if you squint) you can see that the seam is made of 2 pieces of fabric folded in on itself, like pursed lips. The inverted seam in this case, is made by sewing 2 pieces of fabric, the wrong sides together first, then pressing the seam open and folding the fabric over so the right sides face outwards.

An up close shot of an inverted seam before the second enclosing row of stitching.

The first seam will be on the inside and you’ll enclose the seam with the second row of stitching which gives the fabric some thickness, almost like a corded piping. This inverted seam is seen on many Ikea sofas, notably the Kivik, Mellby and Vilasund sofas. 

The original French seam though, seems to have more practical applications as described in this blog post, so the technique will end up pretty handy! While it was initially created to contain the seam allowance for delicate, fancy fabrics and ensuring that they stay flat, it’s fascinating to see how this has been applied in upholstery to create the sharp, clean lines we love so much.

Inverted seams as seen on the Ikea Kivik

 

To sum things up – what’s the difference between these two styles? The major difference is that inverted seams is a technique while flange is a decorative style; and the former gives a more tailored, neat look while flanges are more relaxed and comfy in style.

If you’re interested in getting custom slipcovers, or just personalizing slipcovers for your Ikea or Pottery Barn sofa, just let us know what you have in mind. We’re all ears, so just drop a message on our Live Chat function or send us an email at info@comfortworks.com.au :)

Image credits: Ikea.