Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this a "course" rather than simply a "video?"
Generally, other videos on the market are too advanced
for the home sewer and people are not able to understand
nor keep up. This instructional product was designed
so that the absolute beginner can complete a slipcover
successfully. This meant that the length of the video
had to be longer than any other video on the market
and there would need to be additional information made
available via the website. It began to take on similarities
to a class being offered at a community college; hence
the word “course” was adopted.
I have some experience sewing simple clothing but I have never attempted anything like custom slipcovers. Can I do this?
Making slipcovers is easier than people think. The sewing
could not be more basic and most of the course focuses
on making a MUSLIN PATTERN. The introductory course,
Basic Principles of Slipcovering (part 1) keeps things
very basic. This easy and basic approach still produces
wonderful results (see photo galleries). Once a student
finishes level one, they are amazed at their results
and how truly easy it was! The fact is, making slipcovers
is MUCH easier than sewing clothing!!!
What kind of equipment will I need?
Home sewing machine (straight stitch is all that is
needed), scissors, pins, measuring tape, yardstick,
magic marker, muslin, masking tape, and some sort of
large work surface (i.e. Ping pong table, dining room
table, pool table, piece of plywood or even the floor).
All other videos teach slipcovering by cutting and pinning the actual fabric directly on the furniture. Why do you teach slipcovering by using a pattern method? It seems like a waste of time.
Indeed, making a pattern is an additional step which
most professionals don’t bother with. However, they
are professionals and have a great deal of experience
behind them. This slipcovering course assumes that the
student is an absolute beginner and has no idea how
to begin, therefore we purposely keep things simple
and basic and easy to understand. A pattern approach
is by far the best way for the beginner to learn because
1) mistakes can be easily corrected, 2) students can
change their minds during the process and 3) the PRESSURE
IS OFF! Remember, this course is not about making the
most efficient slipcover but rather, it is about teaching
the basic fundamentals and making it easy!
I have been looking at slipcovered furniture lately and notice that seams have been placed in different places from chair to chair. Why? How will I know where to place my seams?
Excellent question! This is probably the first thing
that a student should understand. In making slipcovers,
there is not necessarily a best way to do it. Different
people have different ways of making slipcovers. If
the same chair were to be slipcovered by 5 different
people, it could indeed have 5 different seam placements
and they could all look great. Every time I make a slipcover,
I have to decide where I am going to place my seams.
Just because I decide to do it one way does not mean
that I could not have achieved excellent results if
I had made different choices. My advice to beginners
is to make your decision based on simplicity. The
course reaffirms this and will demonstrate how and why
simple seam placement is best for the beginner.
Why do you insist that this is “easy”? Frankly, it does not look so easy.
Without question, the hardest part for the beginner is getting up the nerve to simply give this a try. It is, once again “fear” telling you that you can never do this. I am here to tell you to place any fear aside and think about the following:
- Basic sewing skills are all that is needed.
- Making a slipcover pattern is taught keeping the beginner in mind.
- Once you complete your first slipcover, you will have learned a great deal and additional attempts will become second nature. Making slipcovers is like anything else, once you get the hang of it, it becomes fun and truly easy!
- Your results will excite you not only in how great your furniture will look, but also in how much money you can save in decorating your home. Literally, thousands of dollars
- Great results can be achieved with simple sewing. You don’t have to be fancy or perfect at all. Just give yourself permission to try. There is no rush and no one is grading you. I tell my students to most of all relax and have fun with this. If you feel frustrated with any part, take a break and come back to it later. I have never come across a problem that could not be solved.
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