Pages

Monday, June 7, 2010

How to Patch a Couch

This is a quick and dirty method to patch up your comfy, well-loved, pieces of furniture.

This couch was in my parent's living room when I was growing up. It's seen active duty for 15 years now, and will hopefully see many more!

However, little tushies had worn completely through the cushion fabric, and if there's a hole you KNOW kids are going to stick their fingers in to see if it's possible to make the hole bigger. (It is.)

First, cut a piece of fabric larger than your hole, and iron in the edges to the wrong side of the fabric. To make the corners lie flat, open them out, then push them in on themselves so the edges cover the corner, and keep ironing. (See picture.) A seam ripper is helpful to hold the corner in place while you iron it down.




Lay your patch right side up and stitch it to the seat cover, trying not to sew it to the cushion itself. You want this to be able to move when the cushion cover shifts around, or it will stress the stitches.

I just did a basic running stitch, you could get fancy and do something else. I'm not fancy.


Finito!

If you want to get inspired about patching up your beloved furniture, there's a really neat picture of a much-patched arm chair in Amanda Soule's book Handmade Home

Posted by Picasa

9 comments:

Teresa said...

Clever...way to make it last a little longer.
Happy Day

Debbie said...

What a great idea. I hate to get rid of furniture. The chair I'm in right now has needed to go for years:)

Samantha said...

How did you know we have a massive rip in our couch? And that a certain someone is always digging her foot into it? :)

Su said...

THat will definitely put a stop to those itchy fingers!

LunaMoonbeam said...

Nice!! I saw that patch the other day, but forgot to ask you about it.

Elizabeth said...

I hope that it wears well. Do you think that those patches the grocery store/fabric store sells for jeans would work on there too?

Mad in Crafts said...

Thanks for linking up to the Mad Skills party!

Alexandra said...

Cute idea! I've been thinking about patches, quilts and applique lately. Summer is freeing! I'm going to see if my library has that book.

Elizabeth said...

Myrnie -

Do you make cheese or yogurt? I went to a class last night and learned how. Have you ever made your own butter?

How are you? I see you have posted in awhile.

Have a great one!
Elizabeth