Owning one has always been a dream and I have to admit that when I took my then ten-year-old grandson to Paris, I demanded equal time at the Musée Carnavalet and we lingered over the fabulous antique chairs for just as long as we studied the miniature guillotines! ;-)
And, although it’s not French, I think I came pretty close with this one! No Hulk smashing allowed on it, however, since it is an antique Stickley & Brandt. It does earn its keep, however, as my desk chair. You can get all the details on its little transformation here.
But the chair I want to share with you today was a more involved process…an evolution, really…over several years. I first spotted it at an antique mall, painted a sort of mottled grey and not looking very French at all. But I fell in love with that pierced vase shape on the back and knew I had to have it! I never saw its original finish, but our CEO Miss Ozzie suggests that it probably looked something like the photo in the inset (source).
It’s actually a vintage shield-back Hepplewhite style chair, with a set of unusual turned legs…a sort of flirty English gal hiding under all of that original heavy stain. I gave her a drop cloth seat for a country finish and painted her ivory with a grey wash to bring out her pretty features. You can read the story of her transformation here. I always intended to give her a flippy slip-covered skirt…
First, I measured, allowing for the arms. Of course, if yours is not an arm chair, you would have one simple measurement. Mine was 11 inches on each side and 26 inches across the front. 
Then, using more drop cloth (super cheap, durable and no need to iron) I cut the three pieces, doubling the width for extra ruffles, and allowing 9 inches of length. Another great thing about drop cloth is that if you make your cuts wisely, you can take advantage of the fact that it’s already hemmed! So I had two pieces at 22” x 9” and one at 52” x 9’' and only had to hem the sides! Finish them off with a long stitch and gather and adjust to the original measurements.
Next, I cut a piece from the drop cloth that was roughly the size of the seat, allowing a 2 inch overhang all around and making cuts to allow for all four legs.
Then pin the ruffles to the seat cover, right sides together, adjusting and spacing the ruffles evenly. Repeat for all three sides. You can then trim off the extra fabric and stitch. Next, trim the seams and press toward the seat, turning under the clipped sections at the legs and trimming off the excess. Then simply topstitch all the way around to hold it all in place. 
Finally, stitch ties at the back corners (I made mine out of drop cloth, but you could use ribbons) to secure the slipcover to the chair and…
…taaa daaa…here she is…looking as I had always intended her to look…a proper English girl at heart with a flirty French exterior! I am so happy that I finally took the time to finish her!
And just in case you missed any of my posts on previous topics in our Country French Design series, here they are…
Remember to pin it!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing my Country French chair! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants.
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays , French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday
See you next time! À la prochaine!
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You did a fabulous job on that chair and the slipcover. I liked it both ways, but the skirt does add more femininity to it.
ReplyDeletewooooweeeee, that looks terrific.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 chairs that need new seat covers, so your tutorial is just in time for me to switch ideas and do them like you did yours.
thanks so much
Such a pretty lady with her very flirty skirt! Great job as always!
ReplyDeleteLove your chair and the slipcover you made for it! Love how it turned out!
ReplyDeleteOOoohhhhhlala. Luv the flirty little skirt.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job! I'm hoping to get my hands on some chairs at my in-laws lake house and cover them. Nothing french or fancy, but they are old (over 60 years) and in desperate need to be recovered. Maybe in the off season.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely!! You did a fabulous job and they look very French to me!
ReplyDeleteGreat job -- the chair looks like she was always suppose to look this way! I truly appreciate the tutorial, because I've been wanting to cover our dining room chairs. Mine are different, & I have had this plan in my head for awhile, but was puzzled over a couple of areas. I think you have given me what I needed. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteCharming, as usual and an even better sleeping place for Ozzie. Excellent tutorial.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, you are full of talent. The chair looks fabulous. I bought a French style bench at a consignment store several years ago now. It lingers waiting for a makeover. Hmmmm, perhaps it needs to go to Atlanta. '-)
ReplyDeleteI love anything drop cloth. The chair looks great and it elevants a dropcloth to elegance.
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial Debbie! Love how it turned out. I have a few chairs I could use this on.
ReplyDeleteCan you please tell me what you did to the little back chair flaps to finish them, I didn't see it in the instructions. Thanks. I want to make them asap.
ReplyDeleteI just trimmed it off, turned the edges under a bit and top stitched.
Deleteoh my love the chair and the chair cover ... I have got to make this and thank you for sharing the how to
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make these for my kitchen chairs! I love the skirt! My chairs will dance!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the chair cover! What weight of drop cloth did you use?
ReplyDelete