It's amazing how quickly a room full of kids can destroy anything. My friend runs an in-home daycare and after 6 years of loyal service, her jean couch cover was toast. We attached a few temporary patches months ago, but nothing can last around a dozen 2-3 year olds.
However, she and I both hate to throw anything away. This jean couch cover has memories in every rip and tear. Each stain is a subtle reminder of little boys and girls playing and learning. For her, the stains and rips are nostalgic. In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how easy it is to reinforce and patch up a frayed, ripped, kid-induced slip cover tragedy. Here we go!
Supplies
Fabric large enough to fully cover frayed area
Large Jean or Upholstery fabric patches
Machine Needle matching your slipcover fabric (in my case, Jean Needles)
Step 1
Turn your slip cover inside out and spread out on a floor or table to evaluate all the holes and thinning areas. First, we are going to reinforce the area that's falling apart - which is pretty much the entire cushion section.
Gather up scraps of jeans or other strong, durable fabric. I used jean pant legs I cut up years ago to use as patches.
Step 2
Layer the patches over the trouble areas. It's best to have the patch extend a few inches past the rips and holes. Pin in place and head over to the sewing machine.
Step 3
I recommend using a darning foot for this part. We need to tack the jean patches to the slip cover. Because the cover is so heavy and bulky, it's rather difficult to maneuver under a sewing machine. Drop your feed dogs and use a free motion stitch to shift the fabric as best as you can.
Step 4
Making a large single patch is easiest, but you can get as patch-happy as you'd like. You could make fun patterns or appliqués. Measure the area needed to cover and cut a patch that is slightly larger. Turn the couch cover right sides out and pin the patch to the slipcover.
Step 5
If you have a walking foot, it makes the next part easier. We want to "quilt" 5 lines down the length of the patch. I like the start in the center and work my way out with the outer lines sewn along the patch edge. Then, sew another 2 lines along the edges of the two open patch ends.
Step 6
Slip your couch cover back on the sofa and enjoy another decade of tiny toes or whatever it is that caused the initial holes, rips, and stains. Thanks for reading and I hope this tutorial was helpful. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to message us comment section below. Happy Sewing!
