The Art of Pin Fitting

Fabric, design, and fit are the top three most important elements of a slipcover.

Fabric gives the cover personality. Design highlights the style and special details. And, fit is what truly makes the slipcover.

Fit dictates your slipcover’s overall appearance as well as its functionality. It informs the shape, seam placement, construction, and performance quality.

If you’re new to slipcover making, start by learning basic pin-fit techniques to make a good-fitting cover. Then get creative and have some fun! Combine technique with an artful eye for marrying your design and fabric with your desired fit.

I call this the art of pin fitting.

In this post, I explain my favorite slipcover fit types and which fabrics and designs work best with each.

Upholstery-Like Fit

An upholstery-like fit is pinned and constructed snugly. The fabric is meticulously cut to hug every section of the furniture. The look is crisp and tailored.

I learned how to make slipcovers using this fit. It was excellent training in fabric draping and precision pinning. There’s not much room for error when you have to pin with such accuracy!

I found that this snug fit works best with classic upholstered pieces such as wingbacks, English rolled arm chairs, formal dining chairs, settees, camelback loveseats, and other pieces that feature traditional shapes.

Tightly woven, medium-weight 8 to 10 oz cottons in solids and prints are my preferred fabrics for this fit. They lie flat against the upholstery and produce less bulk in the seam allowances than heavyweight fabrics, giving a smooth appearance.

These types of fabrics are best suited for slipcovers that get moderate use.

Adding welt cord and tailored dressmaker details further enhances the upholstered look. And for skirtless slipcovers, I like to attach the bottom edge of the slipcover to the underside of the chair using Velcro. It creates a clean, snug hem.

Relaxed Fit

A relaxed fit captures the full shape of the furniture without being too snug or too loose. It allows the slipcover to sit slightly away from the upholstery, softening the lines.

The trick to creating a relaxed fit is to add a bit of ease in all of the outer seams as you pin using the right-side-out pin method. Depending on the slipcover design and the thickness of the fabric, I will add 1/4 to 3/4 inch of ease.

That little bit of ease makes the slipcover moderately roomy, which serves two purposes: It gives the slipcover a comfy, dressed-down look, and it allows for residual shrinkage.

The relaxed fit works with most furniture styles, fabrics, and slipcover designs with or without welt cord. I often pair this fit with 12 oz cotton denim, canvas, and hemp to create long-wearing, washable slipcovers.

After making upholstery-like fitted slipcovers for a few years, I switched to the relaxed fit. I love the versatility! It’s now my go-to fit for almost all of the slipcovers I make.

Loose Fit

A loose fit is lightly structured, hinting at the shape of the furniture. The look is casual and blousy; a sort of stylish sloppiness.

This fit marries nicely with a basic barrel back chair, a tubby chair, or classic rolled arm chairs; a piece that has a rolled shoulder/upper back for the fabric to drape off of.

An unadorned, simple slipcover design that has few seams is the way to go when pinning loose. This hemp canvas slip-on is a good example.

I placed the seams to follow the chair contour, allowing the fabric to softly drape over and away from the outer arm edges, back, and inner back.

A soft, drapey fabric with subtle texture and a bit of weight, 10 to 12 oz, works best. The combination allows the fabric to take on a laid-back look, which is needed when you pin fit loosely.

The fun thing about pinning loose is that you can change the fullness. You can increase it to make oversized, super baggy covers. Or pin it with less fullness to create a slightly looser look than the relaxed fit. So many possibilities!

What’s your favorite slipcover fit?