ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Diamond Eye Seat Cover

1. Unscrew the seat from the chair and remove all fabric, staples, and nails, leaving the padding in place.

2. Place seat facedown on the wrong side of the fabric and trace the outline with a pencil. Cut out the fabric, leaving enough fabric around the drawn outline so that it can be stapled underneath.

3. Lay the ruler horizontally along the bottom edge of the drawn line on the wrong side of the fabric. Lightly trace the top edge of the ruler. Move the ruler up so that the first line is now along the bottom edge of the ruler and trace the top edge again. Repeat until you get to the top line.

4. Find the midpoint of the drawn area. Measure 1 inch above and below, and mark dots on the fabric. Then measure 2 inches to the left and to the right of the middle point, mark, and connect the dots with a ruler to form a diamond.

5. To make the second diamond, measure 1 inch above and below the top and bottom of the diamond you just made. Then measure 2½ inches to the right and left of the side points and mark. Connect these dots with a ruler to form the second diamond. Then place the top of the ruler along one side and trace the outside edge of the ruler. Do this on all sides to complete the third diamond.

6. Use your fine paintbrush to outline the edges of each diamond in blue. Use the large brush to fill in using the same color.

7. Clean your fine brush and use it to lightly trace the horizontal lines with the black fabric paint.

8. Allow to dry according to paint directions, then iron from the back side to set.

9. Attach the fabric to the seat with a heavy-duty staple gun or tacks and a small hammer. Be sure not to cover the holes for the screws. Reattach the seat to the chair.

• Chevron Seat Cover

  
  
  
  

  1. Unscrew the seat from the chair and remove all fabric, staples, and nails, leaving the padding in place.
  

  2. Line up the black and red fabric on a work surface, wrong sides up. Flip the seat upside down and place on top. (Your goal is to make half of the chair cover black and half of it red.) Trace the outline with a pencil. Be sure to leave room to staple fabric underneath and an extra ½-inch seam allowance.
  

  3. Pin in place, right sides facing, along the length where the fabrics meet. Sew a straight stitch by hand or with a machine.
  

  4. Cut two 4-inch-wide pieces of the hemp fabric to the approximate length of your seat. Use a sewing machine to create an interlock stitch on all the edges to prevent unraveling.
  

  5. Cut one end of each strip at a 45-degree angle. Lay the two pieces together at an angle to make an arrow over the seam of the connecting red and black fabric. Pin in place and sew with an interlock stitch around the edges and middle seam where they overlap.
  

  6. Iron fabric from the back, and use a heavy-duty staple gun or tacks and a small hammer to attach it to the back of the seat. Be sure not to cover the holes for the screws. Reattach the seat to the chair.
  
  

  • Harvest Stitch Seat Cover

    
    
    
    

    1. Unscrew the seat from the chair and remove all fabric, staples, and nails, leaving the padding in place.
    

    2. Cover the entire seat using the back side of denim (for a faded finished look), attaching it tightly with either a heavy-duty staple gun or tacks and a hammer. Make sure not to cover the screw holes. Trim any excess fabric.
    

    3. Lay the burlap over the top of the seat and approximate the area that you would like it to cover. Cut and iron. Use a sewing machine to create an interlock stitch on all the edges to prevent unraveling.
    

    4. Using a ruler and pencil, mark the middle point on your burlap. Measure 2½ inches above and below that point and mark. Measure 2 inches right and left and mark. Connect the lines with your ruler to form the center diamond. 
    

    5. Measure 1½ inches to the right and the left of the diamond you just made and mark to create the outer point of each smaller diamond. Then measure 2 inches above and below the middle points of your smaller diamonds to create the top and bottom dot for the outer diamonds. Connect the lines to form your diamonds. (You should have one large diamond in the middle and two smaller ones on each side.)
    

    6. Cut a piece of navy yarn to about arm’s length. Thread your tapestry needle, tie a large knot at one end, and leave about 6 inches of yarn hanging from the other end of the needle. (You will be holding this shorter end while embroidering so the yarn doesn’t pull through the needle.)
    

    7. Start at the center top point of the middle diamond. Pull the needle through the underside of the burlap and pull until the knot is snug against the burlap. Make a stitch between ⅛ and ⅜ inches long, ending with your needle on the underside of the burlap. Leave the same stitch length as on top when you push the needle back up to the top of the burlap. Make a reverse stitch back to where you initially inserted the needle, covering the empty space. Repeat stitching until you finish outlining all your diamonds.

    

    To backstitch, pull your needle up at A. Insert it back into the fabric at B, and bring it up at C. Push needle down at D, and bring up at E. Continue in the same manner until you have outlined all diamonds, keeping stitch length ⅛ to ⅜ long on front and back. (When you are close to running out of yarn, pull it to the underside of fabric, tie a knot, and start again.)
    

    8. Once you have completed the embroidery, iron and pin the burlap to the seat. Hand-stitch, using a running stitch, the burlap to the denim using a small needle and cotton thread.
    
    

    • Prism Seat Cover

      
      
      
      

      1. Unscrew the seat from the chair and remove all fabric, staples, and nails, leaving the padding in place.
      

      2. Place seat facedown on wrong side of fabric and trace the outline with a pencil. Cut out the fabric, leaving enough fabric around the drawn outline so that it can be stapled underneath, and iron.
      

      3. Draw a triangle in the center of your seat that is approximately 8×8×8 inches using your ruler and pencil. Measure and mark 1 inch to the right and 1 inch up from the bottom right corner of your triangle and draw a line. Draw a line to connect the line you just drew to the top point of the triangle. You should now have a pyramid.
      

      4. From the top point, draw two lines down the middle of the triangle approximately 1 or 2 inches apart. (They don’t have to be straight.) 
      

      5. Measure an arm’s length of your white thread and split it in half to create two pieces with three threads each. Take one of the two pieces and thread your embroidery needle, leaving about 6 inches on one side of the needle. Tie a knot on the other end.
      

      6. Start with your needle on the underside of the top point of the triangle. Make a stitch ⅛-inch wide, ending with your needle on the underside of the denim. Leave the same stitch length as your first, as you push the needle back up to the top of the denim. Make a reverse stitch back to the end of the first stitch you made, covering the empty space. (See diagram on page 72.) Repeat stitching until you finish outlining your pyramid.
      

      7. Thread a needle with the ecru thread and embroider the far left inside line of your pyramid, starting at the top. Use the khaki thread to embroider the next line to the right. Repeat again with light gray thread along the next line to the right.
      

      8. Iron and attach the fabric to the seat with a heavy-duty staple gun or tacks and a small hammer. Be sure not to cover the holes for the screws.