Patio Set Makeover - Post 2

Ok. . . in the last post I discussed removing the slings and painting the patio chairs. Now, lets talk remaking the patio slings. You will need to buy a outdoor fabric that is made for sling type patio chairs. I got mine from FabricGuru. You will also need to purchase a heavy outdoor thread to sew your slings.


I used the old slings to measure by and cut my fabric by those measurements initially. This may be a trial and error process to go through to get your slings just right. When I put the initial try on the patio chair it was not tight enough. It seemed to sag too much when sat on. So, I took it off and took it up by an inch. Then it was too tight to pull over the seat frame of the chair. So, I tried again and just took it up about 1/2 inch. That was much better. I'm not sure that I am totally satisfied yet however. I think I may tighten up on the seat sling by another 1/4 inch to make it a little tighter but not so tight that it does not pull over the seat frame. I would suggest cutting by the measurements of the old fabric and then take it up as necessary until you get it just right and then repeat those same measurements for all your like chairs.

Here are some step by step directions for sewing your slings. . .

Step 1:
Take the measurements and examine the construction of your sling. Take out the stitches of your old sling and take the full measurements.


Cut your new fabric accordingly.


Step 2: Turn the top and bottom edge under and sew two lines of stitching. You will need to use a heavy duty needle and your heavy thread. (I turned mine under 1 inch-- using the measurements from the old sling.)



Step 3: Now you need to sew the casing for the spines on the sides. I copied the construction of my old slings and turned the edge under 1/4 inch and then turned it over again by about an inch. I used two lines of stitching for extra reinforcement. Just make sure that your two lines of stitching leave enough room in the casing area for the spine to be inserted. The photo below show on the right side of the fabric where it is turned under 1/4 inch. And, on the left side of the fabric I am showing that I have turned it over again to form the casing.

The next photo show beginning to sew the casing. Make sure to sew two lines of stitching for extra reinforcement. Also, sew slowly and carefully since this is a lot of thick fabric to sew through.


Step 4: Insert the spines in the casings of the new fabric!


Step 5: Now insert the fabric back into the grooves of the four "sling holders". Replace the end caps and then reattach them to your chairs!!




Stay tuned for Patio Set Makeover - Post 3. Reworking the table. :)