Chairback Cover
Make a paper pattern from EQ

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I have a couple of Director's Chairs. The backs of the chairs were starting to look tacky; rest of the chair is just fine. They were in definite need of some covers.  Was I going to use some plain, old, everyday fabric for covers? Nooo. I am a quilter and wanted a quilt block on the covers. LOL

Here's a pic of one of my Director's chairs. The top corners of the chairbacks became a little frayed over time.

The following directions will show you how to make a layout in EQ4.1 for placement of design on the chairback and also how to make a paper pattern of your own chairback for construction of same.  It is assumed that you have some experience designing in EQ4.1, specifically working with Country Set and Layer 2.  You will also need basic sewing skills, as directions are not going to tell you how to sew, but will let you know what to sew.

Make a Sample Chairback Cover from scrap fabric
You want to be sure that the design that you will be designing in EQ4.1 for the Chairback will fit on your chairback.  So, first make a sample Chairback Cover from scrap fabric.

Using a plastic tape measure (do not use a cloth measure, they stretch), measure snugly, not tightly, around the chairback...this is the circumference of the chairback. Tsk, tsk, see those frayed corners!

Divide that measurement by 2 and add a ½" for seam allowances (¼" each side), plus ¼" for "ease" to give the width of the fabric needed for the Sample Cover.  
Here's my chairback's width --

From the top of the chair back, measure down how far you want the ChairBack Cover to "cover" and multiply by 2.  This is the height of the fabric needed for the Sample Cover.

Here's my chairback's height --

From scrap fabric, I cut my Sample Cover 19¼" width x 18½" height.

Fold Sample Cover in half, wrong sides together and
sew along the sides of the height, using ¼" seams.

Turn it right side out and slip it over the chair back to see if it fits. Too tight? Too loose? Too short? Too tall? Or just right? This looks just right to me.

If need be, make adjustments to your sample, or make a new sample with new measurements to be sure that your chairback fits just right.

Once you are sure of the fit, you are now ready to make a design layout in EQ4.1, but first  we want to see what a "block" would look like on the chairback.

Make a "Test block" of paper
	Cut a 7" x 7" square of paper  (I used orange paper) and pin it "on-point" to the Sample that is on the chairback. Have bottom point of paper at bottom raw edge of Sample Cover.  Paper block may, or may not, extend over top on your chairback.  Either way is okay. We're just doing this to get a "visual" of what we're gonna do in EQ. (You can choose to set your block horizontal.)

Measure sample Chairback Cover - measurements for EQ4.1

• Remove Sample Cover chairback from chair and turn wrong side out.
• Measure the actual width - from stitching line to stitching line - DO NOT include seam allowances.
• Measure the height of the Sample Cover, from fold at top to raw edge at bottom.
• Since the hem allowance is not included in the Sample Cover, the height is an accurate measurement for design area in EQ4.1.
• This will now be referred to as the Chairback Front Cover.

My Chairback Front Cover - 18.75" width x 9.25" height

Make layout in EQ4.1 for design area
Create a new project in EQ.  I named mine "Chairbacks".
Quilt - New Quilt - Country Set

• Layout tab - Type in the width and height of your Chairback Front Cover.  
  I typed in width 18.75, height 9.25
• Border tab - all borders "0"

Draw blocks for placement guides Worktable - Work on block
	Draw out a FourPatch block, any size, just as long as it is "square". Color all 4 patches the color of your background fabric for your Chairback Front Cover, or any color you wish. This block will be used as a placement guide. Save to Sketchbook, Save.
	Color it, again, with any other color.  This will also be used as placement guide. Save to Sketchbook, Save.

Set the block on the layout - this is a "Trial Run"

Worktable - Work on quilt
Layer 1 tab - Using the SET TOOL, draw out a FourPatch block (background color).  Use the ADJUST TOOL to position the block at 0.00 and size the block to the same width and height as your layout. My layout - width 18.75, height 9.25  I made my block - width 18.75, height 9.25		Layer 2 tab - Using the  SET TOOL, draw out a FourPatch block (other color). Use the ADJUST TOOL to size it to 7" x 7", rotate it 45° and position it just like you positioned the 7" x 7" paper block on the Sample Chairback Front Cover. Save to Sketchbook, Save.

Yes, the 7" x 7" on-point block extends above the top... just like the 7" x 7" paper block on my Chairback Front Cover.  
Now that we know what we are shootin' for, time to go and find a block.  

Choosing a block

As I was paging through the "Electric Quilt Block Book", I came across the "Grape Basket" block (Classic Pieced - Pictures).  Thought that would work for an "on-point" block.   You can choose a block and set it "horizontal".  The choice is yours.

In Layer 2, I replaced the FourPatch block (7" square) with the Grape Basket and dragged it further down. Didn't like it as well as I thought I would. (In Layer 2, with Select Tool, click in the center of the block, to replace it with a new block.)		Made it bigger - 8.25" square and dragged it up.  But, it still didn't "speak" to me.

Now that I know how the block is going to look on the Chairback, it's time to make a Paper Pattern that you can use over and over again.

But, if you will be making a quilt block for Chair Back, you will have to know the sizes of the "setting triangles", the side borders, and back border. And that's where the PaperPattern comes in mighty handy -- for now, and for the future Chairbacks you might make.  If I get real ambitious, it would be nice to have Seasonal Chairbacks...we'll see!  ;-)

Making a Full-sized Paper Pattern for the Chairback Cover
You could use newspaper draw your pattern on.  I save the crumpled-up un-printed newsprint that is used to cushion the contents of the boxes of stuff that I receive when ordering from catalogs.  I iron the newsprint and roll it up and store it away.  You could also tape together sheets of paper to get the desired size that you need.

From the paper - Cut a rectangle of the measurements of the Sample Cover that you made, including the seam allowances, PLUS hem allowance of 1", which means you have to add 2" to the height of the Sample Cover.  Remember?  We didn't have any allowance for the hem on the Sample Cover.

Paper Pattern for my Chairback:

	My PaperPattern 19¼"w x 20½"h Fold PaperPattern in half, lengthwise and widthwise, to determine centers.  Mark centerlines.  I have used red to denote centerlines on graphic.   Optional -- make dotted lines for: ¼" seamlines 1" hem
	You don't have to draw in your block.  I just drew it in to show placement.  Just draw an outline of the size of your block on your PaperPattern.  I have colored in my block, just so you could see what it looks like.   Red line is the center of chair back , which is the fold at top of Chairback Cover.  Black line at top of quilt block is the seamline for the back of the Chairback Cover.  The quilt block goes right over the top and onto the back of the Chairback Cover.
	Here's my Chairback Cover, without any distracting lines.
	Here's my PaperPattern, without coloring.
	Here's an alternate way of setting the block on-point.
	Here's a horizontal setting for the quilt block.

Here's my actual PaperPattern for the Chairbacks. I wrote on the paper the dimensions of each section, plus seam allowances. Remember -- add seam allowances to all the sections of the Cover. Remember -- when cutting the fabric sections of the Cover, always have the grainline on the horizontal & vertical edges of Cover.

When I completed my quilt block, I cut a piece of muslin (the same size as quilt block) and pinned it to the back of quilt block.  I then treated the quilt block and muslin as one.  Don't want to have all those raw edges rubbing on the ChairBack.  As I sewed each ChairBack Cover section to the quilt block, I serged the raw edges.

You could put a layer of batting and backing on the finished Chair Back Cover and quilt it...but, remember that quilting will "take up" fabric, so therefore add more "ease" to the Chair Back Cover before cutting out your PaperPattern.  How much "ease"...I don't know...cuz I didn't quilt on my Chair Back Cover.  You will have to experiment on that one.  ;-)

Making the Chair Back Cover is easy...the most time-consuming part is making the quilt block.

I have the PaperPattern folded up and put away -- ready for another day when I want to (maybe) make some Seasonal covers for the Director's Chairs.  Or change the covers.  Using the above method, you can make just about any kind of cover -- appliance covers, sewing machine covers, etc.  You don't have to miter the corners, just poke them in.  That way, you will have "flat" covers when it's time to launder them.  Easier to store, too.

Here's a close-up of my finished Chairback Cover. No one needs to know that there are frayed corners under that cover! I rounded the top corners of the Cover when I sewed  the side seams.

ChairBack layout as drawn in EQ4.1

Looks like a new chair! I chose to have the quilt block on the inside of the chairback.   You can put it on the outside of the chairback -- just turn it around. That might be a better look for a barstool-type chair that is at a counter.

Could I have made the Chairback Covers without EQ4.1?  Of course!
Could I have auditioned as many blocks on my Chairback, without cutting into fabric,
without EQ4.1?  Never!