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DIY: Ottoman Tear Repair

by on May 13, 2008

created on: 05/13/08

Folks, this project is not for the squeamish. It’s real life.  A few spots, tears, chunks out of furniture you just aren’t ready to chuck.   My friend pleaded with me to do a repair job on this tired ottoman that has a giant tear, nay, RIP, right down the middle of the top.  It’s a long story about the owner, her 6’9″ football playing son, the reason they need a quick fix and so on.  But the long and short of it is that they aren’t ready to buy a new chair and ottoman, they are having a party, and this old thing needs to be fixed somehow.

My only salvation was that she had two armcovers I could use for patches.  Sooo, here’s the temporary solution.

what you need:

patch fabric

iron on interfacing one sided and Heat N Bond two sided

iron

scissors

thread

sewing machine

curved needle

created on: 05/13/08

What you do:

1.  Cut small piece of one sided iron on interfacing to place underneath short tear, rough side up, hold tear together and iron to fuse fabrics to interfacing, closing tear

created on: 05/13/08

created on: 05/13/08

 2.  Measure length of long rip and cut a piece of one sided iron on interfacing long enough to patch the rip and about 3 1/2″ wide.  Place under rip, rough side up.

created on: 05/13/08

That white under the tear is the interfacing, not the stuffing

3.  I had to straddle the ottoman to get the cushion to come together enough to close the tear.  Overlap the fabric a bit and press with a hot iron to fuse fabric to the interfacing and close the gap

Pin together until cool and secure

created on: 05/13/08

4.  Take the two arm covers apart, place on top of ottoman to see how the pattern will match, pin and stitch

created on: 05/13/08

created on: 05/13/08

5.  Iron on double sided Heat N Bond paper on back of arm cover “patch”

created on: 05/13/08

6.  Peel off backing, line up stripe on top of ottoman, matching as best that you can, iron with a hot iron, fusing “patch” on top of ottoman

created on: 05/13/08

7.  All that’s left is to stitch the edges down all the way around

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8. Using a curved needle and upholstery weight thread, tie a knot, start needle through fabric on underside (not showing) and begin stitching edge down

created on: 05/13/08

created on: 05/13/08

Because of the stitched under edge of the arm covers, it’s easy to catch the material in the fold and stitch to the ottoman top.

created on: 05/13/08

It is not as good as new, but it will make do until a new chair and ottman can be purchased.  My friend said it looks much better than the brown towel she had used to cover the tear.

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