How to Sew a Denim Daybed Cover for a Twin Bed

A daybed is a piece of furniture that doubles as a sofa by day and a bed by night. It usually has a back and arms, and a twin-bed mattress that serves as a seat. Usually a daybed mattress has a cover that zips off for easy washing and throw pillows along the back for the sitter's comfort. Making a daybed cover is not a difficult sewing project. Denim, which is durable, easily found and relatively inexpensive, can stand up to everyday wear and tear, can be washed and dried with ease, and fits into rustic or casual decorating styles nicely.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape
• Denim fabric---at least 45 inches wide and twice the length of your mattress, plus 2 inches for seam allowances
• Matching thread
• Tailor's chalk in a contrasting color to the fabric
• Pinking shears
• A long (at least 24 inches) heavy-duty metal zipper, preferably a trouser or a metal chain zipper, that matches the color of the fabric
• Straight pins
• Iron and ironing board

1. Before you buy your fabric, measure the length, width and depth of your mattress. Most twin mattresses measure 39 inches wide by 75 inches long, but these dimensions can vary by as much as 2 inches, and depth varies a great deal from mattress to mattress. Draw a little diagram of the mattress and write the dimensions on the drawing. Take this to the fabric store with you.

2. You want the top and bottom of the daybed cover to be seamless, so don't buy fabric that's not at least 45 inches wide. You can buy denim in widths up to 60 inches, but such a width would result in a lot of waste, so unless you plan to make throw pillows or something else out of the remnants, 45 inches is plenty wide enough.

3. When you get it home, preshrink the fabric by washing it in hot water and drying it in the dryer. If it's badly wrinkled when it's done, press it with a steam iron.

4. Lay the denim out on a flat surface. Look at your diagram and figure out how big the top and bottom pieces should be by adding 2 inches to each dimension, for seam allowances and ease. Using the tailor's chalk, draw the shape of the top onto the denim. Cut it out with pinking shears, to discourage the fabric from raveling. Put the cut-out shape onto the remaining uncut denim, pen it smoothly down, and cut out the bottom by cutting around the top. Set the two pieces aside.

5. You will cut the side pieces out in three pieces. The front side piece will wrap around the front of the mattress and around both the two shorter sides. Using the diagram, calculate the length of the front side piece by adding together the length of the mattress plus the length of each side of the mattress, and adding 2 inches for the seam allowances and ease. Calculate the width by adding 2 inches to the depth of the mattress. This piece will wrap around the two sides and the front of the mattress.
   Using the tailor's chalk, draw this shape onto the fabric. You can probably cut this piece from the strips left after you cut out the top and bottom. Cut it out with pinking shears and set it aside.
   The last pieces you cut will run down the back of the mattress, facing the back of the day bed. You will need to cut this section in two pieces, because you will sew them together lengthwise and then insert the zipper into the seam.
   Calculate the length of the two pieces by adding the length dimension of the mattress plus 2 inches for seam allowances and ease to the length. Calculate the width by dividing the width dimension of the mattress in half, and then adding 2 inches to the result. Mark this shape on the denim and cut out two pieces of this size with the pinking shears.

6. Pin the two pieces for the back side piece together along the long edge, right sides together. Using your customary method, sew the zipper into place so that it's centered in the back side piece, using a ½ inch seam. Then put the piece on the ironing board and press the seam and the zipper flat. If you have basted the seam over the zipper shut, cut it open so you can open and close the zipper.

7. Pin the front side piece to the back side piece together at the short edges, right sides together, and sew them together in ½ inch seams. Press the seams open.

8. Pin the resulting long side piece to the top piece along all four edges, right sides together. Start sewing the pieces together in a ½ inch seam. When you get close to the corner, sew right up to the pin, leave the machine needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot, and turn the whole piece at a right angle so you can sew down to the next corner. When you've finished the seam, press it open.

9. Unzip the zipper. Pin the bottom piece to the side piece as you did the top, right sides together. Sew the pieces together in a ½ inch seam. Trim the seams at the corners, being careful not to cut too close to the stitching. Put the entire mattress cover on the ironing board by putting the front end of the ironing board through the zipper opening and maneuvering the fabric till you can get to the new seam. Press it open.

10. Turn the finished piece right side out. Put it on the mattress, with the zipper at the back, and then close the zipper and put the mattress onto the daybed.

Tips & Warnings

• The length and width of the finished daybed cover will be about 1 inch bigger than the mattress itself. If this seems too loose, you can certainly cut the cover a little smaller, but keep in mind that even after preshrinking, your fabric may continue to shrink a little with each washing. If you suspect it may be too snug, cut it a little larger.

References

• "Daybed"; Furnishings Glossary; Furnishings Guide
• "Mattress Size Dimension Chart"; Mattress Sizes Consumer Help Guide
• "Sewing in a Zipper"; Celeste Percy; Threads Magazine, Oct. 17, 2008