Sewing- covers

I want to start off by saying that I am not a sewer.  I have a sewing machine that I like to play around on, but I have never been trained in sewing.  I can do the basics and i sort of understand the concept, but I am NOT advanced AT ALL!!

In this picture I covered the 2 light pillows that went with the couch in the following picture.  It was a blue aztec print (that didn't go with our house at all) but it was given to us so I was not going to complain.  I went to G street Fabrics and looked through their clearance pile and picked up the off white color for the pillows and the tan fabric used to cover the couch for under $3/yrd.  The pillows were easy.  I just measured the pillows and added 1 inch to each side when cutting the fabric.  I sewed 3 1/2 sides of the pillow cover on my sewing machine, and then stuffed the pillow in, and hand sewed the the gap closed. The other pillows I got at Target.

 

 I also made the cover for the couch.  As I said before, it is a blue aztec print that is very bold, but it was free and I was not about to pass that up.  I got fabric and made the cover for under $30.  The throw blanket was a wedding gift and the pillows I bought at Burlington Coat Factory.  The cover that I made is not connected to the couch at all.  It is not fancy and definately not perfect, but it works for us and hides the blue print under it.  I started by measuring the seat cushions and added an inch to the measurements when drawing them out on the fabric.  I cut each piece seperate and sewed them together to make a 3-D cover.  Then I measured the distance from the floor to the bottom of the cushions and made this a flat piece of fabric that was as long as the couch and as wide as the couch (seperate pieces) to cover the bottom. It was basically a skirt for the couch.  This I attached to a ribbon and tied it in the back.  Then I took a sheet of fabric and tucked it into the back of the couch and around the head of the couch.  This is a flat piece that can be pulled off at any time.  The hardest part of the couch (because i had no idea what I was getting myself into) was the arms.  I measured and guessed what the angles were when i was cutting the fabric.  They ARE NOT perfect, but they work.  Again, they are not sewn onto the couch and can be removed at any time.  

All the loose ends are tucked into the skirt at the bottom.  I should have ironed the fabric before sewing it... lesson learned for future sewing projects.  There is a crease in the right suchion that has been there for a year that won't seem to come out.