Butterfly chairs, first brought to the United States to grace the famous Fallingwater house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, are a magical and comfortable cross between a folding seat and a hammock. The simplicity of design makes it easy to change covers, even though the special shape of the material can make measuring for a replacement appear a bit daunting. Fortunately, it’s no more difficult to quantify to get a new cover than it is to install one.
Open the frame of the seat so it’s fully unfolded.
Measure the rear of the butterfly seat at its widest point. Most butterfly chairs are between 29 and 33 inches wide, so you need to get the exact size.
Gauge the frame where the front of the seat attaches at its widest point. This generally is between 26 and 29 inches.
Run the measuring tape in the tip of the seat back frame into the tip of the seat front frame, enabling it to sag in the center the way the fabric of the chair does.
Use the dimensions to order the proper chair cover dimension. If you are sewing your new cover rather than purchasing a ready-made one, then add two inches to each of dimensions for seam allowances, and an additional 10 inches in length to make the pockets that hold the seat to the frame.