I recovered one years ago...it was one of the most difficult upholstery projects I worked on due to the mechanical parts. You need to remove arms, back, seat, etc. as they are covered separately. Then reassemble all. It can be done though, so hope I'm not the discouraging word. Had not considered making a slipcover though, which you could do using the same construction steps for slipcovers. The fabric would need some play in it for movement of the recliner. Have not seen an actual recliner slipcover used on one. Hopefully someone with more help than me can give you some ideas. Hmmm, just a thought. You might buy a slipcover and cut off the section for the leg rest. Use it to upholster only this part. If the recliner is smaller, there may be enough slipcover fabric for it. Aren't most of the recliner slipcovers a stretch material and available for both small and large? Perhaps buy one at a store where you can try out and return. The link below is for a smaller recliner and also shows the foot rest to be separate under the cover. Here is a link that might be useful: recliner cover

We bought People Loungers in 2001 and decided in December of 2020 it was finally time to replace them. They were still holding up pretty well considering their age but became worn in spots on the foot rest my husband uses and the spot he sat in eventually broke so bad he didn’t see the point of fixing it. I looked into getting PL again but they weren’t being sold anymore so after many hours of looking at furniture stores and online I decided on La-Z-Boy. I’d read about it’s declined quality but hoped for the best because it was hard to find reclining sofa/loveseat that was manual, not a sectional and in a fabric/style I liked. I spent many hours carefully deciding and I made a choice that I was excited and confident about. They arrived in late January 2021 looking just as gorgeous as I had hoped! Then I started moving them into position in my living room and immediately noticed how much my hand sunk in while leaning/pushing on the headrest - very large foam that was not dense at all. The seats were the same. You just sink in. There’s no inkling of firmness. As my husband used his spot, I noticed pilling on the fabric and could see how loose it was looking. This was after 3 months. I spent so much time choosing everything and loved my choices so much - I knew dealing with it getting “repaired” or whatever they would’ve possibly done (if they even would) would be a nightmare and we also didn’t want to be without furniture - we decided to just keep it for as long as we could and figured we would have to replace it a lot earlier than we thought. A year later, the most used spots are very saggy and extremely pilled. At the time of delivery, we immediately got rid of the old, broken PL loveseat and planned on trashing the old PL couch the following week. But after a week decided to keep the old couch because of the extra seating it provided and the low quality of the new furniture (I figured if we could still use it some, it would save the new furniture some). I considered buying another LB sofa to match but could not spend that kind of money on such terrible quality. So almost exactly a year later, my old PL couch is the one I always sit on so that it “saves” the new furniture (and it’s quality remains the same - besides the one spot that’s a little broken inside and is “rigged” to function , the rest of it looks pretty good - the cushions are firm, not sagging, the fabric is not stretched or pilled). With the new furniture - my husbands spot looks terrible. The other spots are slightly saggy, slightly pilled and slightly stretched but they don’t get used more than an hour a day. Spent $2,700 on a manual reclining sofa and loveseat that will need to be replaced in a couple of years. So sad because it’s such a waste of money and it will just end up in a landfill. And like another person asked…”If not La-Z-Boy, then what???” I would love to know whose quality matches that of People Lounger in 2001 and La-Z-Boy years and years ago. Sorry so long!

I don't know how old your in laws are, but if they are really old sometimes you have to forget about gorgeous decor and go for comfort and function. Since she is not that mobile have you thought about a lift chair? I know, your thinking UGLY, but that is really not the case. You can buy a recliner that doesn't look like a lift chair. And since they are SO expensive, buy a used one and have it cleaned. And you can still do the apartment with style, adding pictures, their sofa's, their memories, I promise. My mom is ninty and although she really does well, her knees are not what they use to be and she is a shorter. She lives with my older sister and my sister lets her use a lift chair gladly, God love her. The chair was originally $1200.00 and she bought it for a hundred bucks out of the paper. It works like a charm and was practically new and is quite good looking. And my mommy is happy as a clam and that's the way it should be. Your in laws will thank you and best of luck. I have such a soft spot in my heart for older people .....Jane

Assured by four furniture stores that England was a quality furniture maker owned by La Z Boy. $3500.00 and a reasonable 30 days later my sofa and chair were delivered without the decorative nails/tacks, a back cushion 1.5" shorter than the other two back cushions on the three cushion sofa, back cushions attached so high on the back of the sofa frame that the cushion bottome bowed upwards and did not meet the seat cushions. Leather was stretched improperly with no smoothing so there were large wrinkles to force fit the frame. There was a scuff and tear in the leather. I suppose that could be from England or the transport or the delivery. No one is accepting responsibility. My furniture store sent an England repairman out to assess the issues. He quietly contemplated it, took pictures and said he would not attempt to repair the furniture as it would take too long to fix it. Mind you this is brand new unused furniture. My furniture store said England would not allow them to return it. They re-ordered another set assuring me England was a good company. Another 30 days passed and the new set arrives. This time it has the decorative nails/tacks (yay!) but the same improper stretching and wrinkling of the leather to force fit the frame, back cushions bowed with too high attachment to the back frame so that the zipper welt can be seen where the back cushions do not meet the seat cushions. One back cushion is sewn on with a lean, one squared corner and one very rounded corner as though they ran out of leather. And, another scrape on the leather. Even the delivery men were astounded and took pictures. Not believing both sets passed quality control I attempted contacting England. I could not find contact info online. Next, I contacted La Z Boy and was given a Case number and was requested to write up my issues and send pictures. I sent pictures of both sets of furniture with my written issues. It has been 2 weeks and all I know is that my case is "in review" and repairs will have to be paid for. DO WHAT???? DID I READ THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE REPLY CORRECTLY???? I have to pay for repairs to brand new furniture that their warranty covers? I am astounded. THIS IS A WARNING TO FURNITURE BUYERS. I am seriously considering driving the 2 hours to Murfreesboro, TN to La Z Boy Headquarters and creating a media sensation at the front entrance. If that does not get response I plan to buy stock and take my story and pictures to a stockholders meeting. Surely stockholders will not let England continue making shabby leather furniture. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! ENGLAND FURNITURE IS AWFUL. THEY DO NOT HONOR THEIR WARRANTY ON WORKMANSHIP AND THEIR PARENT COMPANY (LA Z BOY) SUPPORTS THEM IN THIS. SHAME ON THEM! SHAME ON THEM!