question for any sewers out there (sewing, not toilet-related) :)

[noralee]

thanks for looking here...
i need new covers for my cushions and am not a seamstress. i've been thinking of ideas that i can make, since i can't afford to send out the job right now. i am however very crafty, and can run a sewing machine for basic projects. i was thinking of taking measurements, add on 1-2 inches all around, and then instead of a zipper, use buttons--something i feel comfortable about putting in. does this sound realistic, or am i simplifying something that is way more complicated?

i read somewhere about putting a piece of plywood on the cushion bottom and just stapling fabric onto that--a great idea, but i was concerned that i wouldn't be able to flip my cushions since they would be one sided, and i didn't like that...

any suggestions for a novice to dummy seamstress would be appreciated.

[Jim-Bev-2363]

Good luck with your project. When I picture buttons on a cushion I wonder just how tight you can make the cover and how the cover will look. It makes me picture a overweight man in a tight shirt. Ever see how the fabric stretches between the buttons? If the covers are made loose enough so the fabric doesn't get pulled like the shirt then the covers will keep shifting during use. If you place the buttons close enough to pull the fabric tight/even, then you will make a whole lot of button holes. It might be easier to learn how to install zippers. JMO since I ain't no seamster.

As for making the plywood bottom and stapling fabric on, I can see lots of throws to protect the cushions since you can't flip them. But then we use throws on everything anyway. It seems crazy to me to buy something we think is pretty and then cover it up with something else.

I'm sure the real sewers will be in soon. Again, good luck.


PS: I was in the Navy and wore the button up pants. Hated them. Don't think you'll like buttons either.

[Tweety]

I recovered cushions and the zipper is the hardest part. How about making a it like a pillow sham with the fabric overlapping and securing with Velcro?

[awellis3]

Originally Posted by noralee

thanks for looking here...
i need new covers for my cushions and am not a seamstress. i've been thinking of ideas that i can make, since i can't afford to send out the job right now.
any suggestions for a novice to dummy seamstress would be appreciated.

I have a suggestion, but you may not find it helpful. Your project is no different from any other project in that you know what the best, long-term solution is: have them done professionally. Anything else will be stop-gap, temporary and fundamentally unsatisfactory for the long term. You'll have spent money and time on something that isn't quite what you want, further postponing the day when they are done right.
So here's my 2 cents. Don't spend money on a temporary fix. (good fabric, buttons, Velcro, etc.) Instead, save the money for doing it right when you can later. Once you have set up a savings account for new cushion covers, you will feel as if you are "doing something" about the covers, making the existing covers easier to live with. In the interim, if you just can't stand to live with the cushions, buy some inexpensive table cloths and wrap them on the cushions when you make camp. (I did this in the V-berth in my sailboat to cover the foam mattress.)

It's mind over matter. Once you don't mind, they won't matter.
Teach

[Janalee]

Okay..here goes..when you are measuring for cushions add 1/2 in. for each seam but sew it at 3/4 in...you want it to fit snug..to close your open seam, just handstitch it closed pulling your fabric snug and straightpinning it to hold it closed while sewing.Make sure you remove the old covers first so you will have a smooth fit! Don't use material with a stretch to it. And when finished, you can add batting inside if you need it tighter.I bet you can Google how to cover a sofa cushion and a YouTube will pop up for you with great directions..or even on Pinterest..sorry but I am on my Kindle right now so I can 't send you a link. Hope this helps!! Janalee

[Jay]

I was thinking of doing this my self too, but after taking the covers off washing them and putting them back on I feel the way they fit so snug that I will have an interior shop make me new covers, and or whole new setups.

[noralee]

Originally Posted by Tweety

I recovered cushions and the zipper is the hardest part. How about making a it like a pillow sham with the fabric overlapping and securing with Velcro?

how would a pillow sham work on a squared foam? the sham is just a covering, right? velcro sounds like a workable solution better than buttons. easier than zipper.

@jim-bev, i agree that buttons are not the way to go for snug. good point.

i guess we'll see how motivated i get for sewing. i agree also that professionally done would be the best way to go. for now i'd love to have a temp solution that will last long enough i don't have to think about it again for a while. i'll keep you posted...unless it ends up a total mess

[Tweety]

You would still have to sew it in the shape of the foam, with a separate piece of fabric around the square edge. Just leave a big slit in the one side, making sure to have extra fabric to overlap where the Velcro goes. It's not an easy thing to do no matter how you do it, and fabric is expensive. Have you tried calling Page Foam Products? They did cushions for Sunline. I'm sue you can get just the cover. Their prices are so reasonable.

[Jim-Bev-2363]

What about snaps like on a bra strap? Or simply make covers like pillowcases? Both could be simple enuff. Heck, even a simple sleeve with safety pins on the ends to slide around the cushions might be good if your not very abusive to the cushions.

We have throws on the cushions all the time anyway and we're careful they stay in place for quite a while and when out of place it is a simple thing to straighten the throw.