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Cushion covers... how hard can they be??

Kittensposies

Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« on: January 26, 2018, 16:10:39 PM »
Afternoon all,

After the renovations-from-hell left my poor sewing machine confined to storage for 9 months, I am tentatively dipping a toe back in. 

We have just got a new sofa, and was looking at new scatter cushions to go with it, but they were £60 in the nice Abraham Moon fabric I wanted.  Looking at the fabric online, it is around £50 a metre and is 130cm wide... surely I could get two small cushions out of that?

No piping or anything planned, and I am not fussy about matching patterns, I just want some nice cushions without having to sell a kidney.

Now all of this is feasible based on cushions being easy to sew... hence my question, how hard can it be?  I've watched a few online tutorials and thought "yeah I can handle that" but is there anything hideously complicated that I have not anticipated? 

Thanks all, hope you have a lovely Friday  :toast:

sewingj

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2018, 16:14:39 PM »
Looking forward to seeing replies to this as Daughter has just asked me to make some.  I`ve made some before like a pillow case but would like to do a proper job and put a zip in

Mozzy

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2018, 16:20:30 PM »
The name Moon caught my eye.  I've just made myself a Roman blind and a cushion cover in a Moon plaid and wanted the cushion to match the horizontal and vertical stripes on front and back.  A way round that is to use the Moon fabric for the front and a plain for the back.  Obviously I don't know if your fabric is tartan/plaid but just something worth considering as it's not cheap fabric.  Mine was actually a roll end from Multiyork so I didn't pay the full price.

Vegegrow

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2018, 16:41:23 PM »
I agree with Mozzy I'd do plain on the back .. depending on the pattern you could get 3 fronts  of 40cm out of half a metre of fabric... whats the pattern like?  Oh and be aware that some firms have a minimum order of 1m
Cushions are quite simple.. you tube is your friend.. My best tip would be use a size larger pads in your cushions  (18" pad in a 16" cushion cover) they look better
"The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary." ~Mary Kurtz

Ellabella

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2018, 16:55:23 PM »
I second Vege, YouTube is the place to look for vids.  I dodn't know if Peg Baker does a simple cushion but her vids are very good IMO.

Cushions are easy, just take yout time, measure everything twice and pin or Wonder Clip if you feel the need.

Perhaps try one in some spare fabric before you cut into your good stuff,

Lowena

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2018, 17:13:22 PM »
Cushions are easy... even I can do them ( not with a zip though  :| ) I sew them up all the way round  ;)
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Kittensposies

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2018, 17:35:24 PM »
Oooooh so many replies!!  Thank you all!!

@Ellabella A Wonder Clip!  I've just googled, they look awesome!! 

@Lowena This is going to sound really thick but how do you sew them all around?  Do you sew them with the pads in?

@sewingj Ditto!  I quite fancy doing zipped ones... the envelope back ones we have (bought, not made) just seem to poke open over time (too many bums sitting on them perhaps). 

@Mozzy Did you go to the Multiyork outlet near Leeds?  Was it recently?  I went on and off last year and could never find anything good.  So envious you got a roll end of Moon check!  Plain for the back is clever - did you match the weight and texture?

@Vegegrow I already have one Moon cushion bought for me as a present last year, in Huntingtower Hemp.  I quite fancy making more in the same fabric... a plan back is genius!!! 

Link to the fabric.  I was going to go for more Hemp and/ or Grape, as grape really suits the new sofa. 

Lowena

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2018, 17:41:24 PM »
I sew 3 edges without the pad and then sew the 4th side by hand, with the pad inside  - ladder stitch doesn't show at all and is quite quick to do.  :)
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Kittensposies

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2018, 18:23:31 PM »
I sew 3 edges without the pad and then sew the 4th side by hand, with the pad inside  - ladder stitch doesn't show at all and is quite quick to do.  :)

So smart!  How did I not know this was possible?!  That might save me zip trauma, *and* avoid the pokey-open envelope backs. 

How do you choose your cushion pads?  I guess you have to go for some that have longevity.  I have some Ikea cushion pads but they seem to go lumpy in a matter of weeks.

Samantha

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2018, 19:15:38 PM »
If you're going to stitch all the way round then get decent cushion pads as the cheap ones tend to end up like pancakes after a while and will be a pain to replace if all stitched up. Zips are not too difficult to put in cushion covers though, have a practise with some cheap material, I put the zip in first then stitch the sides up.

Surest1tch

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2018, 22:18:55 PM »
If you're going to stitch all the way round then get decent cushion pads as the cheap ones tend to end up like pancakes after a while and will be a pain to replace if all stitched up. Zips are not too difficult to put in cushion covers though, have a practise with some cheap material, I put the zip in first then stitch the sides up.

That's the way I do them, I do find them difficult though, not because they are hard or technical to make they are just so boring  :S

Greybird

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2018, 23:02:36 PM »
If you do envelope backs with a big enough overlap, they won't gape open - I always think that cushions are something you should be able to sink into without having a zip pull sticking in your ear! If you pin the 2 overlapping pieces face down onto the right side of the front, you can machine stitch all round. I use a pointer/clapper inside so that I can press the seams right into the corners. It's not difficult to insert the cushion pad or remove it if necessary. Vegegrow is right about using a larger size pad for the appearance although I normally use the same size for "squashiness". It depends whether you want them for looking at or for sinking into!

Have a look at Merrick and Day's website for cushion pads. If you order before midday, they usually arrive next day.

www.merrick-day.com/acatalog/Duck_Feather_Square___Rectangular_Cushion_Pads.html

Kenora

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2018, 23:51:58 PM »
I usually round the corners off very slightly too. This stops them from flapping about when the pads are a bit older. The pads seem to wear quicker than the covers, and they go very rounded (unless you buy really expensive feather-filled pads) so if you round the corners it helps. This is much easier to do than to explain.  ><
Minding my P's & Q's in Portreath

b15erk

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2018, 09:29:06 AM »
I do button backs on my cushions, and make a feature of them.  That way I can do the buttonholes before I sew them together.

The easiest cushion cover I  have made is just a long rectangle, with button bands at each end.  Turn these to the middle, sew across two ends, et voila, a cushion cover!

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Ploshkin

Re: Cushion covers... how hard can they be??
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2018, 09:39:30 AM »
I also do envelope cushion covers with a fair overlap.  I use transparent buttons (I keep them from old duvet covers)
Life's too short for ironing.