One of my most recent projects has been to make a cover for
a rather large sofa back-rest cushion for the lovely Erica.
Here it is before…
Because of its shape, a box cushion was going to be the best
option.
 |
| Picture courtesy of Annie at The Village Haberdashery where you can buy this gorgeous material as well as others from the collection. |
The fabric Erica chose is a truly stunning design by Bari J
with Art Gallery Fabrics from her Joie de Vivre collection. This print, C’est
la Vie in Winter, is printed on 100% cotton canvas and features butterflies,
birds and swirling branches. It is a gorgeous design and a lovely fabric to
work with.
One of Erica’s requests was that it should be easy to wash
so I pre washed the fabric before starting to eliminate any initial shrinkage.
It washed really nicely in the machine on a cool delicate setting. Best to
press whilst still damp to avoid any persistent creases tho (as with any
canvas).
I thought for a while about the best place to put the zip
and what type of zip to use. As this cushion was for a back-rest I decided in
the bottom panel was going to be best so it wouldn’t be seen. However I couldn’t
find a zip long enough! This is when I discovered my new favourite sewing
notion… Continuous Zip!!! It was my cousin, who also sews, who mentioned it to
me (thanks Sarah!).
Continuous zip is exactly what it sounds like, a continuous
piece of zipper tape that you buy per metre and cut to length then thread on
the zip pull. Perfect for this project! I found threading on the zip pull a
little fiddly at first but with a little help from you tube (!) it was actually
quite easy.
During my zips research I also found a nifty new way to add
the zip to the zipper panel! OnlineFabricStore.net have a great video tutorial
on how to make a box cushion from scratch, including the padding. Their method
of inserting the zip is fab as it ensures everything is nicely lined up and
central. It also gives the equations for working out your measurements…bonus!
Thanks OnlineFabricStore.net! Here is the link to their video… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw_40jnjZBE
Another great tutorial I found was from The Campervan
Converts blog.
Because the cushion was so large the width of the fabric was
not long enough to be able to have just one piece for the border as with a
standard box cushion. I decided it would be best to have a separate piece for
each side of the border (two sizes, one top, and the zipper panel) to avoid any
random looking seams. I loved reading The Campervan Converts blog post about how
they had learned to sew by making seat covers for their campervan, and I picked
up a few extra tips along the way. Check it out here.
I love how there are always lots of different methods to
choose from to achieve very similar results. As a sewist you never stop learning!
In terms of finishing the insides of the cover, for this
project I overlocked all the raw edges before sewing anything together and double
stitched all the seams to make it extra strong.
Erica also picked
out some beautiful blue corduroy for some pillow covers to match. The fabric is
Cloud
9 Floritopia in Pool designed by Elizabeth Owen. It is 100% organic cotton
and has such a lovely feel. I made two envelope back covers trimmed with the
Joie de Vivre. The two fabrics complement each other so so well. Excellent eye
for colours Erica!
I
really loved working on this project as I learned some new techniques and the
finished piece turned out even better than expected. I hope Erica is enjoying
the new additions to her living room!
