Need help with a cushion project
 

Hi,

I jus got a fabulous farm style dining table and 6 chairs from a Jt'er and another 6 gorgeous chunky wooden chairs from another kind JT'er. They all go perfectly with the wooden floors and the large rooms.

Thing is, I need to make cushion pads for 12 chairs. I am using an old duvet for the stuffing because I want them to be good and thick and comfy (for those long sessions around the table drinking copious amounts of tea well into the night while dicussing politics and religion and raising children (and other equally non-controversial topics)) ...

But I need some fabric (preferably matching or at least complimentary/good contrast) so that I can make generous, big-bum sized pads with double seams and good, long, wide ties.

Any help (with patterns and/or fabric) will be very much appreciated. :o)

I have NEVER sewn a stitch in my life (so I don't really know what's gotten into me) and am still plucking up the courage to use some lovely fabric I got from colmsmum for a long skinny skirt for the new skinny me. So I need to start off with something plain and easy. Also this will all have to be done by hand as I've no sewing machine.

So, to cut a long story longer, I need advice and maybe a pattern and some remnants that will go together really well. Even if I had enough for there to be only one cushion of each colour that should be great.

So, please, HEEEELLLLPPPP.

cushions
 

hiya Well i had this problem years go here is what i done now its cheap and might be helpfull lol
i got large curtains in a sale lots of material to use ok then got me a staple gun that saved the sewing so i could take them off and wash they were on there for years and got a lot of wear because my kids were small lol if you bought two pairs of curtains you could have matching
the second hand shops have great curtains very cheap so you could save by buying there

That's a brilliant idea :o). Now the ones I need though are the kind you can take off and wash in the machine. I am not sure how a staple gun would help with that ..... definitely would be perfect if it was re-upholsering my old chairs - now given away.

If I did use staples then how would I get them to bend in the back? Can I do it that way - it would certainly solve the sewing virgin issue ;O)

VELCRO ! The next best thing to sliced bread and glue guns - perfect! Perhaps if I used a glue gun and then stapled them for insurance they'd survive the washing machine...? What do you think? Would the glue melt do you think? Maybe on a cold wash it mightn't... ? Now to get newspapers and pop into the recycle shop or wait for some fabric to be posted on JT. :oD

Do you have a sewing machine - wanna be my friend ? - ;oP

costumes for school plays - you are a genius - you have just saved me a small fortune in labour and grey hair and wrinkles from frowning (a lot) :oD

Safety pins could be a good idea... If I glue the whole thing inside out then pin or staple, then turn it right way round and close with velcro...? Maybe they don't even need ties ... but then they'd just slip off and I'd have kids flying one way and spaghetti bolognaise every other...

cushions
 

Shame you so far away got me a new machine lol Not out of the box yet given to me by a neighbour i usually turn up curtains and stuff for her but i hand sew them lol If i knew of what colour material you needed i would keep a look out in my designer shop lol < thrift shop> and might get a nice colour mmmmmmmmmmm think i have some heavy curtains here will look later for ya ok
good luck

hi mickey
 

Maybe some contrasting/coordinating ribbon would make nice ties? Theres no sewing there...

Hello, just a thought !

If self-adhesive velcro is too bulky - which it might be ! - how about investing in an eyelet punch and a supply of metal/plastic eyelets ?

(a) Fold over all raw edges and iron flat

(b) Use eyelet punch to insert metal eyelets in folded-over edge

(c) Lace all the edges together with ribbon, cord, plaited wool, etc

(d) Lace a couple of extra bits to tie the pads to the chairs

Could be quite interesting and very individual ?

You should be able to buy the punch and eyelets in either a Craft/Sewing shop or a Haberdashery Department in one of the larger stores. The same goes for the lacing. Alternatively ... keep an eye out for someone offering them on Jumbletown !

Lots of luck, Anonany

cushions
 

Hi, I have to agree with previous posters, (Hey Kilk, I take that as a compliment!)
What I would say is keep it as simple as possibe and only go for one cushion at first. You will make some mistakes at first but do your learning on this one. When you are happy with the first then the rest will fall together.

If you buy or source some nice curtains you will have lots of fabric to work with and room for error. You'll get patterns on the Internet or make a custom pattern as outlined in earlier post.

Best of luck and I hope you get great results.

GENIUS..ES..ES..ES..ES

The idea is growing as I read your posts - THANK YOU SO MUCH for the ideas guys! How does this sound?

Cut out the shape of the pad from the king sized duvet (should be enough for 12) and glue and staple them together so the bits don't fall out. Find fabric. Cut out fabric and fold in to neaten edges then glue them down. I will cut the ironing to a minimum (when we introduce ourselves it's 'hi, I'm Gordon Irons, Michelle doesn't...)

Take hole punch (of which we have one in the shed - hubby having said 'what on God's green earth do you ever think we'll ever need one of those for?... HA!) and put those eyelets all along the edge, nicely spaced of course, then use same hole punch and put those press studs along the opening to clip closed. Then I won't have the problem of the velcro hair trap that happens here all too often :)

Then find a neutral or beautifully contrasting ribbon (a really wide one) and thread through the holes (which already hold the fabric together) and leave really long at the end as ties...

I don't think it matters what colour it is - perhaps each one different or pairs the same? My dining room and breakfast room are painted a bright sunny yellow and all the floors and furnishings and dressers and such are natural wood in varying tones, so anything bright will be a bonus :o).

Whaddya think?

Ooh - if I have to iron I just remembered I have that iron on gluey ribbon hem type stuff :o)

You see, I really am bad at sewing things (even buttons - that's why I loved colmsmum's buttonny picture frame - brilliant)

cushions
 

Don't go for the staples unless they're stainless steel, they'll rust like crazy:(

Good point - just my luck the ones I use for putting canvas over frames would turn out to be something not suitable :o) Thanks for the tip. Thank you EVERYONE for the tips and suggestions. I feel like I am raring to get stuck in :o)

wonderweb
 

just a thought but this stuff is brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
simply put a strip between 2 pieces of material and iron it.... it stick together, last through washing machine cycles of about 40 degrees, i hope this helps :-} not too expensive to buy either

not sure if we are allowed recommend websites, but www.marthastewart.com has nice craft tips and pretty ideas