Box cushions - size?

[Sue]

HI all,

I'm making a piped box cushion for a window seat just now. Definitely NOT my favourite job! I haven't made one yet that I've been 100% happy with. Fortunately they don't enter my little world too often!!

One thing I wondered was how to get the size right - in the past I've measured the cushion and made the cover to fit that exactly but it sometimes looks slightly baggy and I have to alter it. With scatter cushions I always make them 3-5cm smaller than the cushion so make them look plump. Is it better to make a box cushion cover very slightly smaller than the actual cushion?

Thank you!
Sue

[Louise]

Re: Box cushions - size?

I know exactly what you mean.

A book I have recommends cutting the fabric pieces to the same size as the foam (no added seam allowances), hence when the cover is made it is slightly smaller to get a good fit. I guess this means you will need the piece of foam you start with to be 5-10mm larger in each dimension than you want the finished cushion to be......tricky if the cushion needs to be an accurate fit for a window seat or bench.

I usually allow 1cm seam allowances on a piped box cushion and make sure I sew accurately to make them a few mm larger to get a good fit.

[tomtom]

Re: Box cushions - size?

I think it depends slightly on the fabric being used and how much wear the cushion is going to get. I have just finished a box cushions that were in a very stretchy fabric and made them quite tight as I anticpated that the fabric will stretch as its is being used. They are part of a seating arrangement at a table.

I usually cut out the top and bottom the size of the foam, and the same with cushion covers, cut the fabric the same size as the pads.

I hope this is of help

Mary

[Sue]

Re: Box cushions - size?

Thanks Louise and Mary for your fast answers!

This helps a lot. unfortunately I've already ordered the foam pad to fit the window seat so will do what I can to make sure that the cover fits snugly without making the finished cushion too small.I don't think the fabric will stretch, it is a fairly thick Voyage fabric (customer's own). I'm normally up for a challenge but I really don't enjoy box cushion covers at all. And with flanged cord too, not a happy day!

But at least I'll know the next time about buying a pad slightly bigger than required!!

Thanks again
Sue

[thecurtainmaker]

Re: Box cushions - size?

Hi Sue,
get the foam cut to the size required, then wrap it in polyester wadding, and stockinette to cover the wadding. Make the cover to fit the foam without the wadding, so cut the fabric to the foam size plus seam allowances and make up. This gives a softer look to the finished cushion and the outer cover will not be baggy. It also means it is easier to get the cover onto the inner - the foam can't snag the fabric. Don't have the foam cut any larger - it won't lay flat in the opening. And don't cut the fabric smaller as in scatter cushions, it will just distort the foam and again won't lay flat. Hope this helps - sorry if it is a bit late.

[Sue]

Re: Box cushions - size?

Thanks again for everyone's help with this. I made the cover to fit the cushion exactly, and was all set to try and wrestle off the stockinette cover (that the foam provider had helpfully fitted!) and wrap the cushion in some saril but in the end the cover fitted the foam perfectly. It was quite a stiff fabric and piped with flanged cord so I guess the extra bulk in the seams helped a bit.

This was one of my most unhappy jobs, it took about twice as long as I'd anticipated! And I wasn't 100% happy with it. The main problem I had was getting the corners to look neat, for some reason there was a lot of the flange showing at each of them. I had gone over the seams with both a zipper foot and a piping foot so I don't think I could have got much closer. But maybe it's just lack of experience and practice! In the end, I went over each of the 8 corners by hand with a needle and thread to neaten them up. The whole experience has not endeared me to the world of box cushions! But, happily, the customer was delighted so it was worth it in the end, even if I practically did it for minimum wage ;o)

On to happy curtains and blinds again now, yippee!
Sue

although I'm sure I did the job on less than minimu