Fun Non-Quilting Project

When it is a known fact that one can sew, one often gets requests to make alterations or DIY home projects involving fabric. About 35 years ago, my husband and I bought a wrought iron patio set consisting of a loveseat, chair, and coffee table. We enjoyed it for years and I must have recovered the cushions at least twice, if not three times. 

Eventually, we gave the patio set to my daughter and son-in-law. I recovered the cushions for Ryan about six or seven years ago in the starfish and anchor fabric you see above. There are six cushions in all (and a couple of pillows) and the fabric was literally ripping apart at the seams. My son-in-law bought enough upholstery fabric to recover the patio furniture for everyone in the housing development and asked me if I would once again recover these cushions. 

The fabric he chose is this colorful awning stripe. I love his selection and think it will look great on the patio furniture, which is painted blue. 

But. It is striped. And any of you who sew, know that stripes bring their own unique challenges to a project! Obviously, the stripes have to match. And ideally, each cushion will be identical to the others. It took me all day Tuesday to figure out the measurements and make the first cushion. After I got my system down, on Wednesday, it was taking me about a half hour to construct each cushion cover, including zippers. 

This was a fun project and a nice change to quilting. I made some improvements to the method I had used in the past, which I think will add to the look and convenience of the cushions.

Can you believe in the history of making cushion covers repeatedly for this patio set, I never put in zippers, but always sewed the openings closed by hand? What on earth was I thinking? Well, no more. I went to Joann Fabric and bought six polyester zippers and every single cushion and pillow has a zipper for easy removal and laundering. 

Here is the happy pile of them all ready to go home. You can see all the leftover fabric in the background.


All settled in on Ryan's patio!

I guess it's a good thing there is so much extra fabric. He has just asked me to use it to make 16 seat cushions for the chairs in his tasting room....

 

 

Comments

[Dona Zarosinski]

Ohhhh…you’re a nice nice lady!!! Whew. Big project and congrats on the zippers…I share your phobia.

[Kerry L.]

Wow! Nicole you have outdone yourself and I am impressed! Would you consider a tutorial on how to this? Please!

[Andrea]

I'd love a tutorial too! I spent a fortune on new cushions for our patio furniture last year and hope not to have to repeat it anytime soon.

What a nice thing for you to do.

[CarolE]

I'm so impressed with the job you did matching those stripes! Not something I would have been able to do or at least want to attempt!

[Jeanie]

They look great! Gosh, I would not know where to begin making these. I am an only quilts sewist, for sure:) Bravo!!

[kit]

love it! your husband is defiantly a "give a moose a muffin" type guy. i can so relate!!

[Mary Kastner]

They look fabulous!
Great job!

[Jan]

That fabric is so outdoorsy looking! You've done a terrific job on the cushions! Be sure to show us the tasting room cushions when they're finished!

[Vickie]

Tutorial please
Vickie

[Sally]

Of course - those look fantastic! I remember when you made the seashell/starfish patterned ones. :)

And yes, we would love to see the finished cushions in the tasting room when those are done.

[Carole]

Aha. Smart man for asking for only 1 project at a time...😉

[Verna Brown]

I was going to throw mine out. A tutorial would help.

[Ina]

1) lol @ My son-in-law bought enough upholstery fabric to recover the patio furniture for everyone in the housing development

2) he bought stripes!

3) I remember that blue and white starfish fabric from 7 yrs ago but I can't remember where I set down my keys? seriously.