Summer Fun Seat Cushions
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Seat Cushions for Summer
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| Whether you are sipping
lemonade over a relaxing evening chat, or hosting a rip roarin' neighborhood barbeque, add extra comfort and pizzazz with
these snazzy new seat cushions.
Coordinate colorful floral designs
with vibrant fabric, and add secure ties to match!
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Measure
the area of the back and seat of the chair to determine the size of
the back and seat pads.
We are using
precut high-density foam pieces that are sized at 2 inches thick x
15 inches wide x 17 inches long.
You can purchase foam at any fabric store and have it cut to the
exact size you need. |
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We drew a
rectangle onto a piece of paper to help us chart the measurements
and calculations.
Measure the thickness, width, and length of your foam. Add the
measurement for the thickness to the width and the length
measurements. Then add
1 inch to each measurement for a seam
allowance. |
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In this example, with
a piece of 15 x 17 inch foam, we added a total of 3 inches to both our
width and length measurements (2 inches for the thickness and 1 inch
for the seam allowance).
The total calculations are 18 x 20 inches, as shown on the left.
Divide
the total length and width measurements by two and divide the
rectangle into four sections. Each section of our rectangle measures
9 x 10 inches.
To allow for seam allowances for each of the four sections, we added
an additional 1/2 inch. So, we will cut the fabric for each of the four sections of the
front of the back pad as
9 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches. |
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We cut our four
sections from three different colors and prints of fabric, and
coordinated the colors with each section. |
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Measure and
divide each side of the fabric rectangles by two. Draw lines connecting the
marks. The intersection of the lines is the exact center of the
fabric. |
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placing the designs in the exact center of the fabric
squares. When constructed, the designs will be in the upper and
lower corners of the pad.
Print
full-size paper templates of the designs using embroidery
software. Cut around the templates for easier placement.
Poke a
hole in the center of the template and align it with the center
mark on the fabric. Make sure the design fits well within the
shape. Allow at least 1 1/2 inches excess between the
edge of the fabric and the edge of the design.
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Spray
a piece of cut-away stabilizer with adhesive and smooth the
fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by
aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric. |
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Attach the hoop to the machine, align the needle directly over the center
point on the fabric, and embroider the design. |
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Repeat the
embroidering process for all four sections. After the designs have
finished, carefully trim away the excess stabilizer. |
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Position the four sections where you'd like them to be. |
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Lay the
sections, right sides together, one row at a time. Lay the right
sections over the left sections. Pin along the right hand sides
only.
Sew a 1/2 inch
seam along the pinned edges only. |
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Lay the top row over the bottom row with right sides together. Pin
along the top edge only. |
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Lay the previous
seams open on both rows.
Sew a 1/2
inch seam along the top pinned edge only. |
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Press
all the seams open. The front of the back pad is complete!
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To prepare the ties,
sew the bias
tape closed along its entire length (6 yards).
Sew a seam as close
as possible to the open edge of the bias tape. |
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Measure
and mark eight
26-inch lengths of the tape.
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secure the ends of the tape, sew a zigzag stitch on each end,
and on each side of the eight marks. Then cut the tape at each
mark. |
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Cut
a piece of fabric for the back side of the back pad. This piece is
exactly the same size as the embroidered front side piece. So, for
our pad, we cut an 18 x 20 inch piece of fabric.
Lay the back
fabric right side up. Fold four lengths of tape in half and pin the
folded ends at each corner. Angle the tape into the center of the
fabric, and pin the folded end a couple of inches away from the corner
so the pins will not get sewn over. Pin the loose ends of the tape at
the center of the fabric to keep them from being sewn over as well. |
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Lay
the front embroidered fabric piece, right side down, over the back
piece fabric and lengths of tape. Pin along the top and sides. |
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Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edges only. On the bottom edge,
start the seam about 2 inches from a bottom corner. Stop the seam on
the bottom edge, about 2 inches from the opposite bottom corner.
Sew back and forth over each corner and folded lengths of tape to reinforce
them. |
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Turn
the cover, right side out and insert the foam.
Close the opening by turning the open ends of the fabric in about
1/4 inch. Using a zipper foot, sew a seam as close to the edge of
the fabric as possible. Press the foam down as you go to allow the
fabric to move easily under the needle.
You can add a
button to the center front for added interest. The back pad is now
complete. |
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The seat pad is
assembled similarly to the back pad. We chose to use one whole
piece of fabric for each side of the seat pad.
Cut the front
and back fabric to size. Our seat pad is the same size as our back
pad so we cut two pieces of fabric at 18 x 20 inches. Lay the back
fabric right side up, add the bias tape ties as you did before, add
the top fabric right side down and secure with pins. |
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Sew a 1/2 inch
seam around the bottom corners, the sides and the top as you did before.
Turn the
cover right side out, add the foam, fold the corners of the open
ends over 1/4 inch and sew the opening closed. |
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And there you have it!
A cheerful, sunny look for new outdoor decor.
You can spray the pads to waterproof them.
Click
here for a printable version of these project
instructions.
You�ll need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.
If you don't have it, you can download a free copy by clicking on
the icon below.
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