Help a clueless girl out

**YankeeMom** · 07-08-2007, 01:30 PM

I've been looking for new cushions for my wicker furniture, but the only place I can find them is Overstock.com and I'll be darned if I'm going to pay $70 for three darned cushions...and that's a reduced price

So I decided, they don't look THAT complicated. I could probably do them myself. My first questions (beyond asking my mom to show me how to use my sewing machine

) are:

*Would it just be easier to make slipcovers for the cushions I do have? They are mostly just faded and icky feeling from being outside. They don't smell or have anything other than cosmetic things wrong with them.

If not,

*what kind of batting should I get? I want them to be kind of stiff, not too floppy, but also not hard as a board. I would think Polyfil would work, just stuff them with lots of batting.

*how do I make those "fake buttons" in the cushions?

*what kind of material should I get for the cushions (or slipcovers, if I should go that route) themselves?

*how do I measure the old cushions for the sizes of the new cushions (or slipcovers)

This is what I want (same colors/striping)

**celina** · 07-08-2007, 02:43 PM

as far as fabric goes i think marine canvas would rock and you'd get that nice pattern and it would wear FOREVER..but the price might be up there....

as far as advice goes let me know when your mom is giving lessons, i'll be right over

**PrairieRose** · 07-08-2007, 04:15 PM

Heather, the cheapest thing would be to make slip covers. It wouldn't be too hard to do but probably time consuming. The way the 'fake buttons' are made is by using a real button, covering it (they're made to be covered) with the same material and then you have to pull the attachement thing through the other side and hook it to another button or something. Making a slip cover would be easier to me than making a whole new cushion. Surely there is a site somewhere with instructions.......? Good luck and have fun..!

**YankeeMom** · 07-08-2007, 04:57 PM

Well, I keep finding articles that tell me how to measure the cushion I want to cover and they all say this:

You will need the length from top to bottom and then take that number and times it by two. Then take the width of the cushion and times that by four. Add the two numbers together and divide by 36 and you have the number of yards needed for your project.

What I don't understand is why would I need to multiply the width of the cushion by four? And by width, do they mean the left to right measurement? Or back to front? Or the "depth" of the cushion itself?

This is way more complicated than I thought it would be

**wanderinggrandma** · 07-08-2007, 08:32 PM

I think they said the seat measurement x's 4 because it looks like 2 seat cushions in the picture, so it would cover top and bottom of 2 cushions or 4 x's the one measurement.

I would sketch out or take the picture to the fabric store when they are slow. Find the fabric you think you want. Take it and the picture to the cutting counter. Then I would find the friendliest looking one and say I needed their help. They should be able to tell you, simply, how to make slipcovers and how much fabric you will need.

If not, think of the slipcover as a 'pillowcase.' I would use simple velcro closures on the back of each cushion to close. Make a paper pattern by tracing the cushion outline on to paper. I use old wrapping paper with oversize projects. It's nice and big and sturdy. Give yourself seam allowance of 1/2 " all the way around. You would also need a little extra width becasue the cushion is not flat--room for the depth of the cushion. If you would like, you could use old fabric to make a test run before you cut your good fabric.

You need to decide if you want removeable cushions or permanent covers be-for you add the buttons. They are coverable buttons in the notions section. They have instructions on the back of the package on how to "do" it. Basicly you take a square of fabric and cover the the front and pop the back piece on to finish it and to give you the shank to attach to the cushion. Normally you sew the buttons on thru the cushion, so it is permanent--not able to take off and wash unless you remove the buttons.

Good Luck!!!