Introduction: Vintage Patio Set Into an Awesome Couch and Chair!
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About: Hi! I'm a slightly feral mountain hermit that likes to be helpful. I do community management at Instructables & Tinkercad. 🙌 Want to hear me chat about making? Search "CLAMP Podcast" on YouTube or your favorit…
I haven't had an actual couch in about six months, but when I found this retro patio set at a local thrift store, I had to have it. It's perfect. Plus, at $70, it was really cheap. Yay!
However - two small problems:
#1 - Cushion covers were in bad shape, not to mention outdated and ugly to boot. ;)
#2 - The straps supporting the cushions need to be fixed or replace with something else. I still need to remedy this - any ideas?
Recovering the cushions turned out to be a three day affair and I am so happy with the results. They're gorgeous!
I used this cushion tutorial on Sew, Mama, Sew! I modified it quite a bit - I didn't do piping or a handle, so that cut down on total time and materials.
Most of the fabrics I already owned - this was a great way to bust my fabric stash. I think I bought only about $60 worth of supplies for this project. :D
Here's a breakdown of what I did each day - I worked like an assembly line, doing each step with every cushion before moving on to the next. I didn't screw up once, so I think that means I chose the right approach. ;)
Day One
This was cutting day. I used a large cutting mat and a rotary cutter to cut out the pieces. Each cushion is six pieces - four side pieces and two tops. It took a couple hours to cut everything out.
I had to do a lot of measuring. The cushions are a bit mashed from years of wear, so I had to measure them and then determine the size they were originally. I didn't want to make the pattern for the size they are now because chances are that if I had to buy new foam cushions, they'd be too big for the cushion covers. :P
Day Two
This was zipper day. I have never actually used a zipper foot - I've sewed on a zipper before, but that was years ago with a regular presser foot. Needless to say I mangled the first zipper, but I learned quickly!
I used 22 inch "invisible" zippers. Mostly because I like the way they look.
For every cushion, this is the order of steps:
After I had all the zippers in place, I sewed the side pieces (gussets) together to get a head start for the third day. I ended up completing one of the cushions because I couldn't wait to see them. :P
Day Three
Pinning and sewing day. I hate pinning. Hate hate hate pinning. I spent about two hours pinning. :P
It was much quicker sewing than pinning. Even though the corners were a bit rough to sew at first, I got the hang of it pretty quick.
It took about four hours to do seven cushions, which is not bad at all!
So there you go! I'm pretty proud of myself. I think I've officially progressed to the level of advanced sewer. :D
However - two small problems:
#1 - Cushion covers were in bad shape, not to mention outdated and ugly to boot. ;)
#2 - The straps supporting the cushions need to be fixed or replace with something else. I still need to remedy this - any ideas?
Recovering the cushions turned out to be a three day affair and I am so happy with the results. They're gorgeous!
I used this cushion tutorial on Sew, Mama, Sew! I modified it quite a bit - I didn't do piping or a handle, so that cut down on total time and materials.
Most of the fabrics I already owned - this was a great way to bust my fabric stash. I think I bought only about $60 worth of supplies for this project. :D
Here's a breakdown of what I did each day - I worked like an assembly line, doing each step with every cushion before moving on to the next. I didn't screw up once, so I think that means I chose the right approach. ;)
Day One
This was cutting day. I used a large cutting mat and a rotary cutter to cut out the pieces. Each cushion is six pieces - four side pieces and two tops. It took a couple hours to cut everything out.
I had to do a lot of measuring. The cushions are a bit mashed from years of wear, so I had to measure them and then determine the size they were originally. I didn't want to make the pattern for the size they are now because chances are that if I had to buy new foam cushions, they'd be too big for the cushion covers. :P
Day Two
This was zipper day. I have never actually used a zipper foot - I've sewed on a zipper before, but that was years ago with a regular presser foot. Needless to say I mangled the first zipper, but I learned quickly!
I used 22 inch "invisible" zippers. Mostly because I like the way they look.
For every cushion, this is the order of steps:
- cut the longest side piece in half lengthwise
- baste back together with a 1/2 in seam allowance
- press the seam open, and press the zipper flat
- sew both sides of the zipper into the seam by machine
- handsew both ends of the zipper to the seam, use a whipstitch to make the zipper the right length
- trim the zippers to fit
- rip open the middle seam so you can access the zipper
After I had all the zippers in place, I sewed the side pieces (gussets) together to get a head start for the third day. I ended up completing one of the cushions because I couldn't wait to see them. :P
Day Three
Pinning and sewing day. I hate pinning. Hate hate hate pinning. I spent about two hours pinning. :P
It was much quicker sewing than pinning. Even though the corners were a bit rough to sew at first, I got the hang of it pretty quick.
It took about four hours to do seven cushions, which is not bad at all!
So there you go! I'm pretty proud of myself. I think I've officially progressed to the level of advanced sewer. :D
