Are the cushions on your chair, sofa or outdoor furniture looking a bit tired? You can make them look new again by making a new box cushion or covering the old one. This is an easy task if you measure accurately. If you take the time at the beginning, you'll avoid the frustration of discovering you don't have enough fabric or trim to complete your project. The old carpenter's adage, "Measure twice, cut once" also applies to home sewers!
Instructions
1. Measure your chair, sofa or bench for the size of the block of foam you'll need. You can also use existing cushions. All fabric measurements are based on this block of foam.
2. Measure the width of your cushion from side to side. Add 1 inch to this measurement for a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Failure to do this will make your cushion cover too small.
3. Measure the length of your cushion from front to back, adding 1 inch for seam allowances.
4. Measure the height or thickness of your cushion, adding 1 inch for seams.
5. Measure the circumference of your cushion.
6. To calculate the amount of fabric you'll need for the top and bottom of the cushion cover, multiply the length of the cushion by two. If your cushion is wider than your fabric, you'll have to join pieces together. If this is the case, add a length for top and bottom for each piece. For example, if your fabric is 45 inches wide, but your cushion is 60 inches wide, you'll need to sew two pieces of fabric together to cover the top and the same for the bottom, so you'll need four lengths of fabric for the cushion cover.
7. To calculate the amount of fabric you'll need for the band around the cushion, determine how many widths of fabric you'll need to go around your cushion. Add 1 inch to the length of every piece for seam allowance. Multiply that number of pieces by the thickness of your cushion. For example, if the distance around your 60-inch cushion with seam allowances is 167 inches and your fabric is 45 inches wide, you'll need four sections for the band. If the cushion is 4 inches thick with seams, you'll need 16 inches of fabric for the band of your cushion.
8. Add together all the lengths---the top and bottom covers and the pieces required for the band. Add 1/2 yard for matching the fabric design. This is the total fabric yardage needed for one cushion.
9. If you are using cording on your cushion, you need twice the distance around the cushion for top and bottom edges. If you are using a zipper on the back of your cushion, it should be 4 inches longer than the width of your cushion so you can insert the foam block easily.
Tags: your cushion, cushion cover, fabric need, inches wide, your fabric