Seat Cushions How to

Red Ladder Back Chair 3 versions

2009-07-24T06:44:00.001-07:00

Muslin pattern making, held in place by Rowley drapery weight, trimmed as eyeballed.

2009-07-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Folded in half, trimmed to be the same both sides.

2009-07-24T06:43:00.003-07:00

Double check that it's still large enough after last step. Ready to use.

2009-07-24T06:43:00.002-07:00

My tool, my foam choice...the good stuff, dense. When foam is dense, I can use the pattern as is....if the foam were less dense, I'd be cutting foam larger.

Open for interpretation ? Would you have cut away the front notches ? Those notched out details were actually requested by customer. I will show you several more ways to create a cushion for same chair, one will cover those knobby front legs.

2009-07-24T06:43:00.001-07:00

My pyramid....showing you what gets glued to create some crest on the cushion. Yes, the chair seat is Rush, and has an inward curve. Yes, the dacron added here is for eyeball candy, it's not particularly long lasting or functional.

2009-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Building the pyramid.

2009-07-24T06:42:00.003-07:00

Actually, an upside down pyramid, no ? Lots of glue here.

2009-07-24T06:42:00.002-07:00

I could have used more steps, 3 each side is fine for this.

2009-07-24T06:42:00.001-07:00

Oops I meant four !

2009-07-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

Once both sides have four steps glued, the whole gets a wrap.

2009-07-24T06:41:00.002-07:00

See where cushion rests on table, there's a mild crest there. This is more for customer perception of finished goods at delivery than for long lasting added height. It's quick, effective, easy to teach. This was possible because the dense foam will support well and last long.

An alternate approach would be a cheaper foam bought thicker, say 3" and then boxed to 2".

2009-07-24T06:41:00.001-07:00

You can interpret that front notch anyway you choose, I'd have been happy to omit this detail. Customers choose to do this, when you ask.

2009-07-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

The same pattern again, used for another version of cushion for same chair. The next one will cover those knob legs where we cut around last time.

2009-07-24T06:40:00.003-07:00

This is two layers cut at once. This is a dacron felt product. It's stiff enough to spread sideways in a thin layer, the reason I choose it. As you will see I can also sew through it, another reason I choose it. One such product is named Insulpad, though this isn't that brand name.

2009-07-24T06:40:00.002-07:00

Testing the size before progressing.

2009-07-24T06:40:00.001-07:00

Adding the outer skin of Air Lay dacron first this time. Making another pyramid, this time I need not glue, as the layers will hold one another firm.

2009-07-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

What you see : outerskin is wrapped, back to front and front to back again, and stitched at rear only. The sides are still open to receive more dacron. I stitched through all layers.

2009-07-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

You see the layers I am about to push into the envelope. Rather than add to the center, I am padding a slope, front to back.

2009-07-24T06:36:00.002-07:00

Both sides now padded, ready to be stitched at sides.

2009-07-24T06:36:00.001-07:00

Prepared to sew.

2009-07-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

Final result.

2009-07-24T06:35:00.002-07:00

Next style to be presented : loose fill dacron in a sleeve. You see creased faces and tapered boxings.

2009-07-24T06:35:00.001-07:00

I joined two boxings first at the center, then pinned them until they made sense. These are now stitched.

2009-07-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Opposite side, last view.

2009-07-24T06:34:00.001-07:00

Having had the perimeter boxed, yes, from the RS you do see seams, I left side openings for fill.

Blend Down Series, open and revealed contents

2009-07-24T06:33:00.002-07:00

This is comparision contrast, this first a photo of my own sofa cushion, I made the down jacket myself. It's 4" foam and then 6 pounds of 25/75 down and feather in a non-divided casing.

Correct, half the feather is on top, half on the bottom, but the feather is not otherwise divided. I could get away with this on a square cushion. A long cushion needs divisions or baffles to keep the fill even.

The open ended plastic cover on the foam you see is how I got my down jacket over my foam.

2009-07-24T06:33:00.001-07:00

That same cushion ( long used and well loved ) , down jacket off, to allow you to quantify the feather used for that effect.

Back to the original subject matter

2009-07-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Now that you have seen the quantity and the arrangement of my added 25 % down and 75 % feather, this cushion.... the differences are more obvious. Lots of folks bought blend down, they are not at fault for a poor purchase, the idea sounds pretty good.

Maybe some blend down cushions are made better ? Let's open them up and add them here ? slipcoverlady@juno.com, let's get more samples up here to show.

For this one, a Dacron sheet and a paper sheeting is next to the foam. Then feather is added atop that layer. Then down proof muslin encases all.

The quality, quantity and arrangement of the feather used is different, but there are two other important differences to note.

Thin soft foam is glued to a core of high grade foam, this is good. But the dacron in the center with the feather grabs the feather and matts that feather. The dacron sheet kills the feathers loft.

2009-07-24T06:32:00.003-07:00

The proof is that the feather comes out as a sheet, a very thin sheet.

2009-07-24T06:32:00.002-07:00

Restoring blend down cushions means making them cosmetically acceptable. If this could be seen by the customer in the future, it needs to be addressed.

2009-07-24T06:32:00.001-07:00

Once Vacuumed, I can steam the foam as I normally would to restore the pinched points.

2009-07-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

An example of what can be improved with steam. BTW this ear was cut plenty large, the original designer packed the ear with plenty of foam.

2009-07-24T06:31:00.002-07:00

The steam is not fixing everything, as is usual. I suspect there's some excess glue here at play, from the original making of the cushion.

2009-07-24T06:31:00.001-07:00

Steam improved the loft of the center of foam as well as restoring the square edge.

2009-07-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

Foam did come back well, and square.

2009-07-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Traced now onto down proof for new simple covers. Down proof ? Yes, it's high quality, though no down will be added. It's now a 7" cushion, plenty of cushion even without the blend down cover.

So why did I remove it in the first place ? I could not trace the true and symetrical cushion shape, the feather dacron mass had shredded and travelled crookedly around the cushion.

Coming soon ! Instructions on re-design of 4 cushions shown.

2009-07-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Accordian cushion instructions to accompany this job.

2009-07-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

Coming soon ! Redesign of these cushions, all new materials.

Instruction will show use of drain dry foam, aqua batt dacron and resizing of cushions.

Seat must be made taller for user ( see those knees in the air ) and back cushion, consequently made shorter.

New fill, new upholstery fabric, slipcovers too.