Sewing Room Projects - Part One: Chair Cushion
Sometimes it's challenging to stay in the creative zone, so I find it very important to keep my space bright and inspiring to keep those good vibes going!
I've had a couple of projects that I've wanted to make to spruce up my sewing room, and the first one is a new chair cushion for my sewing chair. The one I'm using now is probably about as old as I am and doesn't really go with the style of my current space.
Don't you agree it's time for a new one?
I am kind of obsessed with Kate Spain fabrics right now, so I decided to use an Early Bird charm pack to make my chair cushion with. The color palette is gorgeous and the prints are fun - perfect for sprucing things up.
I wanted something heavier for the bottom, and I LOVE Sarah Golden's Maker Maker canvas, so I chose Lines in Pink. I think these fabrics look great together! I also had a few scraps of leather cord that I used for the ties.
MATERIALS
To make this chair cushion, you will need:
- 1 Early Bird by Kate Spain charm pack
- 1/2 yard of Maker Maker Lines in Pink
- 2 batting pieces at least 19 x 19 inches
- One spool of Aurifil 50wt thread in Light Sand 2000
- 4 pieces of leather cord, ribbon, or thin cotton webbing about 6 inches long for ties (optional)
- Stuffing
You will also need:
- A rotary cutter
- A rotary cutting ruler
- Cutting Mat
- Fabric scissors
- Fabric marking pen
- Wonder Clips or pins
- A walking foot for the sewing machine
- Circle template or small plate, etc. (you'll only need this if any part of your chair is curved)
PATTERN
Measure your chair to determine the size the cushion needs to be. Mine is 18 x 18 inches with a curved back. I found that a small dinner plate fit the curve perfectly, so thats what I used as a template. I will be using the measurements of my chair for this tutorial. If yours are different, simply replace your numbers with mine.
CUT
Cut one 19 x 19 inch square from the canvas
Cut two 19 x 19 inch squares from the batting
SEW
Choose 16 squares to use for the top of the cushion. Arrange the squares in a 4 x 4 block, making sure the colors and patterns are balanced (or unbalanced, depending on your vision).
If you look close in the photo above, you can see my pup's nose sticking out from under the table :)
Next, with right sides together, sew the squares into rows using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press seams, alternating the direction you press from row to row.
In the photo, you can see my top row is pressed to the left, second row is pressed to the right, third row is pressed to the left, and fourth row is pressed to the right. By pressing this way, we will be able to get a flat 'locked' seam when the rows are sewn together.
With right sides together, align bottom of row one with top of row two. Pin rows together, making sure the seams in each row are aligned and 'locked'.
Repeat for rows three and four. Stitch using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press seams open.
Repeat with row 1 and 2 section and row 3 and 4 section.
You should now have a completed 4 x 4 block.
Using a circle template, draw a curve on the back edge of the block you just made to match the curved back of your chair.
I also decided to make a slight curve along the front edge of my block as well.
Trim the block along the lines you've just drawn. Now is a good time to make sure the piece fits nicely on your chair. Make any changes to the curves if necessary. Keep in mind, when its stuffed, it will shrink in size a bit.
Layer both pieces of batting, canvas right side up, and pieced block right side down. Pin in place.
If you're adding ties, now is the time to pin them in place as well. I positioned mine in the corners of the back edge of my cushion. Fold each tie in half and pin one in each corner, with the folded edge of each piece aligned with the edge of the pieced block, and sandwiched in between the right sides of the canvas and pieced block.
Stitch around pinned edge of pieced block, sewing all layers together, with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave a 6 inch gap along the back edge for turning. Backstitch at beginning and end. Trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch around curves to reduce bulk.
Turn cushion right side out through the gap along the back edge.
Press opening edges under. Stuff cushion.
Clip opening edges together and hand sew shut.
Tie the cushion onto the chair and enjoy your new comfy seat!
