How To Make a Down Seat Cushion

Making a down seat cushion is something 

I always wanted to try.

Sooooo.....

on Thursday I hauled my bum over to Drape It, the upholstery and drapery workroom that has been turning out my wonderful stuff for eons.

They have now, in my senior years,  become my tutors.

Joe (the esteemed owner) probably figures that if I'm working on my projects it keeps me from playing in traffic.

Sooooo.....

I'm now going to share with you how it's done.

You have to make a down cushion from ticking, which has a high thread count and is a very tightly woven fabric.

It's necessary to have a tight weave so the feathers can't escape.

I'm sure that many of you have bought feather and down pillows, only to have the sharp quills poke you in the back.

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY AREN'T IN A GOOD TICKING!!!!!

Also, feathers have sharper quills than down, so they are like little spears and work their way through.

For this cushion I used 100% down.

Here's a picture of the finished uncovered cushion on the chair.

I still need to make the cover for it. I hope I can get to that today.......

Sooooo.....

Here's how you do it.

First make a template for the cushion.

I used the existing cushion after making sure it still fit on the chair.

I laid some lining fabric over it and pinned it in place.

Then I drew around the outside, using the welting underneath as my guide.

Then I folded it in half, and drew a line down the middle.

This way the cushion will be symmetrical. 

I drew another line 1/2" outside the first one for my seam allowance.

I folded it in half and then I cut the sucker out!!!!!

Sooooooo.....

I carried the old cushion and my template over to Gilles at Drape It for the next step.

Here's a picture of Gilles, for all his fans out there.

The guy looks like a country singing star, doesn't he?????

I took notes, writing them on the template (Gilles idea) so I wouldn't loose them and they would be RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME when I needed them.

He calls the cushion form a "bag", so to be cool.....we will too!!!!!

The "bag" needs to be larger than the finished cover to create a nice full cushy form.

So, I drew a line one inch outside my template on the ticking fabric.....

and cut out the pieces for the "bag".

Because I felt a thicker cushion would look better, I increased the box sides by one inch, so that the finished cushion would have a 4 inch side box.

Gilles had me clip the centers of the top and bottom, so it would be easier to line them up when I sewed them.

I pinned the boxing for the side to the top, leaving extra where the ends met.

I sewed the side strip to the top.

When I got to where the two ends met, I seamed them together and clipped off the excess.

This way I didn't have to worry if I got the measurement wrong.

Then I pinned the bottom to the sides, making sure that the notched parts lined up, and that the corners lined up.,

Once it was sewn together, I burst out laughing......

I had sewn it completely shut.

I have officially lost my mind.

So.....

I opened up a 3 inch hole, and turned it right side out.

THEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE DOWN FILLING!!!!!

It comes in a big bag.

Gilles stepped in at this point and took over.

He is a control freak.

I was happy to let him.

He strapped on his manly feather defying mask.....

pulled out the compressor hose...

and attached the bazooka!!!!!

YEP!!!!

That's what it's called.

The lever loop below is what controls the sucking and spitting.

It sucks in one side and shoots out the other!!!!!

Here's a shot that shows what the down looks like.

I made my first video!!!!!

I forgot the camera had a video action, and remembered as Gilles was sucking up the feathers, so I didn't have time to figure the damn thing out.

I sort of screech through it for the voice over, as I realized that there should be some explanation of the action...I got flustered because he was going balls to the wall, and I didn't have time to figure the whole dealio out.....

 so ENJOY!!!! 

I  filmed it sideways!!!!!

I edited it in Picasa, but that ain't working for me.

Oh wait!!!

I just checked and it's right side up!!!!!

I am da bomb....

(for some reason, the video doesn't show up on my IPad.)

I know....I know....

I SHOULD SEND THIS TO THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL!!!!!

When he was done, I sewed it closed and proudly carried my project back home, just like a little kid returning from summer camp.

Here it is on the chair, I just have to cover it in the linen fabric and apply the double welting (which I made yesterday!!!!!)

I think the look of a down cushion is just so luxurious.

As this is for a guest room, it won't have to be fluffed up that much!

Soooooo.....

The next post will be the final one on this chair.

Can you believe I'm almost done?????

Kris is on vacation, so when she comes back she will be surprised!!!!!

It's so gratifying to make thing for my friends and family.....

the trick is to never let them forget it!!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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Upholstering the Back of a Chair

If you guys are getting sick of hearing about this chair.....

Just imagine how I feel!!!!!

The back wasn't quite as bad as the front.

BUT.....

that ain't sayin' much.

I used the instructions Gilles gave me for the front.....

and applied them to the back!!!!!

I AM A GENIUS!!!!!

Sooooo.....

here is how I did it in nauseating detail.

I reused the existing underlayment that supplies support for the Dacron stuffing.

I reattached it at the bottom using my trusty staple gun.

I wasn't able to use the piece from the back, since the chair had been tufted, so I made a new support piece out of lining fabric.

I cut it to fit the back and tacked it in place in the middle of the top and sides and started working out from the centers, pulling the fabric tight as I went.

Then I trimmed the excess fabric.

At this point, I was thinking.....

"HA!!!!! This is easy!!!!!"

I am an idiot.

Then I pulled out my Dacron and cut off a piece that fit the back of the chair.

It's a really bulky roll, and cutting off pieces are a pain in the @$$.

(thanks for letting me complain.......)

I stapled it to the chair, first tacking it in the middle of each side and then working out from the center.

Then I used razor blades to trim the excess.

I say "blades" because I am going through those little suckers like they are water.

Once again, let me remind you to leave around a half an inch of space from the edge of the dacron to the frame.

This way there will be room for the double welt when you are done.

Now it was time to sew the fabric together for the back of the chair.

This is where I freaked out when doing the front.

Sooooo.....

I used the lessons Gilles had taught me and got out my trusty twine.

I decided where I wanted the back seams to go and tacked the twine at that place on the chair.

This would now be my guide for the pattern of the back.

I cut a piece of lining fabric to fit the back section and pinned it in place.

Then I used a pencil and ran the lead along the outline of the frame and the line of the twine.

I could feel the wooden frame and the twine through the fabric.

Then I cut a piece for the side panels, pinned it in place and outlined this piece too.

Then I trimmed the pattern pieces.

I drew on the arm pieces where the stripe needed to go so that it would line up with the stripe on the inside of the arm.

Then I added a half inch seam allowance to the edges that would be sewn together and cut the pieces.

I recently bought this handy little ruler from Joanne's.

It's transparent and is 1/2" wide, so it is great for helping draw a 1/2" allowance. 

I cut the pieces and lay them side by side.

I had made marks along the seam allowance edge on each piece so that I could line them up properly when I sewed them together.

Here's a close up so you can see what I'm yammering about.

Then I cut out the pieces of the striped fabric making sure that the stripes were properly placed.

I ironed the fabric flat at the seams.....

Then!!!!!

I hauled the chair back up onto the table.....

took a big gulp of air.....

and started trying to attach the fabric to the frame.

And I panicked....

So I pulled out my notes from Gilles and applied what I had learned for the inside back to the outside back!

I tacked the center of the stripe to the top and bottom to set the stripe the way I wanted it.

Then I used staples to tack it in strategic places on the frame.

Then working from the center I smoothed the fabric and worked my way out.

I set the stripes to line up on the arms and worked out from those points also.

I cut slashes in the excess to ease the curves.

I stapled all the way around the outside back......

trying to make sure the arm stripe was somewhat vertical.

I mean.....

I'm only human.....

Then I used more razor blades to trim the fabric.

So here she is!!!!!

All that's left to do is......

Make the double welting.

Apply the double welting.

Make a ticking cover for the down seat cushion.

Fill the down cushion with DOWN.....

and then make the cover for the cushion!!!!!

See how the stripes line up on the arms?????

I am a goddess!!!!!

The back lines up tooooooo!!!!!

Check out her tush!!!!!

So here's a progress collage for your enjoyment!!!!!

What I started with and where I am now....

My father can't believe I'm still working on this baby.....

neither can I.....

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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