Thoughts on Sewing the Fabric

So, here we are doing some sewing.

We learned some things after sewing the first cushion or two and after this video was made.

First, we decided that the "reinforced stitch" on the machine was the wrong stitch to use.  We changed our stitch to a simple straight stitch.  Here is what we decided:

1. A straight stitch is much faster and uses less thread.
2. The thread we used (V-69) was a very strong thread and was not going to break.
3. The reinforced stitch was poking too many holes in the fabric and thus was defeating the purpose by weakening the fabric.  Yes, there was more thread holding the cushion together, but we were weakening the fabric with all the sewing, and that was worse.

In any case, all the cushions are holding together quite nicely after a few months of use, so a simple straight stitch with a strong thread is the way to go.

Finally, after a few more cushions, we realized we could easily sew past the edges and the machine did not care.  We had an old $99 Singer that used to create nests when we sewed past the edges.  This Viking machine did not create nests, and we eventually figured that out.

Sewing Together the Boxing

We used seam tape.

We sewed exactly at 1/2".  We have a 1/2" guide on our sewing machine.

Because we used a rotary cutter and not scissors, our cuts on the fabric were very exact.  That allowed us to easily position and tape the sides together.  We only had to make sure the edges were flush against each other.

Remember that the outsides of all fabric are almost always placed together, and you sew on the insides of the fabric.  Then, the fabric is turned outside-in to provide a nice looking cushion.

Measuring a "boxing" or the sides...

This very confusing video talks about how to measure the sides.

Originally, the videos were only meant for my personal viewing in a few years, so I made them to jog my own memory.

However...

First, this cushion is not a "normal" cushion with a front.  That is why the top fabric and the bottom fabric match exactly.  This is why we are also creating all 4 sides.  This cushion was a corner cushion in the pilot house.  The other cushions had the top fold over to create one of the sides - the front side.

This cushion used 2 long pieces of fabric for the sides.  Each long piece covered 2 sides.

The question was "how long to cut each long piece?"  The answer was that you still only give 1/2" allowance for "every edge".  Rounding a corner did not change the fact that every edge is simply given 1/2" allowance.  It is hard to understand that watching the video.  It really was not that hard and could have been explained better.  Sorry.

If in doubt, cut a scrap sheet and tack it to the fabric to see if the measurements will work.

Marking and Cutting the Fabric

We had a nice kitchen table to lay out the fabric.  We marked it and then cut it with a roller cutter.

We had a self-healing mat that we placed under the fabric when we cut it.  We used an 18" metal ruler as a guide when cutting the fabric.

Positioning the Templates on the Fabric

The next step is figuring out the best way to use the fabric.  We don't want to waste fabric.

We put all our cushion templates on the fabric and arranged them to use the minimum amount of fabric.

This fabric, btw, is the bottom cushion fabric that is breathable and lets any moisture out.  Nobody will see the bottom of the cushions.  It is a cheaper fabric, also.  It is called "Cushion Underlining" and is under $7.00 a yard.

This is pretty straight-forward watching the video.

I should also point out that we learned a lot by examining how the old cushions had been made.  The old cushions used underlining.  By using the old cushion covers as "guides" and "suggestions," we avoided many mistakes.

Creating a Cushion Template

We needed to create templates for the fabric as our cushions were not rectangular.

We used notebook paper and scotch tape to create a large piece of paper.

We put the foam on top, and we drew the outline.

We then added 1/2" to every side, and cut out the template.  That gave us a template for the bottom of the cushion.

The top of the cushion was not exactly like the bottom, because the front of the cushion is a continuation of the top.  The top template was the bottom template + a 4" front.

Once we created all the templates out of notebook paper, we laid them out on the fabric to find the best use of fabric before we cut them out.  See the next video...

In the video, I say we had 5 more to do, but we ended up recovering every cushion which meant we did 20 total.

Introduction to Recovering a Boat Cushion

We did the cushions ourselves (20 of them).  We also sewed fitted bed sheets, curtains, and a cover for the life raft.  We are about to sew a water catcher to help us collect water and provide shade over the pilot house.

I actually filmed our recovering of the cushions, so I could remind myself how to do it in a few years.  

Here are the basics:

• Watch the Sailrite videos...  
• We decided to order fabric from Sailrite as their videos really assisted us and the fabric quality was excellent compared to local stores.  We couldn't find the same quality in any local stock, and the local stores charged much more for the same fabrics when ordered from their warehouses.
• We ordered over $30.00 of fabric samples from Sailrite so that we could compare and contrast them.  That was good.  We were not afraid to call / email Sailrite and ask questions.
• We kept the old foam, because it was good quality and new foam is so expensive.  We just cleaned the old foam the best we could.
• 20 cushions took a full month of nights and weekends, but we probably saved over $3000 ($4500 by not buying new foam).  I have a cost breakdown I could dig up.  We sewed every night and every weekend - two people together.  (I would pin, for instance, and my wife would sew in an assembly line fashion.)
• We debated buying a Sailrite machine, but decided we were very tight on money and bought a $300 Viking sewing machine instead.  The Viking did the job, but the Sailrite would have been great and better to take with us on the boat.  The Sailrite sewing machine would have been $500 more.
• We did a "trial run" with old bedsheets first on a cushion.  That gave us extremely valuable experience.  For instance, we learned the old fabric was useless as a template.  We learned that we should measure everything based on the foam.  If we had first used our new fabric with the old fabric as a template, we would have ruined the first cushion and possibly become demotivated.
• We chose solid colors, so that we did not have to constantly match together the patterns.
• We bought good tools, so that we could easily cut and shape the fabric.  From seam tape, to a hot knife, to a roller cutter, it makes a difference.  Of course, we had 20 cushions and a lot of other projects.  We love our fitted sheets.  We still saved a lot of money if you consider each cushion was $250 - $300 for a professional to recover.  Fitted bed sheets are also expensive, but now I can sew up a new sheet any free evening.
• Buy more than you think you need.  The worst feeling is running out of fabric tape, thread, fabric etc, because you were trying to save $25.00 or even $10.00.  Buy an "extra" yard of fabric, and if you do not use it on cushions, you can use it on throw pillows.  We have 6 nicely matching throw pillows and a matching mouse pad for our saloon with left over fabric.
• Finally, now, I can sew up a cushion, a bed sheet, or a cover for any part of the boat in a simple evening.  The experience turned myself (and my wife) into a very fast sewer and that translates to more amenities.  For instance, I quickly sewed up a cover for the life raft and a hammock for the kids one evening.  I had an extra few hours and I didn't think twice about it.  I used to sew very slowly, but now I complain the machine is not fast enough, and I rarely need to "pin" any of my boat projects.  I can create a 1/2" seam by eyesight and finger movement alone while the machine hums along.  20 cushions will teach those skills.