Floral balcony cushions
Who doesn't enjoy a quiet weekend afternoon, sitting on a balcony or in the garden?
For a comfy place to sit, I made some pretty cushion covers for old cushions to place on the bench on our balcony.
I'll tell you more about my fabric choice and the process in this article!
It all started with some fabric samples, which helped me decide on my “Bold Daisy” pattern in blue.
For the textile material, the choice is “recycled canvas”, a fabric made of 100% polyester (50% recycled material) from Spoonflower’s wide range.
The fabric for the seat cushion has to be very durable. Cotton, for example, would be too susceptible to abrasion. My chosen printed polyester fabric is tightly woven and very robust.
I already have some old cushion cases, but they don't look very appealing anymore and are not suitable for outdoor use.
Polyester fibers are inherently water-repellent, so they do not absorb water and the fabric dries quickly if necessary. I'll combine this new fabric with some leftover blue curtain fabric that is coated on one side (light- and also waterproof!).
This means that the cushion inlets are well protected from short summer showers when left outside.
I take all the measurements of the old pillow case, add a generous seam allowance and create the pattern pieces as paper templates.
If there is no template reference yet, that's not a problem either. The width and depth of the cushion as well as the height of the padding are important! These make up the dimensions of the template, in my case a square with rounded corners.
Three template pieces have to be made: the front, and two slightly overlapping parts for the back.
This is my 3 in 1 pattern piece that saves me some paper and work, too. Into the whole format of the front piece (green), the two parts for the back are integrated.
A shorter one (blue) and a longer one (red), each with a seam allowance for the transverse edges, that will later be folded twice for hemming.
An additional seam allowance all around the outside must be added everywhere when cutting.
I prefer to do cutting of fabrics on a large flat surface such as a table or on the floor.
The arrangement of the sewing pattern template on the fabric is pre-planned in order to produce as little waste as possible. Then the template is placed on the fabric and weighed down with heavy objects in order to cut all around without slipping away. I cut around 1 cm seam allowance for this project by eye.
Continueing with the cutting, we're moving on to the second type of fabric.
For the back, I fold my paper pattern on the marks for the backside parts, so that I can use the correct format as a template.
After the fabric has been cut, some pins are used on the edges of the fabric to mark the places for the seam allowance to be folded over.
A well-matched thread perfectly complements the look of a self-sewn textile piece. To achieve the best possible colour match, I unroll a section of thread from different blue spools and compare them with the colour of the fabric. This usually gives better results than comparing to the entire spool of sewing thread, because it immitates a seam line.
First, the horizontal straight edges of the two pieces of fabric for the back are neatly hemmed.
As I already mentioned, the edge is folded in twice, and then stitched over in a straight line on top.
This gives these fabric edges stability and prevents the woven fabric from unraveling later on.
The fabric for the front and back sides are now put together right sides facing and get secured with some pins all around.
The longer back part lies directly on the front fabric, the shorter one goes on top. Here you can see the previously mentioned overlap of the two parts.
Now it's time to sew some more!
The length of the overlap area is approximately 10 - 15cm (4-6 inches). When sewing, I make sure that all layers lie flat and nothing folds over or slips away from under the sewing foot.
The corners on the edges of the overlap are additionally secured by sewing a few stitches forwards and backwards. These points are exposed to the most stress when the cushion is placed in or pulled out.
And the cover is turned inside out now, and almost ready to use!
The overlap in the back now serves as an insert for the cushion. This saves me the need for buttons or zippers that could feel uncomfortable when sitting on them, or even scratch the chair or bench the cushion is placed upon.
Of course it's also much faster to sew this version!
Now just put the pillow in for a first “try on”.
If the shape of the corners or cushion case widths don't quite fit, they can easily be improved.
A generous seam allowance is practical if the fit is too tight and material has to be added.
Everything fits perfectly? Now comes the most comfortable part of this project!
In order to prepare the inner fabric edges for the washing that will be necessary sooner or later, I serge the edges of the cushion cover with my brand new overlock machine.
Some caution is required with the thick areas of the overlap.
Once the end of the seam has been reached, continue sewing approx. 2 cm beyond the start of the seam.
By briefly lifting the sewing foot, I can pull the fabric to the side underneath the foot and continue sewing over the edge for a clear and clean finish
One more not-so-fun part at the end: cleaning your machines. A lot of lint and threads collect in there, especially in the overlocker.
Clean thoroughly before putting away.
Everything clean and tidy?
Now comes the most comfortable part of this project!
Take your brand new cushion to your balcony, an armchair or a garden lounger!
Add a good book and a refreshing drink, then the summer sun can come out. Maybe a perfect moment to get out a sketchbook and plan your next sewing project?
The pattern used in this project, "Bold Daisy" in colourway blue, is available as a fabric print in my Spoonflower shop. The links under the sample image lead to two different size options.
I also have put together five other colour variations in two sizes each, as well as many other floral patterns in different colours - fit for a similar or completely different summer sewing project - in a collection for you to browse through.
Please feel free to share your creations if my project inspired you!
