Has anyone made new covers for settee/quarterberth/V-berth cushions? Ours appear to be the original and are in tough shape. We'd like to make new ones using the existing foam inserts and are seeking guidance on approach. Thanks.
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Can't help you here...
I think our cushions are original (1984???), hoping for another 20 years. We did make new curtains!
I think our cushions are original (1984???), hoping for another 20 years. We did make new curtains!
Sewing
Cushions are what I would call an intermediate sewing project. I am a total novice. I just purchased a sewing machine (sears) and have been messing around with simple stuff. Tool Roll up, Winch cover, etc. I want to make a bimini over the winter, so I am going to keep working my way up. Books that I have read: This old boat and the big book of boat canvas. Both good. The other thing I have used has been a site called smartflix.com. They rent all kinds of instructional videos. I rented one about making a bimini and it was really good. They are kinda expensive, but I think they are worth it. They have one specifically dedicated to cushions. http://smartflix.com/store/video/3305/Marine-Canvas-Cushions I would be happy to share the stuff I have learned so far.. Good luck and fair winds!
Cushions are what I would call an intermediate sewing project. I am a total novice. I just purchased a sewing machine (sears) and have been messing around with simple stuff. Tool Roll up, Winch cover, etc. I want to make a bimini over the winter, so I am going to keep working my way up. Books that I have read: This old boat and the big book of boat canvas. Both good. The other thing I have used has been a site called smartflix.com. They rent all kinds of instructional videos. I rented one about making a bimini and it was really good. They are kinda expensive, but I think they are worth it. They have one specifically dedicated to cushions. http://smartflix.com/store/video/3305/Marine-Canvas-Cushions I would be happy to share the stuff I have learned so far.. Good luck and fair winds!
John, We covered our v-berth and aft cabin bunk cushions with Sunbrella furniture fabric over ten years ago and they still look good. The best thing is they can be removed and washed. We used an ultrasuede fabric in the main cabin settees, but as we are half-year live aboards, the ultrasuede fabric failed at ten years. We learned a lot about fabric after that. Look for the highest "double rub" number you can find. That is the standard industry test for fabric wear. The new synthetic lether fabric we now have is used for aircraft upholstry. We had the covers professionaly made but have made almost everything ourselves on a standard sewing machine. If you don't already have it, get a Sailrite catalog. It has a lot of usefull information as well as all the supplies you will need. Good luck, Dave s/v ARIEL
cushion covers continued
Most of the older pearsons had the plaid herculon cabin cushions It was considered state of the art in its day. The stuff was pretty durable but we finally got tired of looking at it. I picked up some sunbrella at a fabric place and took the cushions with the old foam in them still in good condition to an upolstery shop and had the foam recovered. Worked out ok. Sunbrella is pretty durable and washable
Most of the older pearsons had the plaid herculon cabin cushions It was considered state of the art in its day. The stuff was pretty durable but we finally got tired of looking at it. I picked up some sunbrella at a fabric place and took the cushions with the old foam in them still in good condition to an upolstery shop and had the foam recovered. Worked out ok. Sunbrella is pretty durable and washable
Did our P30 cushions a few years back
Ah, the %*$#@&! cushions! I invented a whole new vocabulary in the process! (grin). I'm an intermediate seamstress from a family of seamstresses and engineers, married to someone who should have been an engineer. This should give you a clue as to how ridiculouslly meticulous we got about fit and what not. I did what someone else suggested -- dismantled the old covers and used them as a pattern for the new ones. Problem was that the first couple were a little loose and wrinkly and that just would not meet our exacting standards.
Once I got the sizes right, the project went slightly better. We did not use Sunbrella because we don't care for the finish of it for cushions we expect to spend most weekends and a couple weeks cruise on. Found an acrylic fabric that was sort of but not really plush at a local fabric warehouse place. We put marine grade vinyl on the bottoms. We replaced the foam, as the original stuff was starting to deteriorate. Used some ultra firm stuff and it wasn't until after we brought it home that I realized the original foam was three inches of pretty firm stuff sistered with an inch of slightly less firm stuff. Long story short, we ended up with very, very firm cushions which eventually broke in after five years or so! A word of caution... make sure the zippers are not metal!!! I could have sworn our zippers were plastic or nylon or something like that; the lady at the store knew we were putting them on a boat. Well the darned things have corroded at the pull and are basically welded shut. Rest of the zippers are fine -- I think it's just the end parts that are metal so I'm leaving the things be. Now .... if I could just find someone to clean and store the things in the wintertime.
Ah, the %*$#@&! cushions! I invented a whole new vocabulary in the process! (grin). I'm an intermediate seamstress from a family of seamstresses and engineers, married to someone who should have been an engineer. This should give you a clue as to how ridiculouslly meticulous we got about fit and what not. I did what someone else suggested -- dismantled the old covers and used them as a pattern for the new ones. Problem was that the first couple were a little loose and wrinkly and that just would not meet our exacting standards.
Once I got the sizes right, the project went slightly better. We did not use Sunbrella because we don't care for the finish of it for cushions we expect to spend most weekends and a couple weeks cruise on. Found an acrylic fabric that was sort of but not really plush at a local fabric warehouse place. We put marine grade vinyl on the bottoms. We replaced the foam, as the original stuff was starting to deteriorate. Used some ultra firm stuff and it wasn't until after we brought it home that I realized the original foam was three inches of pretty firm stuff sistered with an inch of slightly less firm stuff. Long story short, we ended up with very, very firm cushions which eventually broke in after five years or so! A word of caution... make sure the zippers are not metal!!! I could have sworn our zippers were plastic or nylon or something like that; the lady at the store knew we were putting them on a boat. Well the darned things have corroded at the pull and are basically welded shut. Rest of the zippers are fine -- I think it's just the end parts that are metal so I'm leaving the things be. Now .... if I could just find someone to clean and store the things in the wintertime. Cushions (a no sewing method)
I've done cushions now for a 22' Hunter several years ago and now for a Lancer 30 MKV.
I simply removed the old fabric and used the cushions to trace their shape onto 1/4" plywood (pattern on plywood 1/2" smaller. Then I simply placed the foam cushions onto the plywood turned it over onto fabric that I had laid out and stapeled it to the plywood. I used an inexpensive air stapler so they would go into the doubled material (around edges) and into the plywood sufficiently.
Piece O' Cake. (and Inexpensive)
I've done cushions now for a 22' Hunter several years ago and now for a Lancer 30 MKV.
I simply removed the old fabric and used the cushions to trace their shape onto 1/4" plywood (pattern on plywood 1/2" smaller. Then I simply placed the foam cushions onto the plywood turned it over onto fabric that I had laid out and stapeled it to the plywood. I used an inexpensive air stapler so they would go into the doubled material (around edges) and into the plywood sufficiently.
Piece O' Cake. (and Inexpensive)
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