DIY Cabin Cushion Covers

[$tingy Sailor]

I'm very happy to announce today that my cabin cushion project is finished. They turned out great :dance: I used 8 yards of 46" Sunbrella True Blue furniture fabric and 7 yards of beige woven vinyl underlining plus the various sundry supplies: zippers, Seam Stick, thread, piping cord, etc. from Sailrite.com

I cleaned and reused the foam except for making a larger table top cushion and a special 11th cushion for the companionway step. The extra cushion completes the wall-to-wall setup of the salon into a bed.

I used a home sewing machine with a welting foot and a universal walking foot attachment. With the thread tension turned all the way up, I was able to sew through the maximum of three layers of fabric.

The finishing touches include: custom embroidery, polyester batting, and spraying with fabric guard/waterproofing.

Total cost was $375. You can see many more pictures and read the details on my blog. It wasn't an easy project or quick, but definitely worth the effort.

 

[CaptDon01]

Nice job! And what a clean looking classic C-22! Even the table looks like it's original.

Don

 

[$tingy Sailor]

It is original but its days are numbered. I want to make a really nice inlaid top for it that will be the centerpiece of the cabin. Maybe this winter. I've got higher priority projects ahead of it

 

[Time_Out]

Great job, and I really like your blog!
I was wondering about the boards used to span the gap between the settees. It looks like they're just sitting on top of the settee surfaces. Wouldn't this create an uncomfortable 3/4" ledge under the cushions? How does it feel when you are laying on it? Would like to see more pics on this if possible. (The boards that is! ?)

Also, you said that you cut some additional foam for a cushion to go over the step. Where did you get the foam and what did you use (density, etc.) to match the existing cushions?

Great ideas here, my wife and I have already had discussions about tackling this project ourselves. I'm not afraid of the upholstery work, as I got a little exposure to it back when I used to do custom rehab wheelchairs for a living.

 

[watercolors II]

I've done a Catalina 25

Sailrite has videos on how to do it and lots of them are on Youtube.

When looking at all the selections of fabric, don’t discard the expensive stuff. On 5 yards of material it’s only $100.00 for $35.00 yd. compared to $15.00 yd., all the rest of the stuff used is the same size and price.

 

[$tingy Sailor]

SeasTheDay,
The boards do make a couple of bumps but I sleep on that side and I don't mind them. Likewise, the top of the cooler isn't flat either, but it's down at the feet. Overall, it's not bad compared to both of us cramming into the V berth or sleeping separately. And if you want, you can put another layer of foam (e.g. memory foam) over the top of the cushions, which will only make it better.

An alternative is to make boards that fit there properly and mount fiddle strips on the fiberglass to hold them in place. But then you have to find a place to stow them when not in use and not be in the way.

[EDIT] The foam we picked up at JoAnn Fabrics while it was on sale; same thickness and a little denser.

Watercolors,
Good point. Note that the price they show (MAP) on the site isn't the price you pay, which is less. And they put it on sale at least once per year at 20% off, so if you plan ahead, you can save even more.

 

[Barnacle_Bob]

Ken: great looking cabin - love the cushions. Great curtains, too, ... how did you do them? My 1980 C-22 has some pretty ancient window shades and the velcro is long gone. We need to do a replacement - your curtains look great.

- Bob

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Matching curtains

My wife made those using the originals as patterns. They're easier than they look. They're basically rectangles with the slides sewn in the top and bottom hems. The ties that you see in the pictures are the originals and she doesn't like those now with the new cushions, so she'll probably make new ties with scraps of the solid color cushion fabric. She hasn't made the matching curtain for the head yet, but I'm sure it won't be long. She's anxious to make decorator pillows next. You know, nesting

 

[LooseDiamond]

Thanks for this. Very nice! My '78 plaid has gotta go. Ha.

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Before the new cushions, I took some solace in the fact that they sort of went with the wide brown and faded orange stripes on my '85 trailer. Now I think they gotta go too

 

[Gene Neill]

GREAT job! The embroidered "Catalina" really sets it off.

Love the color, too; very bright, cheerful and modern.