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I think the foam is not heavy, dense or stout enough to hold the cushions out to the shape.  And because they are so long, the fabric is going to overpower the foam.  I think if you could cut wood bases for the cushions, and then cover the foam that is glued to the board, then cover with fabric with staples, I think you might get a better result.
Your sewing looks adequate, it appears that the foam is a lightweight and the fabric is a heavyweight...
I always put foam in a "pre-cover" muslin or cotton liner, with polyester batting glued to foam to give it desired loft. 
Perry
Experience is the best teacher.

I have brought this topic up before, but now it has gotten out of control.  I am using a Rainco staple gun.  It is in good shape, I have had it rebuilt a couple of times.  I shoot my staples at about 60psi and that usually sets my staples like I like them to be.  Doesn't sit proud, but doesn't cut fabric.  

Doing slip seats, or anything, for that matter, you know you have to re-position some staples.  And every one of the staples breaks. I use my Rainco gun, OR I use my Porter cable gun, it shoots better at about 90psi.  Staples break no matter what gun or pressure or technique.  They break when I use a staple puller to pull them out.  Not when I shoot them.  I've used different staple pullers and tried to change my technique.
And this is getting ridiculous.  Doubles or triples work time on simple jobs.  Sometimes the little nub that remains, breaks off below surface, but sometimes have to get tack hammer to knock down the little pricks sticking up.  The brand that I'm currently using is BEA type 71, 3/8" leg.  
I've googled and BEA Bostitch appear to be the same company.  I'd like to see if I can fnd a good source for staples that don't break.  I bought a huge box of Senco a long time ago and wonder if that brand would work better.  
This has to end.  There has to be a solution.
Any comments appreciated, unless you just want to say I'm a moron...
Happy Friday 13th!!

regarding facebook upholstery...how does one access that?  I am a complete FB novice.  I am a member, but do not have any experience with using it at all.

I try like the dickens to furnish the vinyl for vinyl jobs...in my area anyway, what is available at a retail level and called vinyl is crap...I would much rather sell the vinyl than to use COM on vinyl jobs...
And quite the opposite for cloth.
Perry

Two sides to every scenario...I'd love to be a fly on the wall and be in on the interior decorator's forum and just see what THEY have to say about US!!  Every single time upholsterers talk about ID's the threads always wind up basically the same..that ID's are money grubbing scumbags, that just want to SELL stuff and throw their service people under the bus.  I wonder if window treatment people have the same relationship with ID's as well. 

I truly wonder what ID's are taught about us, where do they get their sense of entitlement? 

This is a comment to sofadoc's statement about a realtor getting paid even if you sell your own house...
I sold my house 5 yrs back, I did the appropriate staging and landscaping, even had the obligatory garage sale before posting "for sale".  To every person who walked up to the garage sale, I announced "if you buy the house, all of this is free". 

When I was meeting and contracting with the realtor, I stopped her mid form, and told her there was the possibility of an excluded buyer...she rolled her eyes, "said...What's his name, for how long? I'm not doing this shit for nothing."" (truly her words)  I told her the guy's name, gave the deal 10 days and KABLAM...lo and behold, it was the guy from the garage sale, who I had a suspicion would be a serious buyer. I paid the realtor ZERO..it was in writing, and it's called an excluded buyer. 
Plus, while the bank was doing paperwork, I got the benefit of the MLS listing, and had back up offers if the garage sale guy had fallen through.  Those buyers, I would have had to fork over commission.
According to any lawyer I've ever known..ANYTHING can be a contract.
Perry

I am a mid-century aficionado.  I have several Goodform chairs that have arms.  And on those arms, origninally there was a little pad that curved or conformed to the curve of the structure.  In 90% of the cases, that arm piece is gone or broken and I've not come up with a good way to re-create that.  Any body familiar with a fix that might work?
Perry
I can post a picture if it helps.

Definitely not a Downy woodpecker.  They are the miniature version of woodpeckers.  The are speckly coloration like that tho.  Looks more like a Flicker.  (why they aren't called woodpeckers, I don't know)  Different colorations may be juveniles, or male/females.
Birding is a hobby of mine.  I'm no expert, but very enthusiastic...

I have a nearly 30 year old Rainco that I've had rebuilt twice.  Love that gun.  Shoots great at 60-70psi.  I like the way it sets a staple.  It's a company called Wooper that I send it to.

Correction...Yooper, not Wooper.

My preferred size of zipper has always been a #4 aluminum.  It's what I've always used.  This past month I bought a new 100 yd roll of zipper, sewed 9 cushions with zippers from that roll.  Two of those zippers spontaneously just come apart.  My supplier was willing to credit me.  He also suggested a 4.5 nylon zipper.  It is a coil zipper.  His pros were being able to sew right over it, and not messing up a needle or being able to cut it and scissors don't suffer.  However I've seen more nylon zippers go south than metal. 
Your input?

I have a project that involves sewing a hide with hair...I don't know if the creature is/was horse or cow?  It had hair.  I am inserting the hair part into a border of hairless, finished leather.  My concern is how to keep hair from having "cowlicks" as I seam it together.  I have sewed leather many times.  I use a leather needle, pray that I get it right the first time, etc.
I am wondering if I "shave the hide just a millimeter or so into the seam allowance.  I do have hair clippers that I could do just that. 
Any ideas or experiences on this?
Thanks.
Perry

For the last dozen years, I've driven a Honda Odyssey.  They are wonderful vehicles.  For something as big as they are, the MPG's are decent.  On long hiway trips, I can get 24/25 MPG. 
But the latest van is a 2001, she has 240,000 miles on her and she is starting to have a few hiccups.  Plus, we live way out in BFE and going to town and back is quite a haul, so I've been thinking of getting a smaller vehicle and racking up better mileage. 
The vehicle in mind is a Honda Fit.  The smallest Honda.  It has quite an impressive cargo area, but sofas are out of the question for pickup and delivery. 
I'm not stressing over this like I thought I would. 
Has anyone gone down to a smaller vehicle and how did it impact your business?
I've had a Honda Fit before, a 2008, but it didn't have telescoping steering wheel and was damned uncomfortable to get arms/legs comfortable length to drive.
This new one I'm getting has that feature and it makes all the difference in the world.
Perry

I had a job like that in the late 90's.  It was truck seats, GM and Chevy.  In my small town, everyone was buying those trucks.  One fellow in particular stood out.  He wore out his driver's side every couple of months.  I told him, first repair to get a step to get out.  He didn't.  Finally after the third time, same problem, same repair..I took a deep breath and told him straight...I said.."It's physics.  You're short, you're round...the truck is tall.  When you get out, you sliiiiiide out and down.  This problem is not going away until something changes. I can keep taking your money, but this is not going to change."  I fixed the seat, again..and never saw him after that.
Perry

This may or may not have anything to do with upholstery, but since there is a wealth of information here...
I have a queen sofa bed.  Of course it came with the usual and super crappy mattress...so miss smarty pants (me) ordered a new one from Amazon...good price, great mattress...Fits width and length perfect.  (basically the size is what's called a short queen in RV's)

Here's the problem.  It's too thick to fold up and go inside the sofa frame.  Doesn't even fit under the inside back.  It's a 4.5" mattress and I think that's way too much.  Probably a 4" would be better.  Any ideas where to look besides Ebay or Amazon?  I don't want to spend a huge chunk of money.  I paid 150.00 for this one and it's a fair price.

Or is there a foam insert I can put inside the mattress framework and store the mattress when it's not in use? 
Thanks.
Perry

I have the Little Bantam air chiseler.  It works okay, but does a lot of wood digging. 
What hurts my hand is when I have to cut yards of welt.  I don't do a lot of vinyl stapling at this location..that used to kill my hand and my thumb. 
When I have to do a lot of stapling, that hurts my wrist.  I now watch all my position and grip..to make sure I'm holding tools and doing technique straight on, without twisting my wrist.
Perry