Box Cushions

[Mojo]

I was just wondering how everyone else cuts their fabric for box cushions.

I was cutting my patterns with the 1/2 inch seam allowance and always ended up with a loose fit.
I then read on here a few weeks ago where someone ( I forgot who ) mentioned they cut it exact to the foam with no seam allowance. I just finished four of them and did what he said and by gosh I ended up with good looking ( and tight ) cushions.

How do you most of you cut your fabric for box cushions ? If your cutting with the seam allowance how are you getting a good tight fit ?

Thanks ya'll,

Chris

[fragged8]

hi Mojo


I make the foam 1/2 oversize or 1/4 oversize where 2 cushions butt together
and cut the material the exact size of the foam..

Rich

[BigJohn]

Chris:
     I make no claims as to being an expert but the input I've gotten here that has worked for me is cut vinyl slightly undersized (1/2 to 1') due to the stretch factor and then add the seam allowance, so in short pretty much the same as you said.

     I hope that this Christmas season finds you in as good of health as can be expected.

                                                Big John

[MinUph]

  I cut my boxings 1/4" of the foam size. 4" for with Dacron wrap get a 4 1/4" boxing. I use 1/2" seem for everything.
  If I wasn't adding Dacron I would use the foam size 4" foam 4" box.

[Mike8560]

I cut the top and bottom ages. With an Allowance.  but the. Boxing I cut the same width as the foam and it come out tight when I do it.
I meant top and bottom plates

[bobbin]

I have tried a variety of formulae over the years and I prefer the result I get when I use the same formula as Mike 8560.  I like to see the tops and bottoms pulled over the edge of the foam a little bit.  It keeps the cording standing nicely and the skins don't tend to migrate forward after being pulled at by asses dragged over them. 

I overcut the foam by about 1/2" all around, but vary that a little depending on the shape and "poufiness" I'm looking for.  Closed cell foam is a different story entirely... I generally overcut only on the length. 

[kodydog]

Here is a question along this same topic. It seems were all close to cutting cushions and foam the same way, give or take a 1/2 inch. And its great when after doing all that work it fits perfect in the space. What % of the time do you have to take the foam out of the casing and tweak it to make it look right. I'm about 40%. But then I'm real picky. Is this to much? If your a lot less how do you do it?

[MinUph]

Here is a question along this same topic. It seems were all close to cutting cushions and foam the same way, give or take a 1/2 inch. And its great when after doing all that work it fits perfect in the space. What % of the time do you have to take the foam out of the casing and tweak it to make it look right. I'm about 40%. But then I'm real picky. Is this to much? If your a lot less how do you do it?

No Offense intended kodydog but taking 40% of your cushion cores back out seems like allot. I rarely have to remove the core once it is in place. On some instances if I'm reusing a core I will fill it to see how it does and possibly remove it to add a layer of Dacron. But new work should not call for rework.

[kodydog]

No Offense intended kodydog but taking 40% of your cushion cores back out seems like allot. I rarely have to remove the core once it is in place. On some instances if I'm reusing a core I will fill it to see how it does and possibly remove it to add a layer of Dacron. But new work should not call for rework.
   

No offense taken. A little constructive criticism is good. It means I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong and fix it. Thanks.

[sofadoc]

No Offense intended kodydog but taking 40% of your cushion cores back out seems like allot. I rarely have to remove the core once it is in place. On some instances if I'm reusing a core I will fill it to see how it does and possibly remove it to add a layer of Dacron. But new work should not call for rework.
   

No offense taken. A little constructive criticism is good. It means I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong and fix it. Thanks.

We all have some phase of upholstery that we probably spend too much time on.
For me, it's skirts. Sometimes I feel like when I've done all BUT the skirts, I'm halfway through.
If the extra time spent on cushions makes you feel better, I wouldn't worry about it. Anyway, if it's just the foam that you're tweaking, it doesn't sound you're wasting all  that much time. Now, if you were ripping seams out 40% of the time, you might want to re-think the way you're doing it.
Back in the day, my grandmother was notorious for making cushion covers too big.
Her theory was "Better too big than too little, I can always cut them down".
And she always ended up doing just that!

[Mike8560]

I generaly always use slipese on my foam. Once inside I will reach in and pull it info. Corner or such  I then will manipulate the foam I to ace from outside the cover pinching and pulling if I bVe to.

[bobbin]

I rarely have to pull the foam out to tweak the fit.  When I have to it's generally in a complicated salon arrangement where there are multiple cushions that must fit in behind coaming.  If the foam is overcut too much the cushions will buck up and not sit down snugly.  Shaving a smidge off one or two edges usually does the trick. 

I struggle a little more with closed cell foam only because of its density and that means there is very little "wiggle room" with respect to a good, snug fit.  Also, I don't do a lot of work that calls for it.  The "perfect storm" for me with closed cell foam usually involves multiple cockpit cushions that have to fit inside coaming and that are spec'd. out with Sunbrella.  Vinyls are more forgiving with repsect to stretch and fit, wovens can be a real bear. 

[baileyuph]

We may all be closely saying the same thing, if so pardon the redundancy:

I don't worry about the filler up front, instead make a cover that fits the dimension needed.  After cover fabrication, the filler is prepared and that is almost as analytical as the cover.  Different fillers, different issues.  For example, if I was going to fill it with a steel cube, you certainly wouldn't do the same as if it was foam in terms of sizing the filler.  That was an extreme example to make a point about density.

Further however, the magnitude of the cover will require a different consideration even with the same type filler.  For example, a large window seat compared to a chair cushion, using a similar filler, is a different consideration, directionality becomes a major consideration. 

Too me, cushion fabrication/building is a very important issue that requires a good solid understanding.

Then, there is the customer requirements, it goes on forever it seems.

Doyle

[kodydog]

We all have some phase of upholstery that we probably spend too much time on.
For me, it's skirts. Sometimes I feel like when I've done all BUT the skirts, I'm halfway through.

When I first opened my business in Conover NC a retired upholster came into my shop and asked if I needed any part time help. I was still working full time in manufacturing so I said yes.

His name was Hillard. He was so cool.  He was 65 years old and would come to work with a hang glider strapped to the top of his car. On weekends he'd drive to Grandfather Mountain and launch himself off a cliff.

While I was at work he and my wife would cut, sew, strip and get furniture ready for me to upholster when I got off. I'd work till midnight and weekends until I got to the point that I could work for myself full time. He taught me a lot of things you don't learn in manufacturing and introduced me to suppliers of foam, frames, and fabric.

One year later I moved my business to Charleston SC. Hillard and I parted ways. Five years later his daughter called and said Hillard had passed away. Theirs two things he told me that I'll never forget. He said you can build a million dollar chair but if the cushion or skirts aren't right you may as well not deliver it. Because that's all the customers going to see. The other thing was never have a "good enough" attitude. If you see something that's not right, fix it.

I thank you all for your advice as it helped me fix a cushion on a velvet wing chair I just finished. Always keep a positive attitude and things will work out. Kody Dog

[M2]

We all have some phase of upholstery that we probably spend too much time on.
For me, it's skirts. Sometimes I feel like when I've done all BUT the skirts, I'm halfway through.

His name was Hillard. He was so cool.  He was 65 years old and would come to work with a hang glider strapped to the top of his car. On weekends he'd drive to Grandfather Mountain and launch himself off a cliff.

Small World, I probably met Hillard at some point. I was into Hang Gliding in the 70's around western NC. What was his last name?