Another v-berth cushion problem....

[jojo]

Hi everybody!

Working on these cuddy cabin cushions. The candy cane shaped piece in the middle is about 4 inches wide on the top, so I traced the shape of it on the vinyl and cut and sewed boxing to both sides. Then I was going to staple the cover to the plywood base, but, as you could imagine, the inside curve will not lay flat. The outside curve is not a problem.



Am I supposed to sew darts in the boxing to take up the slack? And if so, how far up the boxing should I go?
Thanks!
Jo

[Mike8560]

thats a coplete lillte pad not a cushion with a pull at that j shape? it not a dart thing they didnt have them did they on the original? its got to be a alignment thing if its 4" wide there has to be more width to the top plate to allow it to curve down the side there a bit.  try cutting the piece first ant b4 sewing staple them together  with no wrinkles . youve got to get itright on the isde curve cause therenothing to pull it tight like the outside curve

[jojo]

Mike,

The original was done in a light weight fabric and sewn with a lot of tucks and pleats wherever there was fullness. They also sewed seams every 4 inches or so, and i'm not sure why. they did the same thing to the bolster, which is why it looks like a tapeworm.
I'm sewing the new cover in vinyl, and i guess i didn't think it through. There's just so much fabric left over on that inside boxing.

[bobbin]

A tapeworm, lol. 

Very nice visual, Jojo, lol. 

[RandyOnR3]

  we do a fair amount of Marine interiors, and when it comes to shaping the inside curves, we often to it in layers of foam glued together to get the shape and then the vinyl or fabric is built over the foam..
  sometimes we'll make a "mock-up" of the shape in the shop on a sheet of plywood and build off of that..
the tuck and fold that you took off is an easy way of making the contour but when using vinyl, the pieces need to be cut in a type of ")(" shape..where the center is shorter than both top and bottom..
  if the covering it done over plywood, cut 1/2 inch ply about half way throu using a skill saw every couple inches.. it will allow you to bend the wood..

[JuneC]

Inside curves are always tricky.  When sewing the inside boxing to the top plate, stretch the boxing slightly.  Sounds like it's a bit too long.  I'd also cut the top plate with slightly more curve than the foam has, shortening the inside radius.  Then when the two pieces are joined, it'll be smaller on the inside curve than the foam, so when the foam is inserted, will pull a bit.  You have to be careful to not overdo these adjustments or you'll get wrinkles on the top plate.  Also, it's VERY important to clip the seam allowances every 1/4 to 1/2 inch - or trim to 1/4" or less.  Your selvedge will cause the wrinkling you describe if it isn't. 

June

[jojo]

Aaaahhh! Nothing is working, guys!
Randyonr3, I was thinking along those lines, but can't wrap my head around how to put the pieces together.

Also, any ideas on how to cover the tapeworm bolster? It's in four pieces; two are straight and two are curved.

Thanks guys!

[RandyOnR3]

Aaaahhh! Nothing is working, guys!
Randyonr3, I was thinking along those lines, but can't wrap my head around how to put the pieces together.

Also, any ideas on how to cover the tapeworm bolster? It's in four pieces; two are straight and two are curved.

Thanks guys!

for the worm, If the top and the bottom are of the same size, turn it inside out, and where-ever you have a pucker on the inside, pinch it with your fingers, and mark it with a pencil..  sew the pinched part .. you might have to put it together and take it apart a coupe times to get the right result.. work from one end to the other.. if you try to do do many mods at once, you have a chance of pulling fabric from one one of the pinched areas to the other.. and you know needles holes in the vinyl are a nasty..
for laying up the foam as I mentioned,
try this, and you'll see what I'm refering to.. grab a couple pieces of scrap 1 inch foam. about 6 x 12.. spray each peace on one side with adhesive (contact) .. hold one piece ( adhesive side out ) with your fingers in a horseshoe shape, and lay the other piece around it.. you'll find the two pieces form a curve when you let them go.. you just have to play with it to find the right curv for the situation you need..
  I do this often when building a wrap-around settee in a boat where the seet backs have to fit the contour of the inside of the boat.. by putting layers together, it keeps me from buying expensive thick foam and cutting it to fit..
  you can also use different types of foam to give you the right feel for the job.. as I often use a dence foam for my first layer and soffen it up as I get to the outside.. with three layers, or three inches, it will be soft to the touch but stiffen up as you push in.........

[scott_san_diego]

If they want the same look with the pleats, find the center of you cover. Center the cover over the foam then I would start at the ends first, then just start folding your pleates loose first to get your spacing.  Then staple.
I have also done these types of bolster smooth.  Place the foam in the approximate shape it will have.  Then I will cut a piece of vinyl that will lay on top of the foam and then sew on a boxing to the top piece and top stitch.  This will give you a clean look.

[jojo]

Scott,
I do want a smooth look. I did sew the boxing onto both sides of the top, but when I go to staple the boxing inside the curve to the board, it's just too ripply. So how do you get it smooth?  ??? The boxing on the outside is not a problem; nice and smooth.

Randy, I'm not fabricating the foam, just putting a new cover (vinyl) on the existing foam.
I guess I have to pleat it?

[fragged8]

I'm no expert but i'm thinking the sectioned cover isn't just done that way for show ?

have you tried marking on the foam the original seams and patterning each section ?

I know inside curves are a PIA, June helped me a lot when i did a corner cushion and following her advise I made a good job of it. she really knows her stuff.

rich

[JuneC]

Jojo, does the foam in your 'J' overhang the board on the inside curve?  If so, that will aggravate the problem.  Typically the foam overhangs by an inch or so in order to not feel the board with the back of your leg when sitting.  What you need to do in this case, is make what amounts to a duplicate of your top plate that goes underneath and gets sewn to the inside boxing, just like the top plate.  It doesn't need to be as wide as your top plate since you're going to staple it to the board, but it does need to be the same shape.  Hope I haven't confused you further.

June

[jojo]

Thank you, thank you, thank you June!! That's it!!! I never thought of that, but it makes perfect sense. It overhangs about a half inch.
I can't wait till tomorrow to try this!

[jojo]

Update: That didn't work either. Guess I have to go with the darts.  :(

[Eric]

This is probably late, why not change the design and eliminate the problem. Make the whole v-berth into 3
or 4 cushions.
Eric