Cushion Challenge

I found these vintage wooden chairs at my local Goodwill for $25. I thought they would look great around my dining room (which often doubles as my GoGo Craft work table). Since I spend a lot of time there I want to cover the cushions to protect the seat and also give them a pop of color. I decided that for this sewing project I would challenge myself to only use materials that I already have in my supply closet. Putting these boundaries on a project is budget friendly and also a great way to stretch my mind creatively. Here are 3 discoveries/tips I want to share from my sewing challenge.

1. I used a paper grocery bag to make the pattern because I ran out of pattern paper.

The brown paper is a sturdy weight but still thin enough to pin to fabric.

Cut the bag open at one side so it lays flat.

Trace the seat onto the paper with a pencil.

2. This vintage cotton floral fabric came from a previous shopping trip to the Alameda Flea Market.  There wasn't enough for all 4 cushions so I ended up combining it with this solid light weight wool that I had purchase last year at SCRAP in San Francisco. When combining different types of fabrics, a good rule of thumb is to use either all knits (stretchy fabric) or all wovens (non-stretch fabric) of a similar weight within one project.  Knits and wovens react differently and are difficult to sew together.

It's not a perfect color and fabric match, but it works.

This cushion is reversible.

3. I didn't have enough grosgrain ribbon for all 4 chair ties, so I cut off the selvage edge and used it in place of the missing ribbon.

A great way to preserve the origins of this vintage fabric. Plus I love that font!

Run a line of straight stitching along the cut edge of the selvage to prevent fraying.

I hope you find some of these ideas useful for your next sewing project.

-Amelia Strader

Founder/Owner GoGo Craft