To zip or not to zip?

• May 10, 2017

Above picture: The finished cushion covers waiting to be stuffed with inners.

I’ve been on a bit of a sewing mission making cushions for my sister. She sent me a box full of gorgeous fabrics which she had bought locally and pretty much left me tondo what I do best with them. I have made a few cushions in my day, and can rustle them up pretty quickly now. The key to making a good cushion is to have the right tools for the job.

This one is a ‘slip in at the back’ job.

One has to ask the right questions before one starts to get the desired finish…
Would you like…

Squares or rectangles?
Plain or piped?
Zips or slip ins?
Feather inners or dacron inners?
Plain or flange?

The answers to these questions can greatly affect the end result. Some cushions just look better with piped edges, and others look and sit better with a zip closure. It depends a bit on the type of fabric you use i.e. how thick the fabric is. Linens always sit nicely and press really well, but thicker cottons can be bulky to add piping to, so I have found I need to assess each fabric before I start cutting.

I started on the easy ones first, which were slip ins and a basic square shape; the fabric was quite thick so I didn’t need any extra bulk. You simply tuck the inner inside the gap in the back. I had enough fabric to add some piping to the second cushions; even though the fabric was quite thick, it was easy to manoeuvre and they were also good to slip an inner into.

Beth’s request to make some cushions with a velvet front and a linen back was a little bit more challenging. I have seen cushions like this for sale in various places and always thought I would love to know how to get that finish, as the zips are always beautifully hidden in the seam.

To cut a long blog short, last week I invested in Bernina’s #35 Invisible Zipper foot. Wow, what a difference this foot is going to make in my life! Not just with making cushions but sewing invisible zips into skirts and dresses – and you really truly can’t see a thing which I guess is why it’s called invisible! Admittedly I had to go to YouTube for some tuition, and I had to undo a few seams until I got my head around a new technique. But the finished result is lovely, and I am really delighted with how the cushions have turned out.

Cushions displayed on a couch or an armchair can change the look of a room so easily. They add colour, texture and life to an ordinary piece of furniture. You can chop and change the look every season or add different combinations of colour to get a different look or to create a certain mood. I’m playing around with various ideas at the moment and I will post some options on my FaceBook page this week as we venture into the big wide world of online shopping.

Can you even see the zip?

Everything I make is for sale, so if you wish to purchase any cushions or have me make some for you, just PM me or respond at the bottom of this page.

As an added incentive to my readers I am offering to everyone who shares this blog on their FB page the opportunity to go into a draw to win a set of 3 cushions tailor made by me, for you, valued at $135.