Interior Cushions
May 27, 2008
Our cracked holding tank is out now, but reclaiming the interior of the boat from the horrible smell that permeates absolutely everything is going to be a formidable task. One of the projects that I always enjoy is making new interior cushions. I eventually get around to redoing the interior of every boat we own, but this time the job has to be done sooner rather than later if we are to be able to enjoy the interior of the boat at all this year.
There was nothing that was reusable from our old cushions. We had the original upholstery, 26 years old. What used to be a coating on the inside of the plaid Herculon fabric had turned to dust. The zippers were frozen shut, the foam was compressed and brittle. And the whole mess was making our garage stink after we took it home. We had to move quick so that we could throw it all away immediately.
We stripped the covers off and threw them away. (I like to use the new foam as a pattern rather than using the old covers. I have my own way of putting things together, and I never use zippers, preferring Velcro instead. )
We then took the old foam pieces to Conkling Foam Center (3531 Claremont Street, Baltimore MD 21224, 410-675-7426). New #1550 foam was cut, 4" thick for the v-berth and settee seats, 2" thick for the backs of the settees. You can't really fudge with the thicknesses as the 2 settee backs stacked one on top of the other form the cushion for the double berth pullout, so it has to be exactly 1/2 the thickness of the settee seat. It's a nice firm foam and should last a long time. The total cost of the foam was $402 with a 10% off coupon from the company's website. We dropped off the old cushions, went and had lunch in the neighborhood and picked up the new cushions afterward. Nice people, good service, decent price.
I had already purchased a nice thick tapestry fabric on eBay for the faces of the back cushions over the settees and for throw pillows, 6 yards for $119, including shipping. The rest of the cushions will be solid color, Sunbrella Toast. I would have preferred using one of Sunbrella's interior upholstery fabrics from the Canvas Collection but the Toast color only comes in the exterior acylic canvas and it is the only color that coordinates with the tapestry. (Unfortunately, I am really stuck on the tapestry. The photo does not do it justice. The colors are just beautiful.) I purchased 12 yards of 60" wide Toast from Sailrite in Annapolis plus 4 oz. of matching V-92 polyester thread, for a total of $238. I will probably need another 2 yard of the 44" width to finish the project. That will add another $28 to the total. I also purchased 6 pillow forms for accent and lounging pillows and some batting for the berth cushions just to add a little softer surface for sleeping, total cost $46.
It will not be a problem to sew the heavy canvas on my Sailrite walking-foot machine. I had used the exterior Sunbrella on the interior of our Bristol 24 and we liked it just fine. It wears like iron, doesn't mildew and resists moisture and staining. I already had left over from another project several rolls of Velcro and enough 2 sided basting tape for the entire project. I also have a good hot knife for cutting the Sunbrella, which makes a nice sealed edge and prevents raveling inside the covers. Without the hot knife and the heavy-duty machine, working with the heavy acrylic fabric can be difficult. But there are many nice upholstery fabrics available for a price comparable to what I paid for the Sunbrella and tapestry that would be easy to make up on a standard home sewing machine.
Total cost to date $833. I have seen threads on the CDSOA board quoting $5000 for new interior cushions, so I would like to encourage those who don't mind doing it themselves that it can be done for far less. And there is a great deal of satisfaction in doing it yourself and knowing you got EXACTLY what you wanted.
This entry will be updated with additional details and pictures as the project progresses. We are looking forward to a fresh, bright new interior in the very near future.
Fair Winds!!
Becky
Our cracked holding tank is out now, but reclaiming the interior of the boat from the horrible smell that permeates absolutely everything is going to be a formidable task. One of the projects that I always enjoy is making new interior cushions. I eventually get around to redoing the interior of every boat we own, but this time the job has to be done sooner rather than later if we are to be able to enjoy the interior of the boat at all this year.There was nothing that was reusable from our old cushions. We had the original upholstery, 26 years old. What used to be a coating on the inside of the plaid Herculon fabric had turned to dust. The zippers were frozen shut, the foam was compressed and brittle. And the whole mess was making our garage stink after we took it home. We had to move quick so that we could throw it all away immediately.
We stripped the covers off and threw them away. (I like to use the new foam as a pattern rather than using the old covers. I have my own way of putting things together, and I never use zippers, preferring Velcro instead. )
We then took the old foam pieces to Conkling Foam Center (3531 Claremont Street, Baltimore MD 21224, 410-675-7426). New #1550 foam was cut, 4" thick for the v-berth and settee seats, 2" thick for the backs of the settees. You can't really fudge with the thicknesses as the 2 settee backs stacked one on top of the other form the cushion for the double berth pullout, so it has to be exactly 1/2 the thickness of the settee seat. It's a nice firm foam and should last a long time. The total cost of the foam was $402 with a 10% off coupon from the company's website. We dropped off the old cushions, went and had lunch in the neighborhood and picked up the new cushions afterward. Nice people, good service, decent price.
I had already purchased a nice thick tapestry fabric on eBay for the faces of the back cushions over the settees and for throw pillows, 6 yards for $119, including shipping. The rest of the cushions will be solid color, Sunbrella Toast. I would have preferred using one of Sunbrella's interior upholstery fabrics from the Canvas Collection but the Toast color only comes in the exterior acylic canvas and it is the only color that coordinates with the tapestry. (Unfortunately, I am really stuck on the tapestry. The photo does not do it justice. The colors are just beautiful.) I purchased 12 yards of 60" wide Toast from Sailrite in Annapolis plus 4 oz. of matching V-92 polyester thread, for a total of $238. I will probably need another 2 yard of the 44" width to finish the project. That will add another $28 to the total. I also purchased 6 pillow forms for accent and lounging pillows and some batting for the berth cushions just to add a little softer surface for sleeping, total cost $46.
It will not be a problem to sew the heavy canvas on my Sailrite walking-foot machine. I had used the exterior Sunbrella on the interior of our Bristol 24 and we liked it just fine. It wears like iron, doesn't mildew and resists moisture and staining. I already had left over from another project several rolls of Velcro and enough 2 sided basting tape for the entire project. I also have a good hot knife for cutting the Sunbrella, which makes a nice sealed edge and prevents raveling inside the covers. Without the hot knife and the heavy-duty machine, working with the heavy acrylic fabric can be difficult. But there are many nice upholstery fabrics available for a price comparable to what I paid for the Sunbrella and tapestry that would be easy to make up on a standard home sewing machine.
Total cost to date $833. I have seen threads on the CDSOA board quoting $5000 for new interior cushions, so I would like to encourage those who don't mind doing it themselves that it can be done for far less. And there is a great deal of satisfaction in doing it yourself and knowing you got EXACTLY what you wanted.
This entry will be updated with additional details and pictures as the project progresses. We are looking forward to a fresh, bright new interior in the very near future.
Fair Winds!!
Becky
Hi Becky,
That is beautiful fabric!
Just curious how you do the velcro, is it along the back of the cushions, with overlapping flaps? That does sound easier than all the zippers I put in on cushious in the past.
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