Eric: This video is brought to you by Sailrite.
Visit Sailrite.com for all your project supplies, tools, and instructions. In this video tutorial we’ll recover this
La-Z-Boy recliner’s seat cushion with new decorative fabric from Sailrite. In a separate
video, we showed recovering the whole chair. Be sure to watch that video if you desire
to recover an old recliner yourself. Recovering the seat cushion is very easily done. Continue
watching to see how to DIY (Do It Yourself). Cindi, an expert seamstress and upholsterer,
is going to show us how it’s done. Here’s Cindi. Cindi will start by disassembling the
old seat cushion. This one has a separate seat cushion. This
is the seat cushion, and it’s still in really good condition; its real firm and it looks
great. So we are just going to remake the cover for this to match our new fabric. I
need to take the core out to use this piece as my pattern. Also, on this one, because
I know I’m going to take it apart, because I’m working with it, I’m not going to
wrestle with this to take it out of the core, or out of the cover. I’m just going to cut
it apart, and make my life a little bit easier today. I’m ready to make the cushion for this chair.
I’ve already taken this panel off. I just want to mark the back of it so I get it going
the right direction from side to side and top to bottom. I’m going to put a pin back
there. Eric: Cindi has cut out one of the plates.
She’ll use that to pattern the decorative fabric. That’s coming up next. Fold it in half so I can get my center again.
I’m going to try and kind of just center this one paisley in the middle of this cushion.
Cut this piece out just like it is. Eric: Using multi-use pins, we will pin this
fabric to the decorative fabric so it won’t move when we’re cutting it out. We will
just use scissors and trim along the outer edge of this fabric. We will not show that. I want to put a pin in the back of this piece
also so I make sure I get everything going the right direction. This area right here
of the front is a little bit curved; we want to cut it like that again. You can see on
the edge of mine, it’s a little bit curved to match the chair. I want a mirror image. Eric: The cushion requires a top plate and
bottom plate. We’ll use this one to mirror an image for the next plate.She also uses
a push pin to mark the back location of that second plate. So there’s my top and bottom plate for the
cushion. Then I need to cut the zipper and the boxing. Eric: The remainder of the old cushion cover
will be measured now. The boxing on this is 5 ¾” wide; its 5
¼” to the seam, and I need to add a ½” for the seam over here. So I’m going to
cut this 5 ¾” by- and this just needs to be a rough measurement; it doesn’t have
to be an exact- about 64”. If I go to this, about the center of the front, its 32” so
I’m going to cut it 5 ¾” x 64”. I think I would like it to have this little hook part
on the center of my bands. I’m going to put my 5 ¾” here. To make sure this is
the same all the way across, I’m using this little part of the design, and marking it
from here to here. Then I’ll use the next one over there also. Eric: This is the boxing that will go around
the front of our cushion and the sides. We’ll cut a separate boxing for the zipper plaque,
which is a boxing that contains a zipper in the back of the cushion. Then I can use my ruler to measure up from
my first line of 5 ¾”. Eric: If you’re doing upholstery and canvas
applications, I highly recommend the clear acrylic ruler from Sailrite. The width of the fabric is only 54”, and
I needed 64”. So I’m going to lay this on, matching up the patterns and cut another
piece and cut it off about 10” to 12”. In order to get this 64”, I need to add
about 5” to each side. Eric: Outside surfaces are facing each other.
Then Cindi will use the pins and pin it together. She’ll do the same thing on the opposite
end to extend the length of this boxing that will go around the front and sides. I’m going to take this over and add it to
the other side. So I have a little bit added to each end of this boxing strip. Eric: Next up, cutting the zipper plaque boxing. I’m ready to cut the pieces for the zipper
plaque. I’m going to just measure the length of the original one, which is about 29”
with the seam. I’m going to make it 30”. The width of these two pieces need to be this
measurement right here- 2 7/8” plus 1” for what we’re going to turn under for the
zipper here. So I want to cut my piece 30” x 3 7/8”. I’m going to need two of these
to make the zipper so I’ll need two 30” x 3 7/8” pieces. Eric: We will not show Cindi cutting those
out. Next up, we’ll be creating the zipper plaque. I needed to turn under 1” on each one of
these to apply the zipper in the center. I’m going to use the seamstick to help me with
that. I’m just going to press it along the edge. Eric: Seamstick is awesome! It’s a double
sided tape that could be used to baste seams, hems, and other applications together to make
it easier to take assemblies to the sewing machine and sew them without it moving. Peel off the backing, and press under my 1”
here. Eric: Because the hem is basted in place,
now we can just take it to the sewing machine and lay it over the zipper and sew the zipper
to the assembly. We’re going to use the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1 sewing machine. The
fabric assembly’s fold is centered over top of the zipper’s teeth. The presser foot
foot is actually riding against the teeth with the fabric on top of the zipper’s teeth.
We’re sewing a straight stitch about 5mm in length. I’m going to cut the extra zipper off now,
and apply the other side of the zipper the same way, and just butt the two folded edges
right up next to each other. Eric: The Sailrite Ultrafeed Sewing Machines
are the world’s best portable walking foot sewing machine. They are excellent for canvas
and upholstery applications like this. You can find them at www.Sailrite.com. To put the slider on, I hold the tab up and
slide it onto the teeth a little bit, as far down as I can, and pull on both sides of it. Eric: This is a locking slider. We’re going to set this aside now, and sew
the boxing onto the plate. I’m going to add this little 5”-6” piece
to the side of my boxing. Eric: Cindi sews about a ½” from the raw
edge of the fabric, reversing at the beginning and the end to lock the stitch in place. Then
she’ll do the same to the other end. I’m going to put a little clip in the center,
matching up these two seams, in the center of my boxing at the top and at the bottom.
On one of my plates I’m going to do the same. Here’s the back; so this is the front.
I’m going to put a clip in the center. Eric: These clips will be used to find the
center of the boxing and, obviously, the center of the plate. And match up my two clips. Eric: She’ll start sewing at that center
location about an 1” away, so past the clip, and so on to the corner, keeping the stitch
about a 1/2” from the raw edge of the fabric; being sure the raw edges of the boxing and
the plate are matching up. Upon reaching a corner, a clip is placed in the boxing, not
deeper than the stitch allowance, which is a 1/2”. This clip allows the fabric to go
smoothly around the corner. Stop stitching about 5” or 6” from the
edge because the zipper’s going to come around this corner and come down here. So
I’m not going to sew that right now. I’m going to go back and sew around the other
side. Eric: She started at the center location at
the front of the cushion. She’s going to flip the assembly and start there again going
the opposite direction. So I’m back here at the center where my
clips are, and I’m going to stitch here and down this side. Eric: Follow the same procedure as we did
when we sewed the opposite side. When we reach the corner, make a clip in the boxing as done
before. The boxing is on the underside of the plate; the plates on top. I’m going to stop about 5” or 6” from
the edge because the zipper will come around this corner. I may need to trim some of this
off; it may be too long. But it’s a lot easier to have it too long than it is to have
it too short and have to add in the middle of this process. I’m going to fold this
in half at the back and make a clip. I’m going to fold the zipper in half and make
a clip. Eric: Same process…finding the center of
the back of the plate and the center of the zipper plaque. Never make your clips deeper
than the seam allowance. Our seam allowance is a 1/2”. And match up my clips here at the back also. Eric: Outside surfaces of the plate and the
boxing, or zipper plaque, are facing each other. I’m only going to stitch around the corner
about 1” or 1 ½” and stop. Then I can decide how long I want this piece
to be. It looks like I can cut off a couple of inches. I have all this folded underneath,
which protects the zipper. So I’m going to cut off a little bit, and use part of it
for my zipper stop. Then I’m going to sew these two pieces right sides together- this
is the boxing and the zipper. Eric: When sewing these two boxing pieces
together, she’ll sew a 1/2” from the raw edge, but before she goes over the zipper,
she’ll add that little tab that she cut off. That will create a good stop for the
zipper, and also reinforce the zipper. I’m going to fold this in half to make a
zipper stop out here. Now I can go back and finish up this side
seam. This extra fabric gets tucked underneath the zipper. So when it’s finished it’ll
look like that; this little fold protects the end of the zipper. I’ll do the same
thing at the other side. Eric: Since this step is repeated, we are
not going to show it for this end. Obviously the assembly was flipped. Let’s move on.
Coming up next, we’ll be sewing the last plate to the assembly. I have this one plate all sewn on all the
way around all four sides. I’m going to fold my boxing at each corner and put a clip.
If you fold back the two seams- the side and the front seam- and then fold this out straight,
you’ll get a clip at the same spot on the corner as the other one was. So you’re corners
will match up when you’re finished. Eric: It is extremely important to put these
clips at the corner to make sure that the last plate matches up perfectly. I’m going to put clips in the center on
this piece also- at the front and the back. So here’s my center clips at the front.
I’m going to start at the front, and on this piece, I can go all the way around. I
don’t have to start and stop. Eric: Cindi will sew all around this assembly
being sure the stitch is ½” from the edge of the fabric and being sure the edges are
lined up as she sews. Here’s the clip that I just made at the
corner from here, and it’s a little bit too long to match this corner. So I’m going
to push it back just a little bit and ease it in as I go across there. Eric: That’s why these clips are important.
You need them to match up. You can pull or push a fabric in to get it to match up. That’s
what Cindi’s doing here. Once she reaches a corner, she will bury her needle, lift her
foot, roll the fabric around then lower the foot and then continue to sew down the other
side. This one’s back here; it’s a little bit
too short. I have all this extra fabric here so I can ease this one out a little bit. On
the back edge I can check my two clips and see if they’re close, and these are really
close. Eric: We’ll skip ahead to the end where
she started sewing. That’s all there is to making this cushion.
Coming up next, we’ll insert the foam back into the new cushion cover. To turn the assembly
right side out, the zipper needs to be unzipped. This is a locking zipper so the tab has to
be pulled on in order for the zipper to open up the cover. We can turn it inside out, because you made
all those clips at the corners, you have nice square corners. This is the front of the cushion
because it has the Dacron wrapped around the front; the back does not. Eric: That noise that you hear in the background
is our 50’ plotter table that is cutting out sails for sailboats. It is a vacuum table
so it’s rather loud. It is business as usual here at Sailrite.
When inserting foam into any cover, it is imperative that you put your hand inside of
the cushion cover to push the foam into the corners as Cindi is doing here. The cushion’s finished. Eric: Thanks Cindi. This seat cushion for
the recliner, which is a La-Z-Boy brand, is now complete.
Coming up next is a materials list and tools that were used to build this seat cushion.
You’ll find hundreds of decorative fabrics at Sailrite. For more free videos like this,
be sure to check out the Sailrite website or subscribe to the Sailrite YouTube channel.
It’s your loyal patronage to Sailrite that makes these free videos available.
Thanks for your support. I’m Eric Grant, and from all of us here at Sailrite, thanks
for watching.
