The "New" Cushions

These are the cushions I've mentioned in the past. I finished them up last month but only now am getting them photographed and on-line. And that's because I just figured out how to put photos on-line. How ridiculous.


I rescued two chairs and a couch from the attic of my parents' shed. They got the furniture in the late 1960's or early 1970's, and I remember them being used in their sunporch and later on an (honest-to-goodness) back porch. The original cushions were relatively shredded when I finally found them, so I couldn't save them; the pattern was really cool: a seventies flowers pattern in timely yellows, oranges and greens. I tried to mimic the colors in my new fabric, without getting too dated or retro.


I bleached and scrubbed everything, attempted to replace some rusted clamps (although I really need a tool and dye maker to replicate the originals; haven't gotten around to that yet,) and removed an awful lot of random tape products (masking, duck, packing...) that were holding various pieces together and acting as anti-mar devices on the "feet". I used the various furniture pieces as templates to cut the foam for the cushions, and then used the cut foam as a template for the fabric. For the seat, 3 inch foam, for the back, 1 inch foam. The fabric is a fade-resistant canvas that was really easy to work with (this coming from a non-seamstress, take it as you will...) and now they're done, after a bunch of starts and stops for various other projects, work deadlines, school deadlines, etc.


The chairs are great, but the couch is fantastic for a nap in the sunshine. I'm really pleased with how everything turned out. And now with a new rug, a table and chairs and some wall sconces, the room is pretty inviting. All that's left are the window treatments. My downfall, of course. We lived in the last house for eight years and finally had the downstairs windows covered the year before we moved. So I'm pretty sure it'll be a while before anything graces the windows here. I've got those living room drapes to do first, anyway.


Today is a painting day, the fireplace mantel. It's a lovely creamy white with an icky maroon color painted onto the front and inner aspects of the mantel. I'm repainting the whole thing with Benjamin Moore Atrium White in the pearl finish. I wonder how long this will take. I'm sure to complain about it soon!