DO instead of BUY - Recovering My Swing Cushions - YIKES!

Happy Puppy Dance - I did it - It's done!

I took on a huge project! We have a swing in our backyard. It is only a few years old, but it is used often. The cushions couldn't handle the family, two dogs, and the hot summer sun. They wore out (the cushion in the photo is the one in the best condition). The canopy also wore out. It looked like a raggy old flag blowing in the breeze.

So, I had two choices, buy a new swing (CHA CHING CHA CHING), or recover the cushions (YIKES!).

DO instead of BUY - I decided to try and recover the cushions. Remember, I am sewing-challenged. I am the gal that leaves the kid's mending in the mending pile until they outgrow the clothes. I am also the gal who resorts to staples and a glue gun in a pinch. I have my fingers crossed that I haven't taken on a project that will end up in the half-finished pile!

"Thank you" to our readers who supplied me with tips on how to take on this project! I was able to find some great "outdoor drapery" material at 60% off from a fabric store that was going out of business. As well, they had matching thread and that ribbon stuff you use to trim the edges at 50% off. My kind of price!

Charlie had to "try out" the fabric first...

Again, thanks to a reader who suggested I tear apart an old cushion to use as a pattern for the new cushions. It took awhile because the fabric was so thin and tore easily, but I got a pattern! Then I made a deal with my sewing machine - it sews all the cushions and the canopy without eating the fabric or puncturing my fingers and I will let it go back into hibernation for another few years. I think the sewing machine agreed.

Voila, the first two backs of the cushions are sewn. And I didn't even need to haul out my glue gun! Unfortunately, I got a little too confident on the third cushion back. It didn't work out so well, so I need to pull a couple seams and resew. I'll save that one for later LOL!

Look at this! I can't believe it. The first cushion is done. You have to know how sewing-challenged I am to understand what an achievement this is. We all tried sitting on it and decided that this was going to work. Cushion #2 - here I come!

Update!! Wrapping up the Project

The second cushion sewed together without a hitch. The third however was doomed from the start (I think I got too confident LOL). After the "first" time I sewed it together and saw how crooked and ill-fitting it looked, I decided to leave it alone until after the canopy was finished. I was hoping I would have enough material left over to start the third cushion from scratch.

Time to DO the canopy. Again, I used the old one as the pattern for the new one. I took pictures first (and marked out which pieces were sewed together). It was tricky pulling the seams apart on the canopy. The old material was so thin, that it shredded every time I moved it.

Without a doubt, this was the biggest piece of material I have ever tackled! It took up almost the entire family room floor!

The canopy fits into a metal frame. To make sure everything was going to fit, I brought the entire frame into the house and set it on top of the material. I also decided to go for a "looser" fit this time. On the old canopy, the corners were very tight and stressed, so that is where the material tore first. My fingers are crossed that this new canopy will last a little longer than the old!

You know your sewing project is too big when you run out of pins LOL! This ribbon trimming stuff is fantastic. It looks good and hides a ton of little mistakes (hee hee). However, it took a whole episode of Murder She Wrote, followed up by an episode of MacGiver to get all the pins in (I had to borrow some from my neighbor).

Once the canopy was done, I had to redo that doomed third pillow (there wasn't enough material to start from scratch). The second time I resewed it, it looked worse than the first (I have no idea what I was doing wrong). So I had a heart to heart conversation with both the cloth and my sewing machine. I promised the cloth I wouldn't tear it up again, and I promised the sewing machine we were almost done. Then I took a break and went for a walk. When I got home, I tried again. With huge amounts of care, remeasuring, refitting, and double checking, the third pillow went together for the last time.

Finally, last Thursday night (after the final episode of CSI), I finished the last stitch on the last cushion (the one I had to take apart twice). Whew! It worked! Huge celebration! My husband hauled out the canopy and the cushions and set them up.

Voila! All I need now is a good book, some warm weather and I am ready for summer reading in my favorite spot!

Even Charlie approves!

And how much material was left? A rectangle about 16 inches by 24 inches and a small pile of stips. That's it. Somehow I managed to purchase exactly the right amount. Total cost for material, ribbon trimming stuff, and thread: $48.00. I re-used the old stuffing and borrowed a seam ripper and extra pins from my neighbor. My sewing machine has been returned to the basement for an extended holiday. It worked hard LOL.

Again, thanks for all your tips to help me through this project!
Cindy

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