Do not afraid when seeing this project as to make something giant, that you might think of it is complex and need a lot of work. But I can assure you that actually sewing giant pillows and cushions is exactly like sewing small or normal size pillows, only with a lot more fabric and thread required.
Let’s start this projects that definitely something nice to decorate around the house and create actual furniture with fabric you love.
Materials and Tools
- 2 yards (1.8 m) of medium to heavyweight woven fabric
- 24-inch (61 cm) zipper
- 6 cubic feet (170 L) of beanbag filling
- Beanbag net liner
- Basic sewing kit
- Zipper foot
- 8-inch (20 cm) diameter plate
Steps
- Cut the fabric into two 36-inch (91 cm) x 42-inch rectangles and fasten the right sides together.
- Sew two long edges with short stitches ( ½ inch seams). Sew double seams to improve durability.
- Open one side of the tube and fold it again (still right sides together) to align the two relative seams so that they intersect in the center and secure with pins (photo A).
- Place the zipper on this edge and mark both ends of the metal stop on the fabric. Remove the zipper and stitch directly a 3/4-inch (2 cm) seam, with a very short stitch from the corner to each point you’ve marked. Backstitch at each end. Then, use the longest stitch used by the machine to baste without backstitching the remaining opening.
- Open the project as much as possible so that the seam is flat (the tube will be all bundled) and pressed to open. Place the zipper face down at the basted part of the seam and pin. Use a zipper foot to sew straight stitches on both sides of the zipper and backstitching at both ends. When you reach the position of the zipper head, lower the foot and carefully pull the zipper off your foot to detach it, and then complete the stitching.
- Use the seam ripper to open the basted seam, and then open the zipper.
- Fold the fabric again so that the two main fabrics are lying on the right side of the seam and then fold in half lengthwise so that the corners meet. Trace around the plate to round these corners (photo B). Then unfold the fabric.
- Arrange the remaining raw edges. Sew the ⅜ inch (1 cm) seam with a short sticth. Do the sewing twice for durability.
- Turn the right side out, fill the beanbag liner with filling that can be expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads, then place it in a beanbag and zip it up.
