After the cushions are done I have a long list of canvas work I'd like to do. Christian Williams also has some very good canvas info on this site and it's certainly something to refer to if anyone is going to become a "canvas maker", a term which I use very lightly in my case. I'd would also love to hear what other Ericson owners spent on making their own cushions. The cost of $15,000 from the local Annapolis shop, quite frankly, I would be willing to pay if I didn't have to skill or physical ability to do the work. But then IMO if I was like that I had no business piloting a sailboat. I just couldn't justify the cost in my mind and the thought of learning another new skill that can be used with other things, not just sailboats, intrigued me. My "first mate" already has me booked for making some nice cushions for our patio furniture.
Finally, someone on this site had the guts to tell the truth about me!
Thanks for the tip!
Don't know how I missed this, but we're on it now. Thank you!new foam, which has proven to be too firm
E381 - Improving Foam Mattresses, Teak Repair, Binocular Box
I was glad to find all new foam on the new boat--until I took a nap on it. Oh dear. Hard as a rock. I said I'd get used to it, after hauling all 16 cushions home and back for new fabric. I didn't get used to it. The princess and the pea? Maybe...www.ericsonyachts.org
I found it interesting to get 5 or 6 2x2x2 foam samples in the mail and then try to extrapolate the pinch between my fingers to a rear end and a back and a shoulder.new foam, which has proven to be too firm
E381 - Improving Foam Mattresses, Teak Repair, Binocular Box
I was glad to find all new foam on the new boat--until I took a nap on it. Oh dear. Hard as a rock. I said I'd get used to it, after hauling all 16 cushions home and back for new fabric. I didn't get used to it. The princess and the pea? Maybe...
Precisely how we got our new cushions. My wife found a guy in our area (SE Tennessee) who was retired from his furniture upholstery business and was bored and wanted something to do.He still had his shop and equipment etc. Brought him the old cushions to use as a pattern and he did a jam up job of it and the price was right.Boat Cushions!
Apropos of Whatever, back a couple decades ago our friends with a Valiant 40 needed new cushions, before taking off on what turned out to be a 10 year cruise. The wife was good at sewing, but it was different work than her previous clothing background and a large project to boot.
They got lucky, admittedly, and found a custom auto upholstery shop owned by a member of their church. I visited the place when some cushions were done. Great work and the guy was not put off by all of the odd angles and edges of boat cushions. To him, it was easier than doing custom cars... (!)
They said his pricing was way less than the few marine canvas shops that had quoted them.
Perhaps it might pay off to get out of the marine/yacht vendor route and start looking at car shops for new cushions. Probably will not hurt, in any case.
When we had all of our cushion covers re-stuffed with new high density foam in 1995 and two covers reshaped, the price was reasonable at a small one man shop about 40 miles out of Portland that did boat cushions, canvas, furniture, and cars. His overhead was low, and his business was all thru word-of-mouth. He's long retired now, and moved away to travel around the west with his wife, on his converted RV/Grayhound bus!
Hope anyone looking can find someone similar, and affordable.
After I added it all up I ordered 27 yards. Now, I probably ordered on the heavy side because I figured with this being my first attempt to make cushions I'll probably have to redo a few. I already have, two small ones, and one medium size. The tricky part is laying out the seat cushions with a curved sire that runs along the hull and have an angled cut. I basically made one "backwards" because I mis-marked what side of the cushion was the top. So measure and check, not twice but three or more times, before cutting the foam or material.
Thanks Bob, it's a learning exercise for me as well. Like the first time I installed a fence post, cut it 3 times and it was still to short! ;-)
