by Janette Peel

Created on: March 11, 2009

Adding a gusset to feather cushions makes them look deep and luxurious, and give your foam seat pads a professional, tailored finish.

Gusseted cushions consist of a top and a bottom panel which are joined together with a strip of fabric known as a gusset. The result is a deep, plump, and tailored looking cushion, which has a range of uses from sofa cushions to window seat padding and comfy foot stools. Emphasize the three-dimensional shape with piped or corded seams, or make the gusset itself in a contrasting color or fabric.

You can use feather or synthetic cushion pads, or for a firmly molded cushion, deep foam. The easiest way to put the pad inside the cover is to leave one side seam open, insert the pad, and them slipstitch it together by hand. However, you need to unpick and restitch the seam each time the cover is cleaned, so for ease, insert a zip-opening.

If your cushion pad is soft, the opening need only be the same size as one side of the cushion; if it is slightly more rigid, like a foam pad, the opening needs to extend 4 inches (10cm) around each back corner, so you can remove the pad easily. Take this into account when measuring up and cutting out your fabric, and buy a zip that is 8 inches (20cm) longer than the back measurement of the pad.

To make your gusseted cushion cover you will need:

Cushion pad

Fabric

Zip 8 inches (20cm) longer than back of pad

Marker pen or tailors' chalk

Tape measure

Piping (optional)

Sewing thread

For a hard wearing, practical cover use a firmly woven medium to heavy weight fabric. Strong furnishing cottons are ideal. Alternatively, upholstery fabrics such as velvet, give a good result, though they are a little more difficult to handle.

Measure the chair seat and buy a pad or have a block or foam cut to these measurements. The instructions given here show a cover with the gusset made in two sections, a strip for the front and sides, and a back strip which extends round to each side and has the zip fastening.

1. Measuring and cutting: Measure the pad and cut two panels, each as wide and as long as the pad, adding 5/8 inch (1.5cm) all round for seams.

For the back gusset, cut a strip the length of the zip plus 1 1/4 inches (3cm), and as wide as the pad is deep plus 2 1/2 inches (6cm).

For the front gusset, cut a piece of fabric as wide as the depth and all long as the total length of the front and sides, adding 5/8 inch (1.5cm) all round for seam allowances.

2. Inserting the zip: Cut back gusset in half lengthways. With right sides

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