The objectives of my design were:
1. Comfortable (no one likes scratchy fabric)
2. Easily installable, removable and snugly fit
3. Washable
4. Easy to pull & push the seatbelts though the seat gap
To make this project, you’ll need fabric, elastic and 2 pieces of 30” long bias tape. I made my own bias tape out of extra fabric.
Our bench seat is made up of two cushions that fold down to form a bed. The top cushion measures 45” wide, 18” tall and 4.5” thick. The bottom cushion measures 45” wide, 20” deep and 5” thick.
I came up with a simple pattern that mimics a sort-of pillowcase and fitted sheet. This makes sense since I was using a sheet set for my fabric! The top cushion is made like a boxy pillowcase and the bottom cushion cover is made like a fitted sheet with two notches in it to fit the hinges.
I was able to take apart a fitted sheet in a way that allowed me to easily sew on the elastic. I basically just cut the covered elastic out, leaving a 1” edge on it. Check out Notes on Materials for more info.
*If you are using regular elastic, you probably want to add an inch to the overall dimensions of the bottom cushion in order to make a hem that can enclose the elastic.
Construct the Top Cushion & Mattress Covers:
Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos while making these two covers. Luckily, they are very basic.To make the top cushion cover, cut three pieces of fabric. I cut one rectangle that was 46” x 43” and two rectangles that were 5” x 19”. Pin the smaller rectangles along the side (43”) of the bigger rectangle. I sewed one side first, fitted it on my seat, and then adjusted as was necessary to get the width of the cover snug and the length right. After the sides were sewn, I adjusted and hemmed the bottom with a folded edge.
To make the mattress cover, I just made a really big pillowcase, long enough to fold over the top. When I was making it, I blanked and didn’t think to match the pattern of the fabric to the pattern of the bench seat’s fabric. It is going sideways while the seats are up and down. Ugh. Maybe I’ll fix it, but probably not. Either way, it’s a good example of things to think of when using bold patterns.
Construct the Bottom Cushion Cover:
First you need to cut your fabric. I cut a 57” x 32” rectangle, and then cut 6” squares out of each corner. In the pattern I marked each square A, B, C, and D.
Next, you’ll need to sew the corner edges of C together and the corner edges of D together.
Add the elastic around the edges. You’ll have to do this in two parts because you’ll be leaving unfinished edges in the spaces left by boxes A and B. Sew one piece of elastic (in a folded edge or however you want to do it) along the 45” length between boxes A and B. Sew another piece of elastic along the three other sides. Make sure the elastic is snug.
Then you’ll need to place and pin the pieces of bias tape onto boxes A and B. Make sure to center the bias tape so you have two equally long tails on each “box.” You’ll use these tails to tie the cover around the back hinges of the seat.
Alrighty, I hope these instructions were helpful. I’ve also made tutorials about sewing custom Front Seat Covers and handy Bench Seat Organizers—check them out!
Best!
Cana
