A cushion cover is the ideal project once you have woven a few scarves and samplers. It is small enough to finish in a couple of evenings, large enough to show off a proper pattern, and useful enough that it will actually earn its place on the sofa rather than languishing in a cupboard. Better still, it teaches you the skills that turn a length of cloth into a finished object: calculating shrinkage, seaming neatly, and choosing yarn that will stand up to real life. If you have a rigid heddle loom, a table loom or a small floor loom, you can make one this month.
The single biggest mistake with a sofa cushion is choosing a beautiful but fragile yarn. Cushions get leaned on, sat against, wiped with a damp cloth and occasionally used as a pillow during a film. Choose with that in mind.
Start with the cushion pad, not the cover. A 45cm pad is the most common square size in UK shops, with 50cm and 55cm close behind. Buy the pad first, then measure it across the middle with a soft tape — they are rarely exactly as advertised.
Now add your seam and take-up allowances. You need roughly 2cm on each side for seams, plus extra for the depth of the cushion. If your pad is 10cm deep, add about 10cm to one dimension so the cover wraps around rather than straining flat. Then add shrinkage: wool can draw in 10 to 15 per cent in the wash, cotton rather less. As a rule of thumb, weave a panel about 15 per cent wider and longer than your finished target.
Sample first — even a 15cm square. Wash it exactly as you intend to wash the finished cover, dry it, then measure the sett and the shrinkage properly. Those few inches of cloth will save you from a cover that will not fit.
You have two sensible options. Weaving two panels and seaming them down the middle is easier on a narrow loom and lets you use a lovely contrast between the sides. Weaving one wide piece is quicker and gives an uninterrupted pattern, but needs a loom with enough width and a warp you can tension evenly.
For everyday durability, plain weave and simple twills are hard to beat. A 2/2 twill gives a diagonal texture that hides the odd stray thread and drapes softly. A basket weave adds visual interest without much complexity. If you want colour, try stripes across the warp with a solid weft, or a simple log cabin block in two tones.
Leave generous unwoven sections at each end. Hemstitch the ends while the cloth is still under tension, or press on a fusible interfacing strip and machine zigzag them later. Either way, do not cut the cloth off the loom until the ends are secure.
Wash and press your woven cloth before you sew. Lay it flat to dry, then press with plenty of steam on the wrong side. This is when the weave settles and the true dimensions appear.
For a simple envelope back, cut two rectangles of a firm cotton fabric, each around two-thirds the height of the cushion, hem one long edge on each, then overlap them across the back. Pin the woven front to the backing right sides together and stitch around all four sides with a 1.5cm seam allowance. Clip the corners diagonally, turn through the gap, and press.
If you prefer a closed cover with an invisible zip, insert the zip in the bottom seam before sewing the sides. Either way, use a strong polyester thread and a slightly longer stitch length — woven cloth is thicker than dress fabric and a short stitch can perforate it.
Finally, insert the pad. If the cover feels tight, do not force it; open the seam and let it out a little. A cushion should look plump but relaxed.
Keep it practical. A removable cover that can be unzipped or unbuttoned is far easier to live with. Wash wool covers by hand in cool water with a gentle detergent, then roll in a towel and dry flat. Cotton covers can often go on a delicate machine cycle, but always test your sample first. With a durable yarn, a firm sett and a washable finish, your handwoven cushion will look good on the sofa for years.
Weaving Den shares practical, down-to-earth guidance on hand weaving and textile craft for uk hobbyists for readers across the UK.
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