Today: Working the mattress cover.
Now theoretically this belongs in
Chapter 11. Night Chamber. But because I already started out a few posts ago - here in Galley & Greatroom - I thought I'd continue here, at least until the completed unit which will be posted tomorrow morning in the correct chapter.
Regarding dimensions, the top plate and bottom plate portions are cut to the size of the foam rubber mattress, and once the seam allowance all the way around is taken into account, the remaining finished plates pull the foam rubber into a slight compression, just like the dinette cushions, causing a bit-o-stretch and resulting in tight covers.
The boxing (sides of the cover) are made the same height as the foam, plus 1/2", making THAT a bit tight too.
But, the main difference between the dinette cushions and the mattress cushions are the fact that the mattress cover uses a zipper, whereas the dinette cushions used staple straps. So this cover also has a "zipper plaque".
Now the lengths of the boxing and zipper plaque are important too. Based on Sailrite's instructional videos, I cut my zipper length 2" shorter than the mattress length. And the height cut to the same as the boxing, plus the zipper width (1.25") because it is built with some fabric "fold-over" in the zipper region.
The overall length of the boxing was the opposite (front) edge of the mattress, plus both the widths for the head and foot, plus 8". So it wraps around and hangs 4" on each side at the back, to attach to the ends of the zipper plaque.
Using the scrap end of the purchased zipper, after cutting to the length I needed for the mattress, I set to practicing.
First, I installed the zipper foot. Then grabbed a couple of scrap pieces of fabric the length of the zipper scrap, and made my test piece.
I also realized I didn't want to fight a weird shape (the camper's vee-nose) for my first zipper project, so I used the electric carving knife Sailrite trick and cut my mattress into a 53" by 79" rectangle.
Then with the regular presser feet back on the machine, I butt joined my remaining lengths of fabric to make a long enough boxing, hiding butt joints visually, as well as in locations that would not weaken structure, as on a corner might.
Also, folded the zipper plaque (5.5" boxing height, plus 1.25" zipper width, equals 6.75" total fabric width) in half, and ran a seam near the fold edge, half a zipper width (5/8") in from the fold edge, then using scissors, cut the fabric in it's middle, ready to sew on the zipper.
The zipper foot was kind of weird, and I think I'm running it on the wrong side here, but it may be built for either side, as I chose to run the stitch at this particular distance from the zipper teeth.
And the target is to center the zipper, on the center of that previous stitch for the zipper plaque center.
The completed zipper plaque came out like this.
Well except for ripping out the stitch placed initially.
Then it was back to the big work table, cutting to size and aligning together, the top plate fabric and pillow cover fabric (and the bottom plate fabric).
Yesterday I basted the whole thing together. That's what takes all the time, just like prep of wood before paint is the lion's share of the job. The (
pillow cover fabric to top plate, then that assembly to the piping, then the other side of the piping to the boxing edges) and sewed it all together.
Then back to the basting of the
bottom plate to the lower piping (for structural rigidity because it is mostly hidden visually), and then to the other boxing edge.
I didn't take pictures.
Last night just before beer-thirty I finished that all up on the machine. Today I'll take example pictures, then stuff it with the foam rubber, take more pictures, and post it all up over in the Night Chamber.
The upholstery is just about finished.
