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305 Japanese Interior Zabuton Cushion Sew-Along

September 10, 2022 1 Comment on 305 Japanese Interior Zabuton Cushion Sew-Along

By Victoria Watkins

In light of the PDF release of our 305 Japanese interior pattern this month, I have put together a mini sew-along to talk about the process of making one of the zabuton cushions. This pattern features a ton of different interior pieces, though most are bedding. I chose to make myself the second zabuton option in this pattern, as I do enjoy sitting on the floor from time to time. In addition to this I knew that my cats would love the wide pillow, so I decided to make this floor cushion and cat bed combo!

A fluffy cat is sitting on a sewing pattern tissue page on the floor

My boy Squid helping me tear the batting to size.

Filling

First are my thoughts on the batting. The pattern calls for a single sheet of batting in a set of specific dimensions. When I went to buy supplies at our local branch of the big chain fabric store, I couldn't find sheets of batting that were pre-cut and packaged. Instead, there were rolls available by the yard. I chose to get about 2 yards for economical reasons and hoped it would be enough. It wasn't exactly the right size, however, I solved this problem by using what I could and then supplementing the rest of the pillow filling with poly-fill I had at home. This gave the pillow a nice airy fluff, and I don't have any complaints about using it instead. I did stuff the batting shell very full, so I'm not sure how full the pillow would or wouldn't be if done without the extra filling.

The next step was to sew the corners of the batting together. The shape reminds me a bit of a quesadilla or some other pastry. I wasn't too precious with my stitching or the ridges formed by the seams, because this would all be interior and not seen to anyone. The instructions do say to invisibly whip-stitch the pieces together, though. For all seams, I chose to start from the corner inwards to the center. This allowed me to reach my hand in and distribute fluff accordingly into all of the corners so that the tips weren't floppy.

Cover
Next came the sewing for the zabuton cover. I choose one of the simplest cover options in the pattern. For the final seam of this, the instructions call for hand-stitching a seam with incredibly long thread and then using a "jail bars" method to pull the seam back apart enough to flip the cushion inside out and stuff the pillow filling inside. I wanted to do my due diligence and try to follow the instructions as written, but honestly, the thread tangled in three different places before I could even stick it into the seam, so I devised another method.

I decided to press the seam allowance for the remaining open seam to the inside (for ease of finish), stuff the zabuton cushion, and then whipstitch the seam closed as best as I could. To be fair, I can understand why the instructions are written how they are (and this may be a more traditional method). If my fabric weren't dark, the stitching would not be so attractive. That said, someone with more skill in hand-sewing might be able to make it look much better. Which method you choose is ultimately up to you!

Pressing down the seam allowance on the final seam of the zabuton cushion.

What also surprised me was how large the batting core looked compared to the zabuton cover. I was worried it wouldn't fit well, because it definitely was bigger than the cover. However, this is intentional so that the cushion has some fluff to it. With the extra poly-fill stuffing I added, the entire thing is extra fluffy.

Here is the finished product! It was surprisingly quick and easy to make. And yes, the cats love it.

Finished zabuton cushion on a cutting mat.

My sweet cat Liz, who has never had a thought in her life, enjoying our new cushion.

1 Response

Evelina Hawthorn

May 05, 2024

Dear Victoria,

Thank you for sharing this delightful sew-along guide for the zabuton cushion from the 305 Japanese Interior pattern! Your insights and tips were incredibly helpful, and I particularly appreciated two aspects:

Resourceful Batting Solutions: I found your approach to using pre-cut batting and supplementing it with poly-fill truly resourceful. It’s a fantastic way to adapt the project to readily available materials, and your honesty about the final outcome is refreshing. It empowers readers to embrace a flexible approach and not be discouraged by the potential lack of perfectly sized batting.

Practical Seamwork Tips: Your experience with the “jail bars” method for hand-stitching the final seam was eye-opening. It’s valuable to acknowledge that sometimes alternative methods, like whipstitching, might be more practical or achievable for individual skill levels. Thank you for offering both options and normalizing the use of a simpler approach when needed.

Your entire sew-along is a testament to mindful crafting and using what you have on hand. It beautifully aligns with the spirit of sustainability that is close to my heart. I believe this guide will inspire many to embrace the joy of creating their own zabuton cushions, even with some personal adjustments along the way.

With warm regards,

Evelina Hawthorn
https://medium.com/@evelina_70951/

305 Japanese Interior Zabuton Cushion Sew-Along

1 Response

Evelina Hawthorn

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