bench cushions

The sewing machine has been put away for the past month and a half. It wasn't really broken, but there was a rather crucial part missing (Emma was trying to be "helpful" and it got thrown away). 

Unfortunately, you just can't go to the fabric store and ask which aisle the shuttles for Brother sewing machines are on! My Grammy-in-law very kindly gave me the name and number of a dealer that she uses, and now we are back in the swing of things. :) And a good thing, too, since my "ideas file" is starting to get pretty long!

The first thing at the top of the pile was covers for the bench cushions. 

John made this bench and proposed to me on it, and right now (since we are living in a ~900 sq foot apartment) it is serving duty as our couch. I had bought the cushion inserts from Ikea with some birthday money, had measured and cut out the material that had been used in practically every room for some purpose or another, and pulled out the machine only to find it inoperable. :) Ah well, we're finishing now!

I cut three pieces for each pillow:
1 26" x 26"
1 26" x 22"
1 26" x 8"

Next, I sewed a 1" seam down one of the 26" sides of both of the smaller pieces (this would create a finished pocket-style opening).

Then I stacked the large piece with the middle-size on top, right sides together and raw edges matching on three sides ...

... with the smallest piece on top, overlapping the finished edge of the mid-sized piece. I pinned them all together and sewed around the edge using a 1/2" seam.
Since I wanted a really rumply and relaxed look, I didn't bother to clip the corners or press the seams.

For the last step I put a button and button hole in the middle of the edge of the pocket opening (I was using a rather slippery type of upholstery fabric. If you use some a little stiffer or less slippery, you might be able to skip this) to keep the edges from gaping.