How to Make a Bow Cushion for a Forward Berth

X-HT-300114

The cushions in the forward berth on our powerboat project were looking dingy and flat after years of use, so as part of our full boat revamp, we sewed up all-new cushions for the space. To fully cover the entire V-berth area, we needed to make four different cushions: two irregularly shaped long cushions (#300101XHT), a bow cushion and a removable keystone cushion (#300102XHT). In this video, we're going to show you how to pattern and sew the bow cushion.
Video Chapters:
  • Patterning – 0:37 min.
  • Patterning & Cutting Foam – 4:17 min.
  • Patterning Irregular Boxing – 7:59 min.
  • Cutting Top Plate – 10:42 min.
  • Cutting Bottom Plate – 13:26 min.
  • Making Piping / Cording – 14:10 min.
  • Sewing Piping to Top Plate – 19:33 min.
  • Joining Boxing Together & Sewing to Plate – 21:49 min.
  • Installing Zipper to Bottom Plate – 27:01 min.
  • Sewing Assembly to Bottom Plate – 29:56 min.
  • Inserting Foam – 33:07 min.
  • Materials List – 34:20 min.
Materials List:
  • Dura-Skrim® Patterning Material 74" #103134
  • CushionRite® Dry Fast Antimicrobial Foam or CushionRite® Premium Antimicrobial Foam (Firm)
  • SunRite™ Galloway Ink 55" Fabric – #125287
  • Cushion Underlining Beige 54" Fabric – #103934
  • Tex 70 Derby Navy UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,000 yds.) – #103795
  • Medium 5/32" Welting Cord – #107035
  • Seamstick 1/4" Basting Tape for Canvas & Upholstery (50 yds.) – #104167
  • YKK® #5 White Continuous Molded Tooth Zipper Chain – #28218
  • YKK® #5 White Style A Single Non-Locking Delrin® Zipper Pull (Molded Tooth Chain) – #103178
Tools List:
  • Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler – #107040
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed – #19104
  • Sailrite® Clear Acrylic Ruler – #102400
  • Sailrite® Blade Foam Saw V2 with Carrying Case – #121244
  • Multiuse Pins 1-1/2" (250 pack) – #102985
  • Grease Marking Pencil Yellow – #111002
  • Sailrite® Edge Hotknife Package – #103800
  • Comfort Grip Rotary Cutter 60mm – #965511
  • Sailrite® Self Healing Double-Sided Cutting Mat 18" x 24" – #123112
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
  • Marker, Tape Measure, Yardstick
How to Make a Bow Cushion for a Forward Berth Video 2

The bow cushion forms the top of the triangular V-berth area and has a lot of shape built into it. This forwardmost cushion sits snugly against the hull of the boat on three sides, so those sides need to have a wedge shape built into them for the best fit. In the video, we cover how to measure for the wedges on the boat, how to cut the wedge in the foam and how to accommodate them in the fabric cover.

For our forward berth we chose to use a 4" CushionRite® Dry Fast Antimicrobial Foam and a durable, attractive marine interior upholstery fabric. Our fabric has a prominent pattern, which needed to be matched across all the cushions for a cohesive look. In the video, Cindi carefully outlines how to match patterns for seamless transitions from cushion to cushion. On the underside of our cushion, we opted to use cushion underlining fabric. This helps to cut costs on the decorative fabric and also has a tacky texture that keeps cushions from sliding.

In this video, you will learn how to pattern and cut your foam with wedges, sew bias piping, add a zipper to the bottom panel, and assemble the cushion.

This project is part of our Regal Ambassador 245XL Powerboat Makeover series. 

!