REjuvenated

REjuvenated: Box Cushion Bench

January 18, 2014 by blancheandthirteenth 1,330 Comments

I have a confession to make.  After finding this bench at a thrift store, I was quite excited to get started right away.  We had been in need of some secondary seating, and this bench was the perfect size for our intimate (read: small!) living room.  So within a week of purchasing it, I had scraped off the old paint, sanded it, primed it, painted it, bought the cushion foam, researched and purchased the cushion fabric…and then stopped.  Six months later, after feeling like a complete slug, I finally cut the pattern pieces for the cushion cover…but then stopped (yet again!).  Finally, a full year (and many moments of guilt) later, I sewed the box cushion cover.  You’ve read that right; it took me one and half years to complete a project that takes a mere few hours.  What makes it worse, is that I kept the bench in the living room that whole time, as if it were actually usable.  I know, I am shaking my head at myself while I write this.
Procrastinating in projects is a bad habit of mine.  I will make my way through 75% of a project and then drop it due to losing interest, getting distracted by a new project, or because I’ve come upon a hurdle.  It feels silly to admit, but I saw the box cushion cover as a hurdle.  I hadn’t sewn one before, and the unfamiliarity of it got the best of me.  I am used to working with clothes, which have movement, and for that reason seem more forgiving of imperfection.  Since a box cushion basically sits on showcase, I was nervous that any mistake would show.  It’s silly, I know.  Again, I am shaking my head at myself.
Once finally taking the plunge, I found that my nerves melted away almost immediately.  With those being gone, I was reminded of just how refreshing and enjoyable it is work on a project outside of my normal area of craft.  It helped that I started by making piping for the first time.  Whoa, is that fun.  As in – I want to add piping to everything now – kind of fun.  Plus, It helped that I had a great tutorial to reference from Design Sponge.
The bench has been a great addition to the living room…now that it is finished and actually looks like it belongs there!  The pattern of the cushion adds a nice mix to the current assortment of patterns and textures that are in the room, and the additional seating is very welcome.  Beyond the practicality though, it is a nice to have a daily visual reminder of the benefits of stretching myself outside of the norm, and trying something new.


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