For instructions on creating the wooden base print the attached pattern.
To upholster the base cube:
Measure one side of the cube, and its opposite side. They should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 3/8” x 16 3/8” square.
Take one of the 1” pieces of foam and use a pencil to mark the measurement on the foam. Use a bread knife (or other large serrated knife) to cut the foam. Be sure to protect your cutting surface. I use an old self-healing cutting mat.
Use a glue gun to adhere the foam piece to one side, and repeat for the opposite side. You won’t need much glue — just a little bead around the outside edges to hold it in place.
Measure the other two sides. They will be around 18” wide and 16 3/8” high. Cut the foam and glue to the sides.
Take the top piece of 2” foam and place on the top of the cube. Glue in place.
Note: you will see that there is a slight difference between the sides and top. Cut a few pieces of thin cotton batting in 2”-wide pieces and wind them around the top until the sides and top are about even. Tack them in place with a dot of hot glue.
Place the 60” square of batting on the cube, centering it approximately.
Smooth each side so there are no wrinkles, and pin snugly at each corner.
Use the scissors to trim close to the pins. Remove one corner at a time, and pull one side of the batting, starting at the top corner, pulling the opposite side to overlap. Without letting the tension of the batting loosen, apply a little hot glue underneath the overlapping batting, along the corner, and work downward until the corner is glued in place. Trim the excess batting so it has a clean edge. Repeat for all four corners.
Trim the bottom edge about 1” longer than the cube. Set aside until you complete the cover.
Making the Cover:
use a 1/2 inch seam allowance
Cut four pieces of batik in 19 1/2” x 22” rectangles and one piece 19 1/2” x 19 1/2” square. Use basting spray to adhere the four rectangles of batik to a 20 x 23” piece of thin batting and the square in a 20” square. Cut the muslin into the same measurements as the batting, for the backing, and adhere to the other side of the batting. Use your walking foot to quilt all five pieces in a very simple design—either rows of stitching, or a concentric circle (start in the middle) will be great.
Trim to 18 ¾” squares, and with right sides together, starting at ½” from first end, stitch together. Repeat until you have the four sides together. Press the seams open.
With right sides together, pin the top piece to the four sides, at the end where you started stitching ½” from the end. That will help you make the corners easier to sew.
Once all four sides have been sewn to the top, place the cover onto the top of the cube, wrong-side-out.
Work on one side at a time, and bring the sides of the cover down over the cube very carefully, so you don’t pull the batting and create wrinkles.
Once the cover is on, you can pull the excess down over the edge of the bottom. Pull taut, until it reaches the edge of the wood, and use the staple gun to keep it in place.
Repeat this for each side, until all four sides are stapled.
Now, you can work from the center outward, on each side, until you have stapled the cover in place to within about 2” of the corner.
Use a seam ripper to open the seam at the corner.
You will need to fold the cover back, (and trim a little, too—but very carefully) so you leave the center of the corner post open for the furniture glides.
Hammer the glides in place very carefully, and if you need to, add more staples around the glide, so the cover doesn’t get in the way.
Once all the glides are in place, you can cover the bottom with upholstery mesh, or a piece of muslin cut to fit. If you use muslin, press under ¼” of the raw edges so they don’t unravel.
Enjoy.
