Building A Dog Cushion For The CJ

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Mountain rides are a passion for us and taking Cooper, our dog, is a must.  Unfortunately, in the CJ, there is no safe place for him.  Decided to make and upholster a cushion.  Watched a couple of great videos by Cechaflo on YouTube and got started.

Found some high density foam at the local auto upholstery supply.  They actually had a foam graveyard with all types of foam... for cheap.  This piece cost $10.  It is 6" thick and just fits my bandsaw which cut the sides and the curves very well.  Used an electric carving knife for the bevel.

To get the perfect size, I spray glued several pieces together.  Then marked reference points at midpoints on the sides and midpoints on the curves.  This will allow registration marks on the pattern to help keep panels from shifting while sewing.

Used rosin paper from the hardware store to cut patterns of the sides, pinned to foam to check fit and fine tune the curved sections.  Be sure to transfer all of the registration points to the paper.

It is important to pin all of the patterns on the foam together to make sure all of the seam lines meet.

Used weights to keep the pattern from shifting on the fabric, marked the reference points, then added 5/8" seam allowance.  Here you can see the zipper placket sewn to the head piece to form the band.

Used spring clips to hold the material together being careful to align guide marks.  Using a walking foot commercial sewing machine is helpful in keeping the material from shifting.  The cylinder arm also aids in sewing the curved and square corners.

Traced the actual pattern on the fabric, then added the 5/8" seam allowance.  It is then possible to sew right on the intended seam line rather than trying to follow the edge of the seam allowance.

The square corners were more challenging.  Sewing one side of each corner at a time allows more control rather than trying to continue around the corner in one sewing pass.

Decided to sew in one long zipper on three sides to make the cover easier to get on the foam.  Also checking fit prior to sewing on the bottom panel.

The clips are so much easier than pins.

For a first attempt, I'm happy with the fit.

Here is the cushion installed in the Jeep.  Overall size of the cushion is 6" x 12" x 28".  The back of the cushion rests against the step of the bed, snug fit between seats, and allows the seat belts to be fastened easily.  Next will be the harness.

Cooper approves this post.

Hope this helps you get your pal comfortably situated for those beautiful mountain rides together.

Mike