Sorry I don't have an answer for you Flyingflower, but I DO have a question: were you recovering cushions or did you make new ones and did you have a pattern? Thanks.

I had existing cushions that were badly faded. To get a pattern I carefully cut them apart so that one side remained intact and the other side was cut away. Wherever there was pleating I ripped out the stitching in order to lay the pattern flat. Then I laid the pattern over the Sunbrella fabric, drew around it to transfer the shape to the new fabric and marked the places where they had snipped the corners. In my case, the cushions had a little pleat in each corner so the pattern was very usefull in showing me how they folded it to get that particular looking pleat. I wanted a zipper in my version so I added that to the back of each cushion.

Sunbrella fabric frays like crazy! After dealing with the constant fraying I started cutting out the pattern with pinking sheers. This was one of those projects where I wished I owned a serger. But a couple bottles of Fray check sealed up the finished edges. I hate that stuff because it dries so stiff but in this case I didn't want to take chances that it would fray during a wash cycle.

Thanks for the helpful info; I will try doing what you did; can't believe how expensive new cushions are, not that the sunbrella fabric is cheap, either!

When I went back to the patio store to order new cushions I just about fell over when he told me how much they would cost. I bought this Brown & Jordan furniture 15 years ago so by now what I paid for them sounds cheap in today's dollars. I told the guy, "the cushions now cost almost as much as I paid for the furniture!!" Unfortunately the manufacturer knows that these chairs have a unique shape and if customers want new cushions they are the only ones who can provide them, off-the-shelf cushions won't fit. I didn't know what to do when the guy leans over and says, "why don't you just order the fabric and have them made, it will be cheaper". Yeah, why not, if I can make a pillow surely I can handle a cushion. But then he told me how much the Subrella costs per yard if I ordered it through their store, something like $50 a yard (I forget). I decided to search on my own and sure enough I found out that Calico Corners sells it for half that amount. I waited for a fabric sale and ordered them for even less. I didn't try the internet or eBay so I might have done even better, who knows. But as it was I was already saving a bucket load of money and I was getting the same high quality fabric as if I had ordered them. When it was all said and done I was able to make 4 cushions, 1 chaise lounge, and a loveseat for about the price I would have paid to have one cushion made. And I was able to customize them with zippers for easy cleaning.

If your cushions have welting on them you don't have to make the new ones with cording, just omit it. You're in control now as to how they are designed. You can add or detract according to your skill level. My cushions didn't have welting or zippers. When I took them apart and saw how simple the construction was it really made me angry at the prices they were charging for new cushions.

momrox...I just looked up your page to see where in the country you live and I noticed your birthday....it's the same as mine (although I don't put that on my personal page it really is my birthday). :-D

Try Fray Block, it doesn't get stiff and works just as well at Fray Check!
Kathy G in MI

Flyingflower: wow, that's a coincidence, altho birthdays are getting to be a subject I don't like to discuss!

Flyingflower, go to beaconfabric.com and click on Sew with Lydia. She tells you about sewing with Sunbrella. If I was more computer literate I would have included click directly to the site, but maybe it's true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. (: )

Oh if only I had known about the beaconfabric.com article before I started my project! Just to see if it works I'm going to do as they suggested (jeans needle,etc) on a scrap piece.

Fray Block works nicely. I bought a tube today and ran out of it quickly so I'll have to go back for more. One of these days I'm going to buy a Serger so I don't have to worry about fraying edges ever again.

In the shop we cut everything with an electric hot knife ("Heibershneider"). It looks like a "Chickadee", but when the trigger is activated the blade is heated and heat is what cuts the fabric. This not only cuts the fabric but seals the edges, as well. This is industry standard when working with acrylics.

Since you probably don't have a hot knife, you can cut with shears and then singe the raw edge with a soldering gun. You can also pass the raw edge through a candle's flame, but this is RISKY! the acrylic smokes when it meets heat and the open flame tends to leave a smokey residue on the underside of whatever you pass through the flame. Light colored fabrics will be "smoke damaged"!!!

I own an overlock machine (5 thread) and would use the SERGE stitch (3 thread overlock) to secure a raw edge before resorting to "fray check". But if you don't have one, hate pinking shears as much as I do, it might be your best alternative, failing the soldering gun.

Have sunbrella Chaises that the stitching on the seams is coming apart. Anyone know a repair shop? David

FYI Costco sells waterproof spray. Online, not sure about stores. Can reuse after washing sunbrella and other types. I know the thread is old, but thought it was useful