by Nicole Neder

In May, the National Upholstery Association was thrilled to host a special educational webinar featuring the renowned Jeanelle Dech, whose name is synonymous with innovation and artistry in textile design and workroom education. In this highly anticipated session (69 registrants!), Jeanelle demystified the construction of box cushions, offering tips, tricks, and troubleshooting strategies that captivated both beginner and advanced upholsterers.

About the Presenter

Jeanelle Dech is a lifelong textile enthusiast, entrepreneur, and educator. She leads a team of 22 people as the president of Adaptive Textiles, an innovative textile printing company in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She is the creative energy behind The Workroom Channel, Method Share, Fly on the Wall, and Real Workroom series that's on theworkroomchannel.com. She is the founder of the Workroom Marketplace which offers a curated collection of drapery patterns and workroom efficiency tools to professional sewists around the world. She celebrates nearly 4 decades in the home decor industry with the launch of her latest venture, Klamaka Studios, which provides a beautiful collection of fabrics and engineered designs for the profit and joy of workrooms.

What is your biggest challenge when constructing cushion covers?

Throughout the webinar, Jeanelle addressed real challenges submitted by NUA members prior to the webinar—including issues with corners, welting, pattern matching, measurement accuracy, and fabric handling. Her responses included hands-on strategies and workflow recommendations from decades of workroom experience.

What Was Covered

The webinar walked participants through the essential steps and nuanced techniques that go into creating professional-quality box cushions. Topics included:

• Best materials, best practices, lots of other tips and tricks

• Welt cord techniques for clean edges and durability

• Pattern matching to achieve seamless visual continuity

• Zipper insertion methods for functionality and finish

• Challenges with T cushions

• Indoor and outdoor applications

• Long bench cushions and well-edge throw pillows

• How to properly stuff the cushions to create a professional look

Bonus Resources

As a bonus, Jeanelle offered attendees an electronic supplement! She provides an email address with instructions on how to request this wonderful supplement from her directly.

Missed the National Upholstery Association’s May Webinar? Click here to watch it!

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