Cushions made with FS Evergreen Signature Finish Midweight linen

Our family loves to welcome friends into our homes. With all three of our “kids” being grown and in their own houses, it’s so enjoyable seeing them carry on this tradition. Between the three of them (plus our son in law, so four), they have a Supper Club group that meets bi-weekly, kitchen dance parties at the holidays, a DND game night group and shared movies or game nights that usually includes fresh popcorn or fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. They all open their homes so sweetly. This linen project is about making a small space cozy and comfortable that will work well to maximize making space for friends.

Amanda’s cozy dining area for small space living, invites you to gather around the table, have great conversation with friends and enjoy the tastes and textures of the room. I’m a firm believer that linen isn’t just for beautiful clothing, it can add so much beauty to home decor. After planning out where a space like this could fit into her home, we decided on the size and dimensions of the benches. This was beginner level woodwork as we just used 2×4’s to build our bases and then put ½ inch plywood faces on the front and seats, finishing them with the wall color paint to blend into the room. As a bonus, the benches will also work as storage for her Christmas Decorations later!

We were able to find 3 inch (7.6cm) upholstery foam on Amazon. This is a great thickness and feels quite cushy. Cutting thick foam is easier with an electric knife – if you don’t own one, ask around to borrow one from a friend or see if your local fabric store might cut the foam for you if you bring it in.

Cushions made with FS Evergreen Signature Finish Midweight linen

Cushions made with FS Evergreen Signature Finish Midweight linen

Next, I used an inexpensive cotton fabric to make a sort of dust cover for the foam and then set to work with this lovely linen. I used the serger or overlocker to secure all the seams and then did a generous 1 inch flange all the way around the cushions. This style of edge lent itself perfectly for adding Velcro to the edge of the ends for easy removal when washing is needed.

Cushions made with FS Evergreen Signature Finish Midweight linen

We needed 3 yards total for these two cushions and were able to use the tiny scrap leftover to add to some other scraps of bleached white and make this adorable quilt pillow for the corner. We will probably add some additional pillows to the area so feel free to give your vote on what color to use in the comments.

Cushions made with FS Evergreen Signature Finish Midweight linen

As for the color of these cushions: Evergreen is one of the most popular colors Fabrics-store sells and we agree, it’s so versatile. The shade is neutral enough to work in many spaces while also adding a really pleasing pop of color to the white corner. The darker fabric should be forgiving for potential spills as well. We also really love the Evergreen next to the gardenia bush outside this window and next to the Anna Nunez “Study of a Shell” art piece that hangs next to the dining table. The texture of the linen adds to the room, always launders beautifully and is exactly what Amanda was hoping for.