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Thursday, January 21, 2016

Tuffet

I feel like I've been waiting months to write a blog post about making a tuffet, and it's probably because I have! Tuffet-making took much longer than I thought it would. It's another of those projects, like making a Weekender Travel Bag (which I have yet to do, but is on my 2016 to-do list) that isn't for the faint-hearted.
 

What I learned is that making a tuffet can be expensive! If you visit the TuffetSource website, you'll quickly find out how easy it is to spend more than $100 on supplies.

My tuffet ended up costing less than $60 - a bargain!

The pattern was $15. I also bought:

  • muslin - the foundation for string-piecing the eight sections
  • two, 18" squares of 3"-thick foam
  • upholstery batting
  • decorative tacks
  • upholstery thread
  • a covered button
Those items totaled $57.64

It's what I received for free that made my tuffet possible... shared by a friend in Boerne, Texas. We arranged to visit these friends twice last year, and it was fun to see where Greg spends his retirement time - in a huge, wonderful shop, adjacent to their home. Greg's shop is as important to him as my sewing room is to me.

Greg cut an 18" diameter round board from a used piece of wood he already had.

He used a jigsaw to make cutting the circle look easy.


After cutting the round board, he sanded the edges, and also sanded the bottom to remove some old paint.


On another trip to Texas in December, he shaped four bun feet, and routed holes for the screws that attach the feet to the 18" base. 

He also provided four tee nuts and hangar bolts to attach the feet to the board, and drilled two holes in the board center through which to thread the button. I doubt I would have made a tuffet if it hadn't been for Greg's supplies, tools, and expertise.

The rest of the work was up to me. In comparison to Greg's efforts, the sewing I did seemed simple!


I cut two 18" foam circles using a Cutco bread knife. The knife worked well, though it's a good thing the edges are hidden under the cover. It's sort of a hack job.

At this point, I painted the bottom of the board and the bun feet with three coats of Behr, "Candlelight White," a paint color I had on hand when I painted a rocker, bench, and wooden stand.

After gluing the foam to the wooden board, I used a staple gun to cover the foam, twice, with thick upholstery batting. 

Then came attaching the outside cover, turning under the edges, and nailing decorative tacks to hold everything in place.

Lastly, the hubs had to help push in on the tuffet center so I could add the button.

The pattern calls for using a long upholstery needle to sew the button on. The needle has to be punched through the foam layers and holes in the wood base, twice, to secure it with thread at the bottom. I wasn't about to spend $8 for a needle I'd use on this one occasion! When I mentioned this to Greg, he fashioned a 17"-long "needle" for me out of some thick wire he had on hand. It worked beautifully! 

I'm indebted to Greg for making my tuffet a reality. He can be sure I won't ever bother him about making a second one!

Now I understand why quilters are getting together to make tuffets at a quilt shop. They can share supplies that they'd otherwise have to invest in to put the whole thing together. And it's always more fun to share a project with a friend.

Just like I did. Linda

24 comments:

  1. Your creativity seems to know no bounds!! And it's orange!!!!! Perfect for Florida.

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  2. It's good to know people! Beautiful work.

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  3. It IS fun to collaborate on a project such as this! And didn't it come out beautifully! After reading your delightful post, I'm glad I didn't want to make one when they surfaced throughout our online community! It would probably still be sitting somewhere, like the bottom of the craft closet, waiting for that morning when I woke up and said, "Today's the day....." Have a wonderful afternoon! XO

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  4. i am making one in March! Love yours!!!

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  5. Linda, I enjoyed reading your blog on the infamous tuffet! Nice kudos to Greg! The tuffet is wonderful, bright and tropical...perfect for your sunny Florida location. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

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  6. THANK YOU for making a tuffet and blogging about it so I know not to do it ;)

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  7. Mary, you're a no-reply commenter, so I'm hoping you read this... I'm glad to know I helped you make a decision. While this is certainly a wonderful finished project, I think everyone should go into making a tuffet with their eyes wide open. I'm happy to know I was helpful!

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  8. LUV IT!! This project is on my "bucket list". I saw the first one at "Scarlet Thread", a wonderful quilt shop in Georgia. Your colors really make it special and the white feet are awesome.

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  9. LUV IT!! This project is on my "bucket list". I saw the first one at "Scarlet Thread", a wonderful quilt shop in Georgia. Your colors really make it special and the white feet are awesome.

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  10. Amazing! Thanks for sharing your journey!!!

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  11. Darling in orange! So you!!! I'm glad that you didn't get "scared away", Miss Muffet, like I am!!

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  12. I love the look of tuffets, but your post echoes what I've heard from others who have done it- it's more costly and complex than you might think. The piecing is the least of it- though that's a lot of seams coming together! Yours turned out great though!

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  13. I love the look of tuffets, but your post echoes what I've heard from others who have done it- it's more costly and complex than you might think. The piecing is the least of it- though that's a lot of seams coming together! Yours turned out great though!

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  14. It's so cute Linda! Lucky you to have such generous friends. I love the tuffets but know I'll never make one.

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  15. Love it. I've been bugging to make one of these, but balk at spending so much in supplies. You're lucky to have a helpful friend.

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    1. Thank you! I hope you read this as you are a "no-reply" commenter, so I am unable to respond to you by email. I sure understand the strong desire to make one of these, but in hindsight, I'm wishing someone had cautioned me from it, due to the expense. I know I wouldn't have finished this if it weren't for Greg. So if you decide to make the plunge, be sure to have a woodworker at the ready. We were able to barter, as two of my smaller quilts are now hanging in Greg and Patty's house!

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  16. This is fabulous! They offer this class at the LQS and I have considered taking it. But then the cost of the class would also add to the expense....

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  17. The result is gorgeous. You might have to gift it to Greg!

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  18. It's a gorgeous collaborative project!

    The Weekender is an expensive project too!

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  19. Love this! I think tuffets are the next big thing out here, after taking the East Coast by storm (no pun intended, given last weekend's blizzard). Yours is appropriately sunny and orange--so suitable to where you live.

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  20. That is super cute, but seriously. Thank goodness for your friend's help!!

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  21. Love this. What pattern did you use and where did you purchase it?

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  22. Love this. What pattern did you use and where did you purchase it?

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    1. Nancy, you are a no-reply commenter, so I am unable to respond to you by email. The Tuffet pattern designer is Myra Mitchell. I bought the pattern online and unfortunately don't have the pattern anymore to provide detailed information. Believe it or not, the pattern was stolen from me at a quilters' garage sale! I still can't believe a quilter would do that.

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