HOW TO FILL YOUR ZANDERS & CO CUSHION COVER

You might consider an explanation of how to fill a cushion cover unnecessary. After all, how hard can it be? Don’t you just zip open the cover and stuff in the inner? The truth is, it's not difficult to damage your cushion covers through improper handling while trying to stuff them with the cushion inners. No matter how well sewn your covers are, too much pressure at the zipper ends may cause the stitching to pop and split and the cover to pull apart. 

Now let’s take a look at the best way to fill your covers to reduce stress on the zipper ends. The first thing is to make sure your cushion inner is the right size for your cover. We recommend using our premium NZ duck feather inners and one that is approximately 50mm larger than the cushion cover. So for a 550mm x 550 mm cover you should use a 600mm x 600mm inner. However, if you are using your existing inners in new cushion covers, then you’ll want to make sure that the inserts aren’t too large (or too small)  before stuffing them into the covers. 

Once you are sure that that you have the correct inner then it’s time to gently fill your cover.

1. Unzip your pillow cover and lay it in front of you on a flat surface.
2. Then gently fold your cushion in half while compressing it enough to grasp it in the center and hold the two sides together.
3. Keeping the inner squeezed together with one hand, hold open the cushion cover with the other hand and gently pull the cover over one end of the inner.
4. Continue working the cover over the inner while keeping it squeezed together until you have all four corners of the inner inside the cover. Be careful not to release your grasp of the inner before it is completely inside the cover. If you must let go of the inner, do so gently so as to avoid letting it suddenly expand against the zipper end seams.
5. Once you have the inner inside the cover, use one hand to gently straighten and position the insert so that all four corners are in place in the corners of the cover.
6. Now you are ready to zip up your cover. This should also be done gently and gradually to make sure there are no loose threads or insert fabric interfering with the zip.
   
7. Gently guide the zip fastener down the length of the zip until it is completely closed. Do not force the zip if it starts to stick or jam. If this happens, slowly reverse the zip fastener while checking to make sure nothing is caught in it. Then try closing it again. A good idea is to press your forearm down the length of the zip to push the two sides of the zip together and take all pressure off the zip fastener. Don't try to close the zip if the two sides are bulging apart. You need to bring them together so there is no pressure on the zip fastener.

You probably noticed we used the word ‘gently’ a few hundred times in the above instructions. If nothing else, just be gentle with your covers when you stuff them. They will thank you for it.