With the foam pad inside, pin the top and base fabrics together and machine-stitch through all layers close to the outer edge and then close to the kneeling pad.
Sturdy outdoor fabric and useful handles make this foam kneeling pad look smart while being easy to clean and store.
What you’ll need
• Foam rubber pad
• 2 pieces of weatherproof fabric, 1 patterned (for the top) and 1 plain (for the base)
• Pair of leather handles with stitching holes, from crafts stores or fabric shops
• Strong sewing thread
• Pinking shears or fabric scissors
• Sewing machine with heavy-duty (denim) needle
• Heavy-duty hand-sewing needle, pins, and sewing supplies
1 Buy a foam rubber kneeling pad from a gardening or hardware store, or have one cut to size at a foam rubber supplier. The one shown on these pages is a ready-made pad measuring 20 x 40 x 2 cm (8 x 16 x 3/4 in) thick.
2 Cut the pieces of plain and patterned fabric to the same width as the foam pad, plus half the pad’s thickness and a 1-cm (1/3-in) seam allowance on each side. Cut it to the same length as the pad, adding 12 cm (4 3/4 in) at each end. Our fabric pieces are 24 cm (9 1/2 in) wide and 64 cm (25 in) long. Use pinking shears if you have them, as they will prevent the edges fraying without adding bulk in the seams.
3 Place the right sides of two pieces of fabric together and pin a 1-cm (1/3-in) seam down both long sides. Machine-stitch the seams. Press the seams open—check the manufacturer’s instructions for the iron setting. Fold and press a 6-cm (2 1/3-in) hem at each open end of the tube of fabric. Turn the fabric tube right side out.
4 Slide the kneeling pad into the tube with the long-side seams centered at the long sides of the pad. Pin the top and base fabrics together at each end and machine-stitch through all layers close to the outer edge and close to the kneeling pad (about 4–5 cm/1 1/2–2 in from the edge). You might need a zipper foot on the sewing machine for this.
5 Position a handle at each end of the kneeling pad, making sure that each handle is centered at equal distance from the side edges of the cover at each end. Pin the handles in place and attach them using strong sewing thread and a heavy-duty sewing needle to stitch through the holes.
With the foam pad inside, pin the top and base fabrics together and machine-stitch through all layers close to the outer edge and then close to the kneeling pad.
REMOVABLE COVER OPTION: The kneeling pad is washable; just hose it down or give it a light scrub with detergent and water, then let it dry completely. If you want to make the cover removable, machine-stitch around the hem at the ends and hand-stitch the handles to the top fabric only, then add two heavy-duty snaps at the base of the handles.