Cotton Cloud ~ Hand Crafting Futons Since 1981  
 

Futons are here to stay. People have been sleeping on cotton-filled mattress for thousands of years. The ancient Babylonians, Mesopotamian, and Egyptians used cotton as a bedding material because it is comfortable — it has good loft or springiness to support the body; it breathes, which helps control temperature and it’s easy to produce.
The word “futon” comes from Japan and means bedding. Japanese futons are quite a bit different than what we now use in the United States. During the 1970s a furniture designer, William Brouwer, designed a bedframe that was standard height and in three parts which would slide together to convert into a wide chair or couch. Futon makers created mattresses that were twice as thick as the original Japanese futons.Today’s futon mattresses have evolved as have the uses for futons. They are not only found in the bedroom, they are used in the office/guest rooms, on porches, in family rooms, in dens, and in lofts.

Cotton Cloud Futons has been hand crafting futons since 1981. These pictures show our step by step process. Making futons is and an art we take seriously. Every futon we make is made with a level of care and attention to detail that just isn't possible in a mass production facility.

 
       


Construcing A Futon Picture.01

 

 Step - 1
Neal[master futon maker] from Cotton Cloud Futons & Furniture lays out the cover for a twin-size futon, split into a chair and ottoman. The steps involved here apply to any size or shape of futon. 		 
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 2
Lay out a layer of cotton which is 2” thick and follow with another layer of cotton. When constructing a two-piece futon the fill is applied as if it’s one piece at first. Both layers are rolled out in opposite directions to obtain evenness in these layers. Cotton comes in a roll and tends to flatten so it’s important to alternate the layers. A little stretching may also be necessary to adjust to the needed size .
  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 3, 4 & 5
The Flexi (or eggcrate) foam is separated into two pieces. The smooth side is placed on the bottom layers of cotton. The second eggcrate is placed again with the smooth side down. Reversing the eggcrate gives the mattress more loft so the futon can bend. By design we use foam that is 3” smaller than the shell.		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 4  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 5  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 6
The bottom layers of cotton are carefully separated . This step only applies to a two-piece futon.		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 7
Another two layers of cotton are applied over the Flexi foam and stretched or pulled to size. It is critical at this stage to be gentle and to not tug so hard as to pull the cotton apart.
  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 8
The top two pieces are separated . “It’s like parting of the seas,” Neals says.		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 9, 10 & 11
Starting at the zipper end the shell is brought around the mattress carefully making a nice boxed edge		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 10  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 11  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 12
Using a flat hand helps to get a nice flat shape.		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 13
The shell is slowly zipped and felt for tightness.		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 14
The final step is the tufting. Neal uses a stencil. The tufts need to be symmetrical and equal in distribution. Neal makes a 2 1/2” mark with a pencil where the tufts are to be applied. This holds the cotton in place, as cotton tends to move .		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 15
Using a 10” diamond-tufting needle which should be as long as the mattress is thick. Using elastic thread the thread is kept long enough to complete the tufts on one run. The needle is pushed through the mattress at one end of the mark and back up to the other end of the mark.		  
         
  Construcing A Futon Picture.01   Step - 16
Once all the tufts have been completed the elastic thread is cut and tied. Now that the tufts have been completed and individually cut and tied, the tufts are checked to ensure they are not too tight nor too loose. You want a voluptuous look and a rustic feel.