More Texture

Continuing with my textural cushions theme, I've achieved the effecct I wanted but it's scruffy! After 3 or 4 stitches, the fabric starts to twist and fold haphazardly under the stitching and it's noticeable. Does it matter? Controlled scruffiness it ok but I don't think I can do scruffy! Perhaps a more loosely woven fabric would be better?


To get away from stressing over that, I decided to do something "quick & easy" from my scrapbag. I found the pattern for the pig here

It wasn't particulary easy - I had some trouble matching up the gusset to the body parts due to the darts at the tops of the legs - nor was it very quick but that was me! Personally, I would prefer a more elongated body for a pig and the ears could do with folding forwards a bit - they're a bit long aren't they? I widened the ears in the pattern to make turning easier and folded them in a bit when stitching to the body.

In answer to Chris's comment, I don't have a very large stash of fabrics but what I do have is mostly bright .........

The Roses .............

For my husband ....................

Having spent the best part of a week on this I'm in no hurry to make another but my husband likes it so that's all that matters because I've kept to my word of making him one albeit not quite the same as what we saw in the shop. I think my version is more in keeping with my beach/sea theme and the "Beach Hut" chenille quilted cushions - at least I like to think it is! Perhaps I'll call it "Sea Urchin". I washed the appliqued panel in the machine before making up to get "the look".

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I recently came across Judy's Art Dolls blog and found it totally enchanting - do go take a look if you haven't already seen it - there's some wonderful delights to be seen!

Another One Finished ....................

The brief (my own of course) was to create some cushions for everday use which will withstand laundering well ie. still look good this time next year. I've learnt that tassels, beads etc. on cushions in this house don't wear too well!

There is a secondary purpose for the ones I am doing at the moment too - a relative of my husband always says to me "I only have my old industrial machine which doesn't do anything fancy like zig zag so I only do ordinary sewing". I don't know if her machine has the ability to do FME but I hope to show her that there are other things she can do with straight stitch,

I am continuing with the roses. I took the following pic the other day so I have done more now - 30 to be precise. I need to do 64 and that's without the little filling in ones!

Is it fun to do? I'm not sure. It requires a high level of concentration so can be quite tiring. It is a fiddle. I'm not really sure what is best but I am using the open toe embroidery foot so at least I can see where I'm going.and the mini screwdriver to poke fabric out of the way.

Like the chenille, this technique does use a lot of fabric but these three cream cushions have been created from the back (plain cotton for the chenille and roses) and front (for the backing fabric) of a little used quilt cover acquired when my parents changed one of their spare bedrooms into a living space a few years ago. I had intended to cut it down to a single size which would have been a good deal quicker but just never got round to it so, for me, they have been economical and the ready made buttonholes and pearl buttons have been useful too .....................

Playing with Roses

I have two more cushions underway - the front panel of one is just about to go in the washing machine before being tumbled - it should have been in there already but after going around the house gathering up some whites to go in with it - I left it out!

I'm a bit stuck with the other until the postman brings me some more Italian Quilting wool. I was hoping that the little shop where the wool came from originally still stocked it but it wasn't to be - still who can be surprised - things do change during the course of 2 decades! Just hope the Anchor stuff is similar to what I've been using - I have no idea what brand it was.

Some weeks back we saw these cushions in one of the major high street chains but at £30 a piece they were beyond our budget.


I had a good look to see how they were constructed and continuing with the textural theme ..............


My little sample is about 2" wide so I can see that I'm going to need very long strips to get to a decent size flower without a break - not sure where I'm going with that as I'm supposed to be using whatever I have in my stash and I have a feeling that too many compact little roses might look more like a bridal accessory ............... we shall see!