28/08/2016

How to sew a quilted patchwork cushion cover*

Sew a set of stylish chair cushions - part 3

Time to sew the final chair cushion! I've so enjoyed creating these tutorials and really hope you've enjoyed them too! To complete the set I've gone for a patchwork cushion with a quilted effect to add a little cottage charm.


You will need:
Fabrics - here's all the Sew Crafty ones I used
Batting/wadding 2mm thick
Thread
Tracing paper and pencil
Cushion pad
Ribbon
Sewing machine
Scissors 
Pins
Tape measure

How to:
1. To create your pattern draw a 38cm square onto the tracing paper. If your cushion pads are a different size to mine, just make the square a few centimeters smaller than your cushion to make it nice and fitted. Draw your stripe pattern on top and mark the fabric you'll use for each stripe.


2. Cut up your pattern into the stripes (take a photo of it first in case you forget which order you placed the stripes in!).

3. This way of making your pattern doesn't include a seam allowance, so pin your pattern to your fabric and mark a 1.5cm seam allowance on each short edge and a 1cm seam allowance on each long edge and then cut out.


4. Place your first two stripes right side together, then pin and sew a 1cm seam down one of the long edges. 


5. Keep adding the stripes, right side together until you have completed the front of the cushion. Press seams open on the back.


6. Cut a square of batting slightly larger than your cushion front. Place the batting underneath your cushion front then pin and sew down each seam on the right side. Go slowly to get a neat finish.



7. The cushion backs are an envelope finish, so that they don't need a zip. To make them cut two fabric squares 41cm wide x 30cm high. Then on one long edge of each piece pin and sew a 1.5cm seam allowance. 


8.Take your ribbon and  cut  it into four pieces, make sure they are long enough to reach from your cushion and tie around your chair back - I tested mine against my chair and made them 25cm long.

9. Lay your two back squares on top of each other with right sides facing up. Then position your cushion ties, also facing inwards, at this point it's a good idea to go and test against your chair again to make sure they're in the right place.


10. Lay your cushion front on top and with the right side facing down, pin and sew a 1.5cm seam allowance around the edge. Then cut off the excess fabric at each corner, being careful not to cut your seam. This will make the corners sharper when you turn it out.


Finally, turn the right way out and fill with a cushion pad.


Here’s all four of the set together, I love how they’ve turned out! You can find the tutorial for the geometric cushion here and the tartan effect cushion here



Happy sewing :)

*some of the materials for this project were supplied by Sew Crafty, but all tutorials and opinions are my own




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24/08/2016

Finished project | first attempt at knitted socks


I never seem to knit anything seasonally appropriate, you could say it was because I'm always behind with my works in progress (these, for example were supposed to be finished for Father's Day in June), but I prefer to think of it as being ahead as they won't be useful until winter, so August is still way ahead of time... ahem.

You definitely don't want to be wearing these in August (other than for photographic purposes, like I have of course) because they are super warm and cosy. With their ribbed pattern and cream tone they epitomise classic wellie boot socks at their best - simple, yet stylish and practical. 

The basic pattern is a vintage Bellmans Aran Knitting B1207 pattern belonging to my Mum. It's knitted flat from the top down and then seamed together. But instead of following the cable pattern I knitted rib (k4, p2) at the request of my Dad and also cast on 73 stitches rather than the recommended 53 as his current pair were too tight at the top. Because of this the top half did seem to take ages to knit and I'm not a fast knitter. Turning the heel and knitting up the stitches to join took a little bit of figuring out luckily my Mum and YouTube were on hand to advise. I also caused myself a headache by not detailing my pattern amendments very well when knitting the first sock, by the time it came for me to knit the second I'd forgotten what I'd done and my notes didn't make sense! It look me a whole evening to figure out - lesson learned for next time. 

But as usual now I've finished I'm so happy with them as is my Dad, which is the main thing! 




Wool - Sirdar Supersoft Aran, shade 0859




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16/08/2016

How to sew a tartan effect chair cushion*

Sew a set of stylish chair cushions – part 2


So far my chair cushion set has two geometric pom-pom trim cushions - find out how to make them in part one here. And this week I'm going to be sewing a tartan chair cushion because, put simply, I love tartan but struggle to find it in blue and yellow colours to match our living room! Plus I'd never really considered how to sew something to resemble tartan and found coming up with the process a fun challenge. #geek


You will need:
Fabrics - here's all the Sew Crafty ones I used
Thread
Tracing paper and pencil
Cushion pad
Ribbon
Sewing machine
Scissors 
Pins
Tape measure


How to:
1. To create your pattern draw a 38cm square onto the tracing paper. If your cushion pads are a different size to mine, just make the square a few centimeters smaller than your cushion to make it nice and fitted. Draw your tartan pattern on top. Then make a duplicate onto a second piece of tracing paper.


2. Cut the horizontal pieces out of one of your patterns and the vertical pieces out of another. 

3. This way of making your pattern doesn't include a seam allowance, so pin your pattern to your fabric and mark a 1.5cm seam allowance on each short edge and a 1cm seam allowance on each long edge and then cut out.


4. Fold and press a 1cm seam on both sides of your fabric strips. If they refuse to stay flat, hold them in place with a few pins. 


5. Cut a 41cm square of your background fabric for the front piece of your cushion.

6. Lay your front piece the right way up and start to arrange your fabric strips into your tartan pattern. To add some character, I weaved some of my pieces over and under each other. When you are happy with the arrangement pin it down.


7. Sew along both edges of all your fabric strips, staying as close to the edge as possible. 


8. The cushion backs in this tutorial are envelope style so they don't need a zip. To make them cut two fabric pieces, both 41cm wide x 30cm high. Then on one long edge of each piece pin and sew a 1.5cm seam allowance. 


9. Cut four pieces of ribbon, long enough to reach from your cushion and tie around your chair back - I tested mine against my chair and made them 25cm long.

10. Lay your two back pieces on top of each other with right sides facing up. Next lay your cushion ties in place, at this point it's a good idea to go and test against your chair again to make sure they're in the right position.


11. Finally lay your cushion front on top, right side facing down, pin and sew a 1.5cm seam allowance all the way around the edge. Then cut off the excess fabric at each corner, being careful not to cut your seam. This will make the corners sharper when you turn it out.


Turn the right way, fill with a cushion pad and you’re done! 


Here's a picture of the set so far, with the two cushions from part one, I can't wait to have all four done and on our chairs!

Learn how to make the final cushion here

*some of the materials for this project were supplied by Sew Crafty, but all tutorials and opinions are my own :)




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