cushions

Ok, so now for the easy part 🙂 Assembling a simple envelope cushion. Envelope cushions are super simple and there are countless tutorials out there, and if you have any experience of home sewing you probably know how to do this already. But just in case you don’t, and because hey, I Â had the pictures, and like to feel that I’ve covered everything in my tutes….here it is….

The first thing you need to do is measure your cushion pad. Mine was 16″ x 16″. Now, for purists; draw a 16″ x 16″ square on some paper, then add your desired seam allowance all the way around that. Then draw a rectangle 16″ x 11″, and add your desired seam allowance around that too. However, I’m not a purist. I kinda like to play around with the rules a bit (much to the frustration of numerous past employers 😉 I wanted my cushion to be really firm and puffy and for the pad to completely “stuff” the cushion cover. So I opted to cut my template WITHOUT seam allowance and sew a very narrow seam. This worked fine for me and I know that over time and use the cover’s never going to get “baggy” as the cushion pad inside becomes less puffy…..

Cut 1 front section (and applique as in Part 1 orÂ embellishÂ as you see fit) and cut 2 of the back section from your fabric…

Finish Â raw edges of all 3 pieces as you see fit. I opted for a simple zig zag right on the edges…

On both back pieces, turn and sew a 5/8″ hem on one of the long edges. Make sure you turn it under to the wrong side of the fabric…obvs I know….but just in case!)…

With cushion front right side up, lay the fir back piece right side down/wrong side up on top of the front piece; lining up all edges….

Lay the second back piece right side down along the opposite edge. Pin and sew all the way around. I sewed a really narrow (approx 4/8″) hem….

It’s pretty much as simple as that EXCEPT where your 2 back pieces overlap. This is going to be a point of strain when taking the cushion pad in and out for washing. I’d recommend back stitching across this area on both sides (ie between the 2 arrows in the pic which in this case is approx 2″)….

Then turn right side out and stuff with your cushion pad!

Now, I forgot to take a pic of the back before I sent them off to the shop to be sold….(sorry!) so if you’re unfamiliar with how an envelope cushion works (I’m pretty sure you do, but just in case) check out the end of this video!

DIY: Applique Cushions – Part 1

Recently, the owner of the gallery/gift shop where I sold my handmade jewelry mentioned that she was short of a maker to supply her with textiles for her shop. (Er, hello? Did I mention I sew?) Not being one to overlook an opportunity, I whipped these up for her….I’ve split the how to for this into 2 parts because I didn’t want to make it too long (there are lot’s of photos!) So part 1 concerns creating the applique front. Part 2 (to follow) will concern the actual construction of the cushion cover itself…

I made 3 cushions with different slogans in a simple envelope style using pure wool or the main fabric and cotton for the appliques….

I used fabrics that I already had in my stash. Because this was kind of a product testing excercise (basically to see if she liked them and if they would sell. BTW when she saw them, she said “Oooh, the girl can stitch alright!” Which made me just a teeny bit proud! It’s nice sometimes to have an objective endorsement of your skills don’t you think? 🙂 I didn’t want to fork out any extra cash for this project when I already had a bulging stash (don’t be smutty!). The most expensive fabric here is the seersucker which cost me Â£3 from a charity shop. Applique is such a good way to use up little scraps too. The yellow fabrics are leftovers from aÂ baby quilt project…

Aside from fabrics and the usual sewing equipment, you’ll need some backing for the appliques. I used Vliesofix/Wonder Under. I bought it at Â£3.20 a metre from Dunelm Mill at Thurrock. but I can’t find it on their website. I did however find this online supplier…(actually it’s quite an interesting lookingÂ independentÂ supplier whose wares I shall be perusing at length when I get a chance…hmmmmm). Essentially it is paper backed iron on interfacing. When you peal the backing off it reveals a second adhesive layer that allows you to fix your applique to your main fabric….brilliant stuff…

Begin by finding a font you like (I chose Berlin Sans FB) and print off the individual letters you need for your design. You’ll need to measure your cushion to decide what size you want your letters to be. My cushion is 16″ x 16″ and I opted to fit 4 letters on each front. So each letter for my cushions needed to fit WITHIN an 8″ x 8″ square. I wanted my letters to pretty much fill the whole cushion front so my letters are quite large. But if you want your appliques more centred, then think about seam allowances etc…

Trace the letters onto the PAPER side of the Wonder Under. Make sure you print/trace non symmetrical letters back to front as the paper side will become the underside of your applique…

Roughly cut out your letters leaving a small border…

With paper side UP (so sticky side DOWN) lay your letters on the WRONG side of your applique fabric. Press with a dry medium iron…

Here are all my pressed letters ready to cut out…

Once they have cooled, cut them out accurately, following the lines on the paper side…

Check you are happy that they all fit how you want them to on your cushion front. I did it at this stage because, if you need to trim a bit off here and there to make them fit how you want, then it’s easier to do that with the paper backing still in place…

Once you’re happy, peel off the paper backing to reveal the adhesive underneath…

TIP: It’s tricky to find an edge to start peeling. So carefully insert a pin inbetween the paper backing and the fabric. Use the pin to lift and tear the paper backing slightly to get you started…

Arrange appliques back on cushion front, cover with a cloth and press all over in 8-10 second bursts. The manufacturers instructions say to do this with steam. Since I was working with pure wool, I used a dry iron and it worked fine. Just sayin…;)

The adhesive will temporarily secure your appliques to the backing fabric….

Then you need to topstitch/edgestitch them down in order to secure them permanently….

I’d recommend not back stitching at the start or finish, as the stitching line is a decorative detail. So stop stitching as soon as you meet the start of your stitching line, overlapping by one stitch only and leaving a long thread tail…

Pull threads through to the underside. Tie off with a tailors knot, burying the thread tails between the backing fabric and applique….

And there you have your finished cushion front, with all appliques neatly secured….

Check back on Wednesday for how to construct a simple envelope cushion Â 🙂

DIY: Applique Cushions (Part 2)

DIY: Applique Cushions (Part 1)