Where has the time gone? I've got lots of half-finished projects on the go at the moment (story of my life!), so I'm dipping into my "here's one I made earlier" pile...
A few years ago my friend Maud gave me the Cath Kidston book sew!. We drooled over the pages, and of course I wanted to have a go at making just about every project described on its glossy pages. Skip forward several years and I don't think I have actually faithfully followed any of the projects (I'm still working up the courage to try to make one of the bags!). However, for me the real joy of this book has come from the inspiration it provides - and the very handy templates.
One of the patterns in the book is for a cushion decorated with appliquéd birds. I already had two cushion pads, which were covered in some curtain fabric found in an offcut bin; it was time for a change. Their size didn't match the pattern, but I wasn't about to let that stop me.
I had some fabric that I had bought in The Viking Loom in York, not with a particular project in mind but (as I do more often than I should) with the intention that I would find a project to suit it.
I used the bird templates from sew!. You may recognise the template - I tweaked it slightly to create my own template for my robin christmas tree decorations, which you can see here.
I made the covers using a combination of machine and hand stitching: machine for the basic pieces and hand sewing to appliqué the bird embellishments. I improved with practice - the appliqué technique on the second cushion is definitely better. The trick is to run the thread inside the folded edge of the fabric and use small stitches, so your sewing is as hidden as possible.
I am sure there are some who would turn their noses up at the use of a manufactured template, but I say why not. You can still inject your own personality into the final creation. Just because you may not have the exact materials a pattern calls for doesn't mean you cannot still create something lovely - and what's more, it will be something no-one else has.
