A pair of hares

Lately, the mists of guilt have started to descend whenever my thoughts turn to this blog; but then I remind myself that "not perfect, but good enough" goes for the writing of this blog just as much as it does for any of the "makes" I post about.  I make no claim to be a prolific or conscientious blogger; my aim is to share ideas, to strengthen my belief in the joy of creativity over the search for perfection, and to hopefully inspire you to put a little time aside to get creating.  

Having made my excuses, I was about to say my problem is that I have too many projects on the go, but a more positive way of looking at this is that there are several things I am working on, all of which I'm enjoying, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you eventually.  This isn't a race and I'm not setting myself monthly quotas of projects to complete.  So you'll have to bear with me I'm afraid.

Which means that for the second time running I'm bringing you a project from the archives.  This cushion was another Christmas present, this time for my mother, who has a liking for pictures of hares.  So during a stay with the P's I made a sketch of a hare from a card M had received.  When I got home I then scaled this up (drawing grid lines to help me) to make my template, based on which I sketched the opposing hare.  For someone who is not an artist I'm pleased with the templates I produced - they actually look like hares!

I think the red fabric for the hares works really well.  I took care when placing the templates to position the circles in the pattern to be eyes.  Like the teapot, the appliqué was fiddly - I had given myself some difficult angles.  I think this project would have been easier if I had used Bondaweb (an adhesive which you can buy in sheets and use to bond fabrics together by ironing), and I will certainly consider using it if I attempt a similar project in the future (in fact I've been using it in one of my current projects and have been impressed with it - hopefully I'll be able to share the results with you soon!).

I have to say I'm really rather proud of this cushion.  I think the combination of fabrics is striking, and would fancy making a series of cushions using these - a squirrel and a stag's head are two images that I think would work well.  But maybe I should try to finish at least one or two of my current projects before making a start down this road...

M loved her present, which really was the most important outcome.  It is a special thing to be able to give something you have made to someone you love - not only are you giving them the "thing", tailor-made to them and a product of the relationship between you, but you are also giving them the time you spent.  I got a lot of joy from making this cushion, knowing how surprised and pleased M would be.  The cushion is now proudly displayed in her living room.

Not following the pattern...

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.

Tea for two

Christmas lights are going on, I've started my Christmas shopping and the John Lewis Christmas advert is showing on TV.  Christmas is 42 days away and I'm feeling festive. 

I've started making Christmas decorations (more on that to come) and it got me thinking about Christmas presents I have made in the past.

This cushion is a present I am particularly proud of.  The execution may not be perfect, but it was the perfect present for this friend, who like me shares a love of textiles and tea.

I started by drawing the stencils to fit the size of the cushion.  I tried a few designs for the teapot, but this was the most pleasing.

I won't lie, the appliqué was fiddly, in particular the insides of the handles.  The stitching is not perfect and is not something to be examined too closely!  But I am pleased with the overall effect.  And no-one is more surprised than me that it actually looks like a tea pot!  The saucers were the most difficult to do and are the one thing I would do differently if I were to do a similar design in the future.

All in all, I am quite proud of this cushion.  Yes it was tricky, but I am all the more pleased that the overall effect works.  And there's nothing quite like the satisfaction that comes from putting in the effort to make a perfect gift for someone which you know they are going to love, imperfections and all.

Seeing hexagons

I did say cushions would be a recurring theme on this blog!

This one was made with some gorgeous vintage fabrics given to me as a Christmas present.  Hexagons are  time-consuming, but I think the hours spent on this cushion were worth it.

I have to admit I did cut corners in the process.  You are supposed to cut out paper hexagons (I cut mine from old newspaper, but you can buy paper hexagons to save time if you want) and then tack the fabric patches around these paper templates so that each fabric patch holds its hexagon shape while you sew them together.  However, I found that ironing the fabric patches around the paper templates was sufficient to get them to hold their shape while I then sewed the edges together.  I took a fairly haphazard approach to this cushion, rather than organizing the hexagons in any pattern, which I think this was the right approach for this cushion.


This was also the first time I have put a zip into a cushion cover.  I did feel rather ambitious when it came to reaching for the zipper foot on my sewing machine, but it actually went ok.  The fabric is slightly warped in places along the edge of the zip, but the zip does zip up, so I'm happy!

Life is too short sometimes, and yes, I did take a shortcut; I didn't do everything you are supposed to do when working hexagon patchwork, but I don't think the final result has suffered for it.  So not perfect perhaps, but good enough!

A cushion to comfort

A couple of weeks ago I asked what was important to you in a cushion: looks or comfort.  You clearly like to have your cake and eat it; a cushion without both looks and comfort is not worthy in your view.

This is not the most chic of cushions, but I like to think it has its own certain charm.

This is a cushion to hold your hand and comfort you; a cushion to be hugged and squeezed.  It's made from a favourite old pyjama shirt.  Years of wear had left the fabric lovably soft, but also meant that the pyjamas were close to falling apart.  They had been my favourite pair for so long I could not bear to part with them.  What better way to hold onto them than to turn them into a cushion?

I could have made a simple red tartan cushion, but I wanted to try to keep the look of the pyjamas and retain their spirit somehow.  To this end, I included the pocket and buttons of the pyjama shirt in the cushion cover.  I think using these adds some interest to the design.  I opted to sew up the front of the shirt, but if I were to attempt a similar project in the future I think I would use this to create a pocket - it could make a lovely case in which to keep pjs.

A cushion to knock the spots off all others...

I love cushions (expect them to be a recurring theme).  A cushion is a small canvas on which to inject some personality, to have some fun with and take the risk of being a bit bolder, of trying something a bit different.

I wanted to create something special to give to a friend for her birthday.  Knowing she’s a fan of red and white spots I quickly decided that I would make her a cushion on this theme.  But I felt it needed something more.  A sprinkling of buttons might just be what was needed to lift this cushion to be a little bit special.  A quick raid on my and Mum’s button boxes supplied a good variety of red and white buttons.  Then it was just the small matter of finding the fabric.

My need to constantly make the “right” decision makes choosing fabrics for any project tricky, especially when I am making something to give as a present.  I have to work hard to remind myself that there is no right and wrong when it comes to fabric choices!

The initial idea in my mind had been plain red with perhaps a white fabric with small red spots.  However, it is rare that you will find exactly what you are looking for, and you need to enter a fabric shop with an open mind; flexibility is your friend here.  Enter with an open mind and time invested browsing the aisles of a well-stocked fabric shop can reward you with a winning combination of fabrics you would never have imagined walking away with.  Having pulled out various fabrics, holding up different whites to various reds to try to find that elusive “perfect” combination, I eventually made a decision.  A red/purple tinged stripe and an off-white with purple spots was not what I had planned on buying at all, but that was the combination that struck a chord.  I think it works; the patterns contrast but do not clash and I think it adds another layer of interest to the overall look of the cushion.  But judge for yourself…

First the planning:

I started by planning the size of the spots and laying these out with the buttons.  Once I had settled on the size of the spots, I could cut the fabric.

Then the assembly:

The spots were pinned and tacked in place before being machine appliquéd.  The buttons were sewn on by hand.  I then machined three and a bit sides of the cushion cover (correct sides together) before turning through, easing over the cushion pad and then hand stitching the fourth side closed.

And the finished cushion:

This is a cushion that is all about its looks.  And, perhaps surprisingly for a cushion adorned with buttons, it doesn’t scrimp on comfort either.  Most importantly, my friend seems to love it.

I went with a sprinkling of buttons to give this birthday cushion an extra little something; but what would you have adorning your ideal cushion?  I’d love to hear your ideas.