I was full of admiration when my 13-year-old daughter returned from school one day with a perfectly produced cushion. It looked beautiful and she was obviously very proud of her achievement. I showed my parents the wonderful stitching and they too glowed with pride.
There had been a time when I could have done this, enjoyed the challenge and been proud of the achievement (however small) but I had not touched a needle and thread for many years (apart from the obligatory sewing of names in uniforms and the odd button). So it a bit of a revelation and not little surprise that I can tell this story about my experiences of making a cushion…..
You will need:
- Some lovely fabric that will go to waste unless you make something.
- A friend, or their web site, who can guide you through the process.
- A sewing machine
- Preferably someone to chat to over a cup of coffee, and you are all set!
To make the cushion
1. Cut out paper template of cushion size. EASY
2. Position and pin template on material. EASY
3. Cut out material. FAIRLY EASY (but I was a bit nervous in case I made a mistake)
4. Cut out strips of material (on bias) to cover piping cord. VERY EASY and because there was quite a lot, my cutting skills improved enormously!
5. Machine strips together. 1st join VERY SLOW, 2nd join A BIT QUICKER, 3rd join QUITE QUICK …..7th join VERY QUICK.
6. Pin piping cord in middle of strips and sew in. GETTING QUITE CONFIDENT!
7. Press material. (HOME FROM HOME!!)
8. Pin strips with cord between cushion sides. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
9 Machine 3 of the sides of the cushion. PIECE OF CAKE!
10. Hand sew the 4th side of the cushion that evening in front of the TV.
11. SIT BACK AND SMILE!
Outcome
- I felt proud.
- I felt I had achieved something.
- I really enjoyed myself.
- I’ve got 3 beautiful cushions.
- (I did show my parents …old habits die hard!!)
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