Downton cushion

By -
That fabric, from last week, must have been calling my name, because it didn't sit there long before it was transformed into a cushion.


I felt that the blue one (on the left) didn't want to be cut up too small, otherwise the pattern would be lost. This really did limit my options. In the end I went for a very simple stripe pattern and put the work into the free motion quilting to bring out the shapes.

This was the pre quilted panel, basted and ready to go.
It did take some fussy cutting to try and get those panels to be lined up perfectly (if you don't look too close, they look the same!)

I was inordinately pleased with the zip. It's the first zip that I've been happy with and sadly, what I keep showing people who come to the house. Not look at my new Downton Abbey cushion, but look at this zip!! I found it hard to photograph the zip and I'm sure it's not up to the standards of most sewers; but I was pleased with it.



The free motion quilting took a a few hours. I used the shapes inthe fabric to quilt around. Those dotty circles almost look like flowers now.


I'm very pleased with the finished result. I keep on trying out ideas for the charm pack, but I'm finding the fabric quantity quite limiting. I had an idea to do a hunter's star cushion but to get the fabric to work, the pieces might have to be quite small - perhaps too small. I might fall back on the trusty half square triangles in the end.





Comments

  1. Freyalyn20 March 2014 at 16:01

    Looks like an excellent zip insertion to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne20 March 2014 at 23:40

      Thank you, I think excellent is a lovely word for my new zip ;)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Substituting Yarn in a Project

By -
Image
So you’ve chosen your pattern, but either you don’t want to use the recommended yarn or you can’t find it to buy. This does not mean you are stuck. Many knitters, especially when they are just learning to knit, get stuck on the idea that you can only use the yarn that the pattern is written with. There are, occasionally, a few projects where it can be quite hard to find an alternative but that is very rare. There are a few factors that you want to think about when changing yarn.  Yarn Thickness The main one is the thickness of the yarn. This is the one factor that you absolutely have to consider. Everything else that I discuss below helps to hone your decision down but yarn thickness is at the core of a project. If you use a thicker yarn, it could make the fabric too dense and often make it impossible to match the gauge of the pattern. If you use a thinner yarn, then it will be more open and airy than intended; there’s more scope with this but some projects such as toys an...
Read more

Photo Tutorial: How to Back a Knitted Blanket

By -
Image
Recently, I was asked to help out with a project. This wonderful blanket (designed by Debbie Abrahams from her book, Blanket and Throws to Knit ) was knitted by Ann. I was asked to piece it together and back it. The finished blanket is being used to raise money for When you Wish Upon a Star. The yarn was donated by A Good Yarn and the fabric and cotton by L & C Fabrics . I thought I’d show you how I went about backing the blanket, I went about it as I would a quilt. Though, I decided tying would be the best way of layering it together, as traditional quilting would be difficult on a knitted fabric. 1. Block the blanket. I pinned it out and spritzed it. Normally, I would wet block, but I was concerned that the red may bleed and it would take some time to dry too. 2. My blanket was too large for a standard width so I pieced the backing. The backing should be a few inches larger than the knitted blanket. Place it right side down on the floor. I then tape it down o...
Read more

Photo Tutorial: Estonian Cast On

By -
Image
I've recently been looking into different cast on methods. I've tried quite a few and they've all got their purpose but I have taken quite a fancy to the Estonian Cast On (a.k.a. Double Start, Latvian). It's quite simple to execute, it's stretchy and can be quite decorative too. It works well with 1 x 1 and 2 x 2 ribbing because it wraps around the base of the column of ribbing. It's a super cast on for socks. The tutorial is for the single strand method. 1. Measure out a long tail. I tend to use 1 inch per stitch for thicker yarn and 1/2 inch per stitch for DK weight and thinner; plus another 6 inches for luck! Make a slip knot and place on your needle. 2. Place your fingers between the strands and tilt your hand back into a catapult position. This creates a cross on the thumb strand. 3. Insert your needle into the loop around your thumb from below. 4. Reach across over the top of the strand on your forefinger. 5. ...
Read more