I might start giving out a prize to the first person to follow the strange workings of my mind and identify where the titles of my blog posts are coming from... I wanted to tell you about the new cushions I made last weekend, and started thinking about cushions and titles and of course... Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition sketch popped into my head... is that normal?
Ok - so onto the soft cushions... I booked my daughter and I onto a cushion making class with the lovely Rebecca Woollard last weekend, I've always been a tiny bit afraid of making cushion covers because of the numerous ways you can insert a zip or a button closing or a flap closing or whatever else there is... am sure the list goes on... and I have only ever inserted a zip one way into a child's dress - following very strictly the pattern instructions.
We arrived at 10am on a chilly Sunday morning, sewing machines in hand, ready to go, and by 5pm (or rather 6pm as we were having too much fun to stop - and Rebecca let us finish off what we were doing past the end of the class - bless her) we had both created some beautiful cushions. I learnt to do a simple square cushion with end zip closing and split layered fabric, and I learned how to insert a zip 3/4 way down the back, with flappy bit. And I learned to make a flange (I love that word...) around the edge, and a piped corded cushion (making my own bias binding and edging...(not photographed yet as I am still just finishing it off) and I learnt a very nice way to decorate your cushion using simple pieces of ribbon.
My daughter Eloise, made this fantastic panda cushion - and then had a great time decorating a square cushion using all the different stitches on Rebecca's machine - plus length's of ribbon. She has now come to realise that my 'fantastic' Janome machine that she has always been jealous of (she has a small plastic but fully functioning £35 John Lewis one....) is actually pretty basic and is now hankering after an all singing, all dancing, super duper lots of stitches model... I pointed out that the difference in price between this one and my one is around £500-£600 - which is a LOT of pocket money to be saved up...
Although I know where she is coming from... I have a bad case of machine envy now too... not that I don't love my faithful Janome of course!
I am so proud of our efforts and the professional finish to our lovely cushions. I just hope I can remember now how to do it for the next time I want to make a cushion or change a cover... I need a cushion making project quick before I forget...
How hard can it be to make lovely professional looking cushions? Actually not too bad... well quite easy when you have a brilliant expert telling you what to do... when I try one on my own I will let you know how hard it really is!
Until next time...
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