It’s lovely working with such a gorgeous fabric! Had some fun with the pale sequins and beads in the centre of the flowers. Wasn’t too sure about the red bugle beads I used on some of the petals, but husband Peter liked them and having asked his opinion thought it would be rude to take them off!!

So far I’ve backed all the cushions with a pale gold satiny fabric which I’d bought to make a Christmas table cloth of, it looked wonderful but I couldn’t iron the creases out after washing! The joy of it being tightly stretched over a cushion pad is that it looks fine!!

Using a different backing fabric can make a great contrast, save the lovely stuff for the front and, if you’re making buttonholes it’s easier to sew. If your cushion fabric is thick, two layers of it can be hard to stitch together, too.

The Macmillan unit in Christchurch. http://www.macmillanlocal.org/. Offering essential and wonderful support to people facing cancer treatment and their families.