Category Archives: Finished cushions

At last, appliqué hearts for the PICK’s support group

Having got my tacky fabric glue and extra sharp scissors, I thought I’d risk an appliqué heart again! Hooray! Although if I’d used a same colour thread on the heart the fluffy bits of velvet would look neater, I’m quite pleased with it.

I’m starting to run low on buttons so raided ye olde zip box. Sadly the one I found was a little on the short side. It took two of us to persuade the cushion pad to go in!

It’s off to Southbourne Dorset, where Jean Tigg is having a cream tea on July 7th for the PICK’s disease support group. This is fronto-temporal dementia, a cruel disease which has a huge impact on the sufferers and their families. I really hope my cushion helps to raise some much needed funds.

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Rescued! An owl for Froglife!

I have to be honest, I found it tricky working out what to make for Froglife! They could have a “proper”, sensible frog, but would you want it on your settee? Or a disrespectful, crazy one, but that didn’t seem right, so an owl it is!

I bought this amazing pattern last year from http://www.bfc-creations.com/ to make a fabulous blue velvet quilt.

I made the smallest size owl (the largest takes 9 hours to sew out!), on a russet moleskin like fabric. Disaster! The dense stitches made the fabric crunckle up! After sleeping on it I thought I’d try cutting it out and using it as an appliqué. I know, my attempts at that so far had been a disaster! I bought some spray on fabric glue so the beastie wouldn’t move on the velvet, bought some very fine, sharp scissors, used a straight rather than a zigzag stitch and kept my fingers crossed! It worked!

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Crazy patchwork’s back, for the Carisbrooke Priory

The patient, caring folk at Carisbrooke Priory will receive this cushion on Wednesday.

I’ve come to love crazy patchwork, although you need five or six toning/blending fabrics and I’m making a terrible mess trying to work out what might look good together!

The very sparkly fabric (which doesn’t dominate quite as much as the picture suggests) was bought for grown up daughter, Sam, when she worked as Children’s Librarian at Hayle Library in Cornwall. She created a really special puppet show for the evening the Christmas Tree was lit, and created cuttlefish puppets in this fabric, and with Peter’s help they even had LEDs. They have to be seen to be believed!

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Feathers for First Act, Shanklin

Like so many groups on the Island, First Act (a theatre group for people with disabilities) have had more than their fair share of cuts. Here is their cushion!

It’s my last full piece of the jade silk dupion, which I shall miss (although little bits are bound to keep turning up!).

Unlike the other cushions made of this fabric, I used a paper like backing (a sew and tear). I don’t like it usually, but it is better for this, the others were a little wrinkly (sorry guys!), but not this one!

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The cushion for Parkinson’s UK (Isle of Wight)

As I’m making a cushion run to the Island on Wednesday, I knew I had to make something for the Parkinson’s UK Group there.

As it’s about people who care for others, the heart had to appear again! It’s interesting how different it looks though, on dusty pink with a silver thread, which looks a bit lost until the light picks it out. It’s a very beautiful velvet (remnants from my Mum and Dads curtains!).

I’m quite fond of this, it’s almost ghostly and more subtle than the other cushions (so far). Although I hope they are all beautiful in their own way!

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A crazy patchwork cushion for the East Hampshire Disability Forum

The East Hampshire Disability Forum do a huge amount of work to help people with all sorts of disabilities live a life full of opportunities. http://www.ehdf.org.uk/

Here’s the finished patchwork cushion. It’s not perfect. Paranoid, me, yes! I know there will be some wonderfully skilful crafters peering at it! I’m quite pleased with it for a first attempt at this type of work, though!

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Feathers! This one is for the Countess Mountbatten Hospice

I love feathers! This pattern is from Secrets of Embroidery. The jade silk dupion is a wonderful colour and a lovely fabric to work with. I might need to find some silver in future, I realise I keep using my favourite threads, some-one might prefer something else!

This is for Countess Mountbatten Hospice, one of our local hospices, all of which do astonishing work. I know everyone that uses their caring, compassionate services is so grateful that they are there.

http://www.cmhcharity.org.uk/

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Puppies for the Winchester and Eastleigh Branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind

The third of the “trio” patterns from wwww.emblibrary.com is perfect for the Guide Dog Cushion.

The taffeta needed stabilising with vilene (you can see why I love the other, rust fabric!). As its an outline pattern, the stabiliser doesn’t need to be too heavy, for a denser pattern you would need a slightly heavier backing.

http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/

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Not cats, rabbits!

Anyone keeping an eye on the cushion post might be relieved I’m coming to the end of the beautiful rust fabric with gold embroidery on. I’ll miss it because its so easy to embroider on!

I felt we’d all seen enough cat cushions and found the person who had created the lovely kitten embroidery had rabbits and puppies, too ( puppies for Guide Dogs coming soon!). If you want the patterns for your embroidery machine, they’re at http://www.emblibrary.com.

This is for The Cat and Rabbit Rescue Centre that works with cat, rabbits and guinea pigs in East Hampshire and West Sussex.

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