Wednesday 21 September 2011

.Cushions replaced!.

A change is as good as a holiday, right?  I finished new cushion covers to live in the loungeroom last night and couldn't be happier with them today.  You might remember my old cushions...I made them at the end of last year and they just haven't worked for me or our home.  Wrong colours, wrong designs.
This time around I took my time selecting the fabrics.  I didn't want anything matchy-matchy so grabbed a few of my favourite fabrics from my stash and played around until I came up with a collection I was happy with. 
There is definitley nothing matchy-matchy about these fabrics!  Although the more I look at them, I can see why they work well together - there are a few from the same ranges, the scale of most of the prints are small or have a small detail about them and there is a focus on grey, lilac, aqua and green...
Cushions really are a quick and easy way to spruce up a room and freshen things up a bit - could I claim this as my spring cleaning for the year?!
My favourite method for making cushion covers is hiding the zipper under a folded flap of fabric.  It gives a really neat and professional finish.  I don't like envelope closures as they always tend to stretch open and look sloppy over time.  If you are interested, here is a handy tutorial to hide the zippers in your cushion covers.
I was a little worried about using regular quilting weight cotton to make the cushions.  In past experience they have become saggy and stretched and haven't been able to withstand the beatings that our cushions get (see below) so this time I fully lined each cushion using a piece of (dodgy) scrap fabric I had lying around.  Nothing fancy with the lining, just cut a piece the same as the exterior and overlocked them together around the edge and then worked with the joined pieces as one.  It has made a huge difference in the stability of the cushions and I'm confident they will be long-lasting.

Now, as much as I love my cushions to decorate our home and inject a pop of colour, the kids love them more to throw around and play with!  Some days it drives me C.R.A.Z.Y!  I am constantly picking cushions up off the floor, but the small-fries love it!!
Hmm, looks like fun...I might have to join them in their antics next time! 
SUPPLIES:
Umbrella Prints, Floating Flowers
Umbrella Prints, Elephants
Umbrella Prints, Raindrops
Erin McMorris, Summersault, Pixiestick Posies in Turquoise
Erin McMorris, Summersault, Raindrops in Celery
Erin McMorris, Wildwood, Checked Floral in Green
Saffron Craig, Magical Lands, Magic Spots
Lizzy House, 1001 Peeps, Pearl Bracelet in Purple
Jennifer Moore, Monaluna, Hip to Be Square in Steel 

14 comments:

randi--i have to say said...

these are fun! i like the bright and lively colors!

Farah said...

oh so lovely I have a passion for cushions they all are so lovely and with such lively colours... thanks for sharing it makes my heart smiling dear...
I am sharing a treasure of Hand Embroidery, hope you like to come and see some traditional motifs and stitches
http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/
Love
Farah

Carina said...

they are total awesomeness!!! :D and I do love the fact they are not matching. And the zipper is really neat, ... lovely! :)

cajun.cat said...

Fab cushions!!they look even better than store bought ones. I'm glad its not just my 3 yr old daughter who stands on the back of the leather sofas and jumps off :-)

Dolores said...

I love the lilac and green colours but 9 cushions! That's a lot of cushions, we have 4 and they are constantly thrown on the floor and it's a tripping hazard and adds to the chaos and it drives me crazy.

Anonymous said...

Re: your lining technique for the pillows--When I worked in theater costume shops on period costumes, that was called "flat lining." For strength and stability we would layer muslin or even canvas under the beautiful, less stable fabrics and that made a world of difference. As you did, we would cut duplicate pieces of the flat lining and serge them together before sewing the garment together.
So, I have been doing that with my pillow (or cushion) covers, and for small tote bags I make for my young nieces.
Your cushions are beautifully made. Thanks for the zipper tip. I have been using invisible zippers, but I like the look of yours!
--Becky C.

Stacey said...

Love, love, love them! I love so many of the fabrics you used. Thanks for sharing!

Crafty Mama said...

Beautiful!!

luvly said...

snizippReally like the cushions...especially the randonness of the colours and patterns...like you say not too matchy matchy! Thanks too for the link to the hidden zip - have been looking for one for a while! :)

Little Munchkins said...

I love those cushions! I made some covers recently for mine but they are nowhere as colourful and pretty as yours!

Anonymous said...

Really nice job. Just wondering what filling you used? The Spotlight-type cushion inserts arent substantial or firm...and its hard to find others? Would love to know please.

Carli said...

Very nice, still awaiting my lot from one or two cushion changes ago!

Suz said...

Gorgeous. Lots of fun pillow fights I'm sure!

Tote Bags said...

This is very nice. I like my cushions clean and odor free.

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