Patchwork Post - small cushion cover 1

Hello again, all you folk who like to cut things up in order to sew them back together! We are moving up from a pin cushion to a 32cm x 32cm cushion! Small steps, learning new skills as we go!

You will need: fabric, some wadding and some more fabric.

 If you have no wadding at home, you could use an old fleece, blanket or an old jumper! I’m thinking that as well as the patchwork element of the cushion, we could add a bit of quilting, too This will create a lovely, textured cushion.

We’ll do both the back and front of the cushion - it means more practice for you, and more skills to learn!

Front: cut two strips of fabric, of different designs 18cm x 36cm

Cutting as accurately as possible makes the rest of the task much easier!

I’m planning here on making the cover 32cm x 32cm. This will give 4 equal panels, with a 5cm seam allowance along the centre lines (as with the pin cushion) and a 1 cm seam allowance for making up the cushion. 

Sew the strips, right sides together, along a long edge, leaving a 5cm seam allowance. Press the seam to one side (as before with the pin cushion) 

Cut it in half - precisely - at right angles to your line of stitching. 

You have two oblongs, each with a line of stitching down the middle and each with the 2 fabrics.

Place the two oblongs, right sides together, so that you lay the different fabrics together and your end result will be a chequer board. Pin carefully along the stitched line, so that it aligns (as you did with the pin cushion) 

Sew together. 

Press the seam allowance to one side. 

Et voilà! You have one ‘block’ ready to quilt!