Stitchalong Sundays Update

Sunday has quickly rolled around again - I expect you are all making progress on your 'Stitchalong with Chrissie' projects and I'm so looking forward to seeing everyones work. You lovely folks in the UK will only just be rising and greeting what I hope turns out to be a lovely day for you all,  and in the States it might still be Saturday. Over here in Australia its mid-afternoon so I'm a little leap ahead of most of you - only in time, I quickly add! 

So here is the update on my cushion!

As you can see, I've embroidered all the flowers on the strip of  linen fabric ready  to be attached to the front of the cushion. I chose to do mainly back stitch with a little stem stitch here and there and French knots in the centres of some of the flowers.

After pressing the piece I decided to put some backing on it just to give the fabric a bit more body, and if you're wondering what that strange looking last pic is then I can tell you that it's my appliqué mat.

I pressed the embroidered piece face down so not to flatten the stitches, but when I decided to back it with iron-on dressmaking interfacing I realised that I would have a big problem if I put the hot iron directly onto the interfacing as it would stick to my iron. My appliqué mat came to the rescue: I just laid the mat on top of the two materials - after very carefully checking that everything was smooth and even - and then pressed it. I might add that it seems to be a good idea to press carefully from the middle out towards the edges to avoid air bubbles and wrinkles - just like wall-papering I suppose, when you think about it!

And then? Well then, how could I not carry on and finish the project - I was longing to see it all sewn up and plumped up with a nice cushion insert. And besides there was a little nervousness involved too, for I wasn't sure that everything would come together just as I wanted it! Better to keep going and just do it!

So here's the front ....

And here's the back - I made a pillow-case type closure, and those buttons are really only decorative as the fold-over is deep enough to not need further support. There is method in my madness of course - in choosing such a closure I avoided both zip and button holes - but I rather like this way of enclosing the pad anyway. What is your preference?

So there she is, all nice and cosy looking on the (slippery) leather lounge/settee/sofa - whatever you prefer to call these pieces of furniture!  I am happy with this little cushion -  in fact I really like it! 

Although the drawings and workings out are my own, I did gain inspiration from a couple of books, mainly Caroline Zoob's Hand-Stitched Home, thank you Chrissie for the great review and recommendation!

Just before I go I want to mention that when shopping in Albany (our only big shopping place apart from our little town of Denmark) the other day, I called in to the patchwork supply place and chatted with the manager/teacher there about transferring patterns onto fabric and such like. To cut a long story short, she strongly advised me against using an indelible pen for such work so I decided to order a light box, which I hopefully will take delivery of in a week or so. Like Chrissie, I know that this stitching thing is something I want to continue with and so such a device will be a good investment. I have been a bit unhappy with my Sulky iron-on transfer pen, for, as I mentioned before, the lines it produces are rather thick and their being permanent is a concern, especially if I messed up and spoiled an expensive piece of fabric!

I bought a pencil to use with the light box - it looks just like an ordinary propelling pencil really - and there are different colours 'lead' to use for various colours of fabric - these are extras! But it is pretty with butterflies all over it, and I love the colour!

I do hope you are all enjoying the Sunday Stitchalong as much as I am, thank you Chrissie, and I guess I had better decide on a new project to keep me going, now that I've rushed through this one! Can't help myself, I know, J keeps telling me the same thing!

A very happy crafty week to all of you!

❤Joy xo