Sewing Pattern
Three patchwork quick makes
Forget splashing out on a lavish home revamp and instead add character with handmade soft furnishings created using your favourite fabrics. We’ve taken nine fabrics squares and added a handful of stitchy extras to form items that we’re sure you’ll be itching to create yourself.
Essentials
Essentials
- Fabric: Nine prints, fat quarter of each
- plain backing
- Embroidery thread
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Pins
- Pencil
- wadding
Create a large cushion
Cut each fabric print into four 6.3cm squares and place into four groups of nine square blocks, ensuring no two pieces of the same pattern touch. Stitch the fabrics together with a 5mm seam allowance and press flat. On the reverse, divide each patchwork block into quarters with a pencil and cut.
Lay the pieces out, right sides up, and arrange them in a symmetrical pattern – again ensuring that no two prints are positioned together. Pin and stitch the pieces into one large 32cm square block before pressing the seams flat.
Cut two 25cm x 32cmpieces of plain backing fabric and hem a long edge of each piece. Lay the rectangles on top of the right side of the patchwork, so the hemmed edges overlap. Stitch around the edges and turn right sides out to create an envelope back.
Stitch a small pillow
Make a fabric block as for the big cushion and fold in half, right sides together, to make a rectangle. Machine stitch along the two short sides of the rectangle.
Turn the fabric right sides out and push the tops of the sewn sides into the middle to form a square. Place a small cushion pad inside the cover.
Fold in the long raw edges by 5mm, pin together and oversew. If desired, stitch a large button to the centre of the cushion, passing through the full thickness of the pad.
Make an elephant plush
Cut each of the fabric prints into nine 4.2cm square pieces. Lay out in an alternating pattern to make an 8cm x 10cm panel. Stitch the pieces together leaving a 5mm seam allowance and press.
Use the template to cut two elephant patterns from plain paper and pin them to the patchwork fabric so that the back legs rest along the long edge of the panel. This will give you sufficient excess fabric to pin four paper ear shapes along the other long edge.
Cut out the pieces and sew the body together with right sides facing,leaving a gap along the back for turning. Clip the curves, turn out and stuff evenly. Fold in the raw edges and oversew the back seam.
Pair up the ear pieces and stitch around the edges, leaving a 3cm gap. Turn out and flatten both ears, fold in the raw edges and oversew the pieces to the sides of the head. Add layered buttons to either side of the head, just above the trunk.
Fold the leftover small square of fabric in half and cut a fine fringe into the raw edge. Roll up to make a tassel and hand sew through the roll to secure. Stitch to the back of the elephant with a loop of embroidery thread and then twist the rest of the thread to make a cord.