Monochrome Animal Cushions

Liven up your living space with these fun animal cushions. Featuring zebra, elephant and camel motifs in monochrome prints stitched to colourful linen in contrasting embroidery thread, this quirky collection is an easy way to express your wild side.

Essentials

Fabric: linen, blue, yellow, pink, 33cm x 84cm each; cotton, three different prints, black and white, fat quarter of each
Ribbon, grosgrain or satin, black and white, 100cm
Interfacing, medium weight, 33cm x 66cm each
Fusible webbing, 100cm
Thread, stranded cotton: blue; pink; yellow
Cushion pads, 31cm square

Dimensions List

31cm square

Create an animal cushion

Download the templates and print. Iron fusible webbing to the back of a piece of black and white fabric, then cut out your chosen animal motif. From linen, cut a rectangle 33cm x 66cm for the cushion and two facing pieces, 9cm x 33cm each. Iron medium weight interfacing to the linen fabric.
Fold the linen fabric in half and iron the fold. This will mark the middle of the cushion. Next, fold an animal motif in half and match the centre line with that of the cushion fabric. Peel off the backing paper from the webbing and iron in place.
Using four strands of embroidery thread, sew around the motif in straight stitch, just catching the edge of the printed fabric and the linen. Make your stitches approximately 4mm in length.
Cut four 25cm lengths of ribbon and singe the ends to prevent fraying. Pin a ribbon 8cm in from the raw edges at both ends of the linen with right sides facing. Sew each ribbon end in place close to the edge.
Double hem the facing on one of the long sides so the raw edge is enclosed. Repeat for the other piece.
With right sides together, pin the facing to the cushion, matching up raw edges at both ends. Turn over and iron the seams flat.
Fold the cushion cover in half with right sides facing, matching the seams. Pin in place, then using a 1cm seam allowance, sew down the two side edges. Turn out and press with the facings on the inside. Fill with a cushion pad and tie the ribbons into bows.