At the show yesterday I made my usual beeline for Fabrics Galore to replenish my stock of the heavyweight cotton/linen type fabrics I use for my “useful bags”.  They’ve usually got some eyecatchers there and yesterday was no exception – the London/Great Britain themed prints were selling like hot cakes and I immediately fell for the map print in the photo above.  OK, I thought, perhaps it would be a challenge to use for a bag because of the folded over top – that really needs a fabric which looks fine both ways up.  But hey, if just used the London print on the outside and lined it with a plain colour, then it’d be fine.  My mind was working overtime as I made choices, decisions there on the spot – the queue was building behind me and if I didn’t buy now, then all might be lost. 

They had two stands there yesterday – one selling mostly the Liberty prints which I love but seldom use.  So, I was merely passing by when I spotted a cushion made from the very same London print I’d just bought.  Aha!  That’s a better use of it – of course, that’s what I’ll do!  I’ll make a couple…no three or four.  I’ll whip them up in no time!

 

 

In the cold light of day, I was a little more sensible in setting my goals.  Maybe I’d make two – and rather than sew in a zip fastening, I’d keep it simple and just slipstitch the covers closed.  But I’d still pipe the edges – that takes no time, does it?  Makes for a far better finish though, I could hear the craft judge in my brain telling me.  whilst in John Lewis yesterday I bought cushion pad and piping cord and this morning, I set to work.

Well, it’s a while since I made a piped cushion cover, so I soon realised that I’d forgotten how very wide one needs to cut the bias strips for the piping.  (I cut the second lot much wider, I can tell you)  I’d forgotten how tricky it is to manage the corners (and one has only four attempts to get it right….) and finally, I’d completely forgotten how to manage the join in the piping (like remembering to join it anywhere but in the corner, where the join ended up on this cushion).

So you won’t look too closely at this cushion, will you?  It’s a decorative item you see, functional but not up to competition or assessment standard!

 

 

I’d say my construction standards broadly match that of the printed spelling, wouldn’t you?