Cushion Upcycle

A while ago, mum gave me a cushion cover. It has a cute printed owl wearing a bowtie on the front. The fabric is quite sturdy, like a canvas, so it will make a great bag :)

 

 

After unpicking the cushion, I needed to decide what to do with the back. As a cushion, it had an envelope opening at the back with large buttons and buttonholes as closures. I originally was just going to stitch the pieces together and leave the buttons there for decoration. After unpicking, I decided that I would make it into a pocket...… more on that later.....

 



 

I had a plan - add a side wall. I auditioned a couple of different fabrics, but thought the stars would be the best match for the stripes:

 

 

 

 

I then cut the strips to fit the sides, and added some curtain lining to give it some oomph. The fabric itself was quite light, so it needed some extra strength to match the heavier canvas type fabric of the owl. I also ran a row of stitching down the sides to hold fabric and backing together.

 

Stitch each side to the front and back (minus the seam allowance), then the corners can be stitched.

 

Straps added under a facing, turn it out, and job done!

Finished size approx. 53cm x 53cm excluding the straps

 

 

 

Note the rear pocket :) I used the original lower piece and buttons, and made a feature out of some blue cord. Not as successful, but made it interesting..... 

Post Christmas stuff...

Now that Christmas is over for another year, it's time to do some housekeeping - finish some things, clear up my craft table, etc - and first on the list was the book covers (only because they were on top of the pile!)

I had originally bought a pack of 5, with two still to be done. While cleaning up, I found a remnant I bought with skulls on it. Why not cut a skull from the skull fabric? Oh, the irony! 

Found a scrap of red, which was either a low pile velvet or brushed something-or-other for upholstery? Anyway, the eyes and nose needed enhancing, so tried with black and it was ok, but tried with some silver, and it was heaps better ;) And a little yellow flower for a feminine touch....

The other is some scraps that I cobbled together with some train fabric and curtain scraps. I stitched them onto a base but miscalculated the height, so when I top stitched around it, it was too tight. Guess who had to unpick it?? Not fun! Anyway, it turned out OK in the end.....

This time I put some elastic from the back to act as a strap to hold the book together when it was closed. Worked out great, but only if the design doesn't go too close to the front edge.

So, what to do next? Whatever it is, I need to make some room, first! The table has far too much stuff on it to do ANYTHING right now...... ;)