I've recently finished the quilt top "Down In The Garden" and had quite a few scraps left over, and decided to put them to good use to make another cushion. Using the "Butterfly Bouquet" stitchery pattern designed by Leanne Beasley, and the left-over embroidery threads from DITG I set to work. This pattern had an iron-on transfer as well as a traceable pattern. I've used this pattern a few times already, (I made a cushion for my mother-in-law and also one for my colleague, Emma, instead of a real bouquet of flowers!), but still managed to get another copy out of the iron-on sheet. This was much quicker than tracing it onto the background fabric...
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...stitching early in the morning is my favourite stitching time, and it's surprising how much I can get done without any of the usual daily distractions. I was able to take this picture once the stitchery was complete in MY garden amongst the sweet peas (I ccould smell them while I was sitting stitching in the conservatory)...
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...appliqued butterflies added the final flourish to this project. Scraps of fabric were then cut and pieced and quilted very simply. I used my favourite white Aurifil thread for this project, a Schmetz Topstitch needle, and a longer than usual stitch length. In no time at all I had a lovely textured piece, ready for the next stage of sewing. Wool wadding was used for this project, and it quilted absolutely beautifully. I used a piece of the feature fabric (Grandmothers Flower Garden by Rosalie Quinlan for Lecien) for the back of the cushion cover, and used a concealed zipper fastening. The cream fabric is left-over curtain lining, and was also used for the stitchery background too...
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...I found a red/white spot fabric in my stash that was just right for the binding, and added one of my labels into the side seam - and hey presto - a new cushion! Here it is tucked among the plants in the garden. This is a present that will last a little while longer than a bouquet of real flowers, and is for someone special who really likes handmade gifts.
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