A super new kit arrived in the post from Poppy Patch just before Christmas - this Jolly Robin cushion, designed by Claire Turpin Design, really was so much fun to make! The kit included all the fabrics to make the cushion front and the binding. This is primarily a machine applique project, and is compatible with a Brother ScanNcut machine. I don't do much machine applique, but I really enjoyed making this as the instructions were really well written. All of the applique templates are already printed full size, in reverse, which made tracing them onto fusible webbing (I used Lite Steam-A-Seam 2) really easy. Once the shapes were traced, they were cut out leaving a quarter inch margin all around the traced lines. For the larger shapes, I then cut inside the line, again by a quarter of an inch. The "outline" shape is then fused onto the wrong side of the fabric, and cut out exactly on the traced line. The paper backing of the fusible webbing is then peeled off and the shape is ready to place on the background fabric - or, if like me you're using an applique mat, the shapes can be layered up on the mat. Using a mat means once the fabrics have been pressed into place with a warm iron, it can be peeled off as one piece once the fabrics have cooled down. The applique piece is then laid onto the background fabric, pressed with a warm iron to fuse it in place (I also used a teflon sheet to prevent any adhesive getting on the iron) and the applique is then ready for stitching...
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...I stitched through ALL the layers - backing fabric, wadding, background of cushion and appliqué pieces - so it was appliquéd and quilted all at the same time. I've used Aurifil 40wt threads in a selection of colours to match the fabrics for all of the machine stitching, and used the same thread in the bobbin as on the top. This did mean there were a few starts and stops with the machine sewing, but I stitched all the "green" pieces first, then the "light brown" pieces, until all the pieces had been stitched into place. I do love a stripey binding, and I was thrilled that this gorgeous stripey fabric was included in this kit...
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...the instructions in the pattern for the zipper insertion is the same as the method that I've been using for several years, with a double layer of fabric for the back of the cushion, which make a very sturdy cushion cover. The zipper fastening is hidden, and having a zipper means the cover can be easily removed if the cover needs to be laundered. The stripey binding really finishes this off a treat - the ladies at Poppy Patch really did work hard to put such a super kit together, and the stripey fabric they use has all the colours of the cushion front in it - red, green, black and blue. The pattern also includes instructions for making the backing without the binding, if you prefer that method. I've added one of my ready-made labels from Woven Labels UK to the back of the cushion too...
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...and here's the completed cushion, ready to be wrapped as a festive giift for my daughter. I hope she loves it as much as I loved making it! This was a great pattern to make, the instructions were so well written, with lots of diagrams to help. The fabrics in the kit itself was super, I especially liked the sparkly fabric for the star!
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