Free Woven Cushion Tutorial - Take the Fat Quarter Design Challenge!

by Bethany Armitage

Inside every issue of this months Love Sewing, youll find a free fat quarter of exclusive Swallow Song fabric in a choice of three colours: yellow, grey and pink. Here, Ashley Cramp, aka sewing blogger Lazy Daisy Jones shows us what she made with hers: a strip woven cushion cover. What will you make with yours? Let us know at letters@lovesewingmag.com

Materials:

  • 1 fat quarter Swallow Song
  • contrasting fabric (amount depends on cushion pad size)
  • cushion pad
  • 2 buttons
  • thread
  • pins
  • scissors
  • loop turner (optional)
  • Note: Seam allowance is 1.5cms throughout, unless stated otherwise.

How to make the cushion cover:

To make the cushion front piece:

Measure your cushion pad and add 5cms to the dimensions. Using your contrast fabric, cut out this square. Cut the square into two long strips and two shorter strips, leaving a centre square where the woven strips will be sewn. I cut my strips into 9cms widths, but yours will depend on the size of the cushion pad. Put these pieces aside

Cut two squares from your fat quarter that measure 1cm larger than your centre square. Cut each square into four equal strips by folding in half and in half again. Cut two more squares to the same measurements from your contrast fabric and cut them into equal strips as before. You should now have eight strips of fat quarter and eight strips of contrast fabric.

With right sides together, sew down the length of each strip, turn to the right side and press flat with the seams at the centre back. This is where a loop turner can be useful.

Arrange your contrast fabric strips equally side by side on the right side of your centre square. Take the short outer strip and lay it right side down, sandwiching the strips between it and the square. Pin and sew in place. Do the same for the other side. Open out and press the seams towards the outer edge. If you like, top-stitch using a contrasting thread.

Weave your remaining fat quarter strips between your contrast strips

With right sides facing, lay your remaining outer strips of contrast fabric over both your woven strips and the shorter end pieces, matching the edges. Pin and sew in place for both sides. Open out as before, press and top-stitch if preferred. Trim the edges if the shape needs squaring up.

To make the cushion back piece:

From your contrast fabric, cut two rectangles to match the cushion dimensions, but overlap them by at least 10-15cms. These pieces will form a simple envelope back. From your fat quarter, cut a strip the same length as your cushion and approximately 8cm wide. Cut two smaller, thinner strips to make two rouleau loops. The size will depend on the button size.

On one contrast rectangle piece, turn under a narrow hem, sew and press. Make two rouleau loops by sewing two small strips right side together and then turning out to the right side. With the remaining contrast rectangle wrong side up, place the rouleau loops in a central position, lay the fat quarter strip right side down, sandwiching the loops inside as shown, then pin, sew and press. Turn under the fat quarter edge and press to the right side. Sew in position on the right side.

Sewing together:

Lay the front piece right side up. With right sides facing, lay the piece with the loops on down on top, matching the edges. Lay the final piece right side down on the opposite edge. Pin and sew all around the edges. Clip the corners, open out and press. Sew on buttons.