TECHNIQUE
Sewing
SKILL LEVEL
Moderate
Make in a couple of evenings
YOU WILL NEED

  • Two cushions or cushion pads – each 36cm x 36cm (14.5in x 14.5in)
  • Two rectangles of white backing fabric 39cm x 27cm (15.5in x 10.75in) per cushion
  • Narrow pink bias binding – approximately 40cm (16in) per cushion
  • Large buttons – one per cushion
  • Sewing threads in matching colours
  • Sewing machine – optional
  • Needle and pins
  • Rotary cutter and cutting mat – optional
  • Scissors
For the colour squares cushion cover
  • Two squares of flowery retro fabric – with pink/mauve/purple colours 21cm x 21cm
  • One square of purple fabric 21cm x 21cm (8.5in x 8.5in)
  • One square of mauve fabric 21cm x 21cm (8.5in x 8.5in)
For the squares and bands cushion cover
  • Two squares of flowery retro fabric – with pink/mauve/purple colours 21cm x 21cm
  • Three rectangles purple fabric 21cm x 9cm (8.5in x 3.5in)
  • Three rectangles mauve fabric 21cm x 9cm (8.5in x 3.5in)
 
Squares cushion
Making the front panel
 
1 Lay a retro square and a plain square right sides together. Pin along one side. Stitch and trim seams and press towards the plain fabric. Repeat for the other retro and plain squares.
 
2 Place the two joined pieces of fabric right sides together. Make sure that the retro squares face a plain square. Pin along one long edge. Stitch. Trim and press the seam to one side.
 
Hints & Tips:
  • Old fabrics should be washed by hand or on a gentle machine wash cycle with mild detergent. Dry naturally and iron before using.
  • All seams are stitched using a 1.5cm (0.75in) seam allowance. The cushion fronts were stitched using mauve thread, the backs with white thread and the binding with pink thread.
  • You can make further variations by using the flowery retro fabric in the bands.
 
Making up the cover
 
1 Take one of the pieces of backing fabric and pin the bias binding onto the right side of one long edge. Stitch. Fold the binding over and slipstitch in place. Make a narrow hem along one long edge of the other piece of backing fabric.
 
2 Place the cushion front panel right side upwards. Lay the bias-edged backing piece on top of the panel – right side downwards and raw edges matching. Then, add the hemmed backing piece on top – right side downwards and matching the remaining raw edges. The two pieces of backing will overlap in the centre. Pin and tack around all four sides.
 
3 Stitch. Remove the tacking threads, trim seams and clip the corners. Turn the cover the right way out and press. Sew on the button in the centre of the cushion front, being careful not to catch the backing fabric as you sew. Finally, add your cushion or cushion pad and plump up.
 
Top tip: These would also look great as floor cushions. Simply increase the size of the squares and make up the same way, omitting the button at the end.
Square and panel cushion
Making the banded squares
 
1 With right sides together, pin a mauve rectangle to a purple rectangle along one long edge. Stitch. Trim seam and press towards the purple fabric. Then, with right sides together, pin a second purple rectangle along the other long edge of the mauve rectangle. Stitch. Trim seam and press towards the purple fabric.
 
2 Stitch the two mauve rectangles along the long edges of the purple rectangle in the same way. Trim seams and press towards the mauve fabric.
 
3 You can now make up the cushion cover the same way as before. Simply replace the two plain-coloured squares with the two banded ones, and make sure that the bands lie in the same direction when you join them to the retro squares at the start. PC.
 

SUPPLIERS
The retro fabric used in this project was leftover from a dress made in the seventies. If your fabric cupboard doesn’t go back that far, you can look in second-hand/charity shops for suitable items.
 
All other items are available from good needlework stores.