TECHNIQUE
Mixed
SKILL LEVEL
Moderate
Create in a weekend
YOU WILL NEED

  • Five 15cm squares of lime green fleece fabric
  • Four 15cm squares of floral patterned fleece fabric and a small piece to cut out extra flowers for appliqué
  • Four 7cm x 12cm pieces of check fleece fabric
  • DMC Stranded Cotton in the following colours: 704, 517 and 3806
  • DMC Tapestry Wool colour 7362
  • Sewing cotton
  • A piece of green felt 8cm x 20cm
  • Three orange wooden beads
  • Two yellow pompoms
  • Ironable film
  • 40cm square cushion pad
 
1 Roughly cut out five flower motifs from the floral fleece fabric and a piece of ironable film to fit each one. With the rough side of the ironable film face downwards on the wrong side of the flower, press with a warm iron to stick them together.
 
 
2 Cut out each flower, remove the backing paper and with the film side facing downwards, iron to the right sides of the fleece squares using the picture as a guide. Sew the flowers in place with buttonhole stitch, using two strands of blue, green and pink thread.
 
3 Using the tracing paper, trace three pairs of leaves and cut out in green felt. Pin and tack in place and buttonhole stitch around the edges with two strands of green cotton.
 
 
4 Following the instructions for couching, couch a length of green wool in place for the stems and another length down the centre of each leaf for the veins.
 
5 Finish the flower appliqué by sewing a wooden bead or pom pom in the centre of each flower. Referring to the picture, pin, tack and machine stitch the squares right sides together, taking a 1cm seam.
 
6 With right sides facing, pin, tack and machine stitch the front and back cushion pieces together, taking 1cm seams and leaving a 24cm gap along one edge for turning. Turn to the right side, insert the cushion pad and slipstitch the opening together.
 
7 To make the tassels, cut the 7cm x 12cm lengths of fleece fabric into 8mm wide strips, ending 2cm from the top edge of the fabric. Carefully roll this up tightly to make a tassel. Secure it with a stitch through the top of the tassel and sew one to each corner of the cushion. PC
 
Embroidery Stitches
Couching
1 Bring the wool through at A, lay it along the fabric to make the stem and insert into the fabric again at the end of the stem.
 
2 Holding the wool in place with your thumb, thread your needle with the green stranded cotton, bring it through the fabric at B and insert again at C, making a small straight stitch. Continue to work in this way, leaving an equal space between the stitches. Secure the wool and stranded cotton ends at the back of your work
Buttonhole Stitch
Bring your thread up through the fabric at A, insert at B, slightly to the right and above A and out again at C, directly beneath B and level with A, making sure the thread is underneath the needle. Carry on in this way, making sure the stitches are evenly spaced.

Suppliers
All items can be found in good needlecraft stores.