Stipple Quilted Cover
NEWSLETTER MAY 2010
You know, I've always thought that Liberty fabrics are truly beautiful but I didn't realise until this month that they do quilting fabrics as well. They have released a special fabric range to go with the V and A Quilting Exhibition. Last weekend I was in London and I didn't have time to go to the V and A but I thought I would pop in to the Liberty store. What an experience!
The outside of the building is gorgeous and the inside of the shop is even better: lots of wooden flooring and oak panels and of course lots of lovely, lovely fabric. My eldest son Ben's delightful girlfriend Katy has just had her birthday so I wanted to buy some special fabric to make her a cushion cover. At Liberty they even wrapped my fabric in tissue paper! To see their range, click on the link below:
I decided to make Katy's stipple quilted cushion cover using the Liberty shell fabric from their V and A range and I teamed it up with a sea fabric for the background. The pattern is called flyfoot and can of course be used as a quilt block.
To make an 18" cushion cover you will need eight 4.7/8" squares each of 2 different fabrics cut along the diagonal to make triangles. You will also need 70" of 1.1/2" strip for the border, wadding and backing for the cushion front and 2 panels 18.1/2" by 14" for the cushion back.
With right sides together and using a 1/4"seam, sew a blue triangle to a brown triangle along the long edge to make a square. Repeat with all the triangles to make 16 patchwork squares.
Lay the squares out as shown and sew them together in pairs.
Sew 2 pairs of patchwork squares together across the rows.
Row 1 is on the left,
row 2 on the right.
Row 3 on the left, row 4 on the right.
Then sew all the rows together, working from row 1 down.
Your flyfoot patchwork square should now measure about 16.1/2". In order to frame the pattern and to make it into an 18" cushion cover, sew a 1.1/2" strip of the brown fabric across the top and bottom (16.1/2") and then down each side (18.1/2").
Lay the backing fabric right side down, smooth and lay the wadding on top, then the flyfoot patchwork cover on top of this. I pinned only on the brown fabric and then stipple quilted the blue to showcase the brown. For details on stipple quilting click stipple quilting.
To make the cushion back, fold under and sew a small hem on one of the long edges of each piece of the cushion back fabric. Lay the 1st piece on the front of the stipple quilted cushion panel with right sides together and the bottom edges matched. This will leave about 4" of the cushion panel not covered.
Lay the other piece of cushion back on top with right side down and the top edges matched. This will give you about 5" overlap which will make the envelope to put the cushion pad in when you are finished.
Sew all round the outside of the square, taking care that you are catching all the layers of fabric.
Trim the corners, turn the cushion cover right side out through the envelope opening at the back and insert a cushion pad. Your flyfoot stipple quilted cushion is complete.