Category: Cushions

Stitching up a hoot-tastic owl!
Craft · Cross-Stitch · Cushions · embroidery

Stitching up a hoot-tastic owl!

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As I obviously don’t have enough projects on the go at the moment, I have decided to add another to the list – as a slight excuse it is already started I will just be finishing it off! I do find it hard to just focus on one project, I need the chaos of having a lot to pick from and means when I’m not in the mood for crochet or quilting I can pull out this cross stitch!

This owl cross stitch project I have had my eye on for a while – I have even got the fabric to make it into a cushion when I have finished it! I have made so many cushions for other people I thought it was about time I got around to doing one for myself! I saw this pattern in 365 cross stitch designs volume 2. And just loved the pattern and the colours they have used. I got it started just before Christmas, but it got pushed to the bottom of my cross stitch box as I had a lot of projects I had to get finished for Christmas. Luckily it hasn’t suffered the same fate as my blackwork project and got lost for a few years, as I came across it again the other day while clearing out my box to see how many half finished things I actually had in there, luckily this was the last one, and I decided I need to get it finished!

I have chosen to sew this onto a 28 count Ivory even-weave fabric. I think it’s coming out great, and the colours are brilliant! Can’t wait to get it finished!

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I saved the biggest until last. A cross stitch flowery flurry is ready just in time
Cross-Stitch · Cushions

I saved the biggest until last. A cross stitch flowery flurry is ready just in time

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I had three cross stitch cushions to complete this year for gifts and this final one has taken by far the longest to complete. It was a much bigger pattern than the previous two and had much more detail and I didn’t think it was going to end! But, I have finally managed to get through the mountain of crosses and what seemed to be never-ending backstitching. I was a bit worried that once I had finished all of the crosses, the pattern wasn’t going to stand out very well but the backstitching in the pattern did its job and pulled it all together brilliantly. The pattern is from 365 Cross Stitch Designs (Volume 2)

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Once completed, I created the pillow. I didn’t fabric ‘frame’ the front of the cushion like the previous two as I think the picture itself was enough detail for the front and I didn’t want it to be overshadowed by any fabric colours. I again did a back flap cushion so there I wouldn’t need to fit a zip. I found a red flowery fabric in my stash and used it for the back, which I think complements the colours in the cross stitch really well.

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I cut two pieces for fabric for the back (one for each flap) and made sure I cut them big enough so that I could fold the fabric in half to create each flap. This meant I didn’t have to hem each of them and it also gives the back a bit more strength rather than just having a single thickness of fabric. I then laid them right sides together with the cross-stitch picture, ensuring there was an overlap on the two back flap pieces. Once I had sewn them together I turned it the right way and then pinned a line about 1 inch from the edge the whole way around the cushion. I then sewed along this line the whole way around the cushion. I choose a light blue shade of thread to do this so that it would stand out slightly and it also matched the blue that was used in the circle border of the cross-stitch pattern. This line gives a bit of a border to the cushion without using fabric and I think it finishes the edges off nicely, rather than just having the cushion going straight to the edge.IMG_3680 2

 

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This cushion turned out even better than I had hoped and I’m really pleased with it. It’s a shame I cant keep it for myself!