Coming home to soft centred country!


Gather your supplies
Floral cotton print; contrast fabric for backing; matching sewing thread; 4 medium-sized buttons; jute string; cushion insert

Here's how
1. Decide the finished size of your cushion cover. For the front of the cover, cut a rectangle of floral fabric 2crn wider and 6cm longer than the finished size. From the contrast backing fabric, cut a rectangle 2cm wider and 14cm longer than the finished size.

2. On the floral rectangle, press under 1 cm on one shorter edge, then press under another 4cm and stitch the hem in place. On the backing rectangle, press under 1 cm on one shorter edge, then press under another 1 cm and stitch the hem in place.

3. With right sides together and raw edges matching, stitch front to back along the remaining shorter edge, allowing a 1cm seam. (The hemmed edge of the backing will extend above the hemmed edge of the front. This extending section becomes the cover's flap).

4. Before stitching the sides of the cover together, fold the extending flap back over the hemmed edge of the front of the cover, so that the right side of the flap is now facing the wrong side of the front. Pin and stitch the side seams, stitching through all the layers at the top edge of each side. Turn the cover right side out. folding the flap back to the inside.

5. Place cushion insert inside cover and ascertain position of fastenings. Stitch two buttons to the front edge and two buttons to the flap to correspond. Loop jute string around the button pairs and tie in a bow to secure.



Source: Better Homes and Gardens August 2004