By Stephie, on Wednesday 14th July, 2010 at 00:57 am
Part 2 – the design
Making design decisions for something as simple as a cushion cover sounds a bit pretentious, like I’m giving it far more weight than it deserves. But if you put as much thought into something like this as you would a larger project it all adds to your visual library, which helps you to be more confident (I prefer the word rigorous, but I don’t want to scare you off!) in the decisions you make.
 Getting the measure of the motif - it's big! The process has to start somewhere though and in this case it started with the size of the motif in the vintage fabric. It’s pretty large (7″ square) and wouldn’t be very interesting if it was cut up any smaller. So I already knew I could either make a very large cushion to make the square appear smaller, or I could make a smaller cushion with a large square – I plumped for the latter and decided on a 16″ cushion (a size I like). The obvious thing to do would be to have the focal patch in the centre with everything else radiating round it like it was the sun at the centre of the universe. But I didn’t want to do that ‘cos that would be boring and obvious, I thought. So the first thing I decided was that the patch would be offset, sort of floating top-left-ish would be good. So I tried it out. And it was good. I used a couple of strips of masking tape on my cutting map to help me visualise the overall square, then just moved the motif around within it until it felt right. I do a lot of things by feel. I felt like using strips around the motif, bold colours and stripes. Strong was a word that kept coming to mind: is the balance of colour strong enough, is there anything that diminishes the overall strength? Punchy, bold, that’s what I wanted and the best way of getting that was to make sure all the colours are about the same value. They kind of resonate that way. It’s looking good and when it gets to that stage I just want to get on with it, knowing I’ll probably make adjustments along the way.
 Feeling the design From the cutting mat to the sewing machine. I don’t really like sewing machines. Too much fiddling about for my liking, trying to get the bloody tension right, remembering to change the needle and oil the moving parts (no-one oils my moving parts!)… I have this impatience, I like my tools to be simple and direct: a needle and thread, a paintbrush and paper; I want to be responsible for making that mark, that stitch. I want to feel the needle go through the fabric and determine exactly where it comes out. So this next stage is a means to an end: machining the strips together to get a ‘canvas’ that I can make my own, with my own hands. I have a love hate relationship with my 25 year old Jones sewing machine. I love it for what it is: robust, simple, practical (no more or less than what I need) and I hate it because it needs too much coaxing and nurturing. I’m not maternal at the best of times, let alone towards a machine.
 Me and Mrs Jones on a mission. So I go back and forth from the machine to the cutting mat, trimming, adding another strip here, losing one there, getting frustrated because the bobbin’s tangled up, getting excited because it’s coming together well.
 A balanced pair  I take a closer look Come on, come on, I want to stitch, to feel it, to really understand it. At this point you may be thinking I’m losing the plot: it’s only a cushion cover. But it’s not, it’s love. It’s loving it for the sake of it, it’s loving it for the experience, it’s loving it because I can and because when it belongs to someone else they might have a sense of that too.
Ok, you can put me back in the straight jacket now. Back soon.
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Tuesday 8th June, 2010 at 09:35 am
One for the shop, when it’s ready…
 Made from a lambswool and cashmere jumper  With vintage lace and mother of pearl buttons
 And of course, plenty of hand stitching  What do you think, do you like it? Is it something you would buy, and more importantly how much would you pay?! (It was about an hour and 20 mins work if that helps!) I’m wondering if this type of thing has a ceiling that people are prepared to stretch to. It is very sweet and soft – and would make a lovely gift. I think I’ll need to take more accurate photos though, the colour’s not perfect in these, it’s more oatmeal. Really would appreciate any feedback you may have, thank you!!
Right, funny farm today, so I’ll catch you all later – I’ve got some lovely pictures of half-term to show you
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Sunday 18th April, 2010 at 23:31 pm
 I called this one 'Curves', I thought that was original too! Win this lovely cushion cover!
Why aren’t you entering peeps? Don’t you like the prize?  Only 7 people have entered so far, so the odds are pretty good! Oooh, go on, leave a comment on the original post and that’s it, you’ll be in with a chance too. Every one’s welcome to enter wherever you’re from, whether that’s Truro or Falmouth, Tasmania or France. Come on, you haven’t got long!
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Tuesday 13th April, 2010 at 23:58 pm
Yup, it’s only 3 days ’til this blog’s 4th birthday! Which means…you’ve only got 6 days to enter my giveaway to win the hand-quilted cushion cover and a mystery prize. For full details see the previous post, and don’t forget to leave a comment! (There’s even a link to another giveaway on Bearpaw’s blog, you lucky things!)
Hope you’ve been having a good Easter break (I’m presuming that the UK isn’t the only country on Earth that has a school break at this time of year?). The weather’s been amazing here, full on sunshine for days. There’s nothing better to lift the spirits is there? Well, ok there probably is, but at least the sunshine’s free! Righto peeps, catch you later
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Monday 29th March, 2010 at 23:42 pm
I did say I had a few things to show you! Being away for a couple of weeks makes me want to run full pelt at the catch-up and bombard you with all the things I’ve been up to. The more savvy blogger, on the other hand, would realise they had a good couple of week’s worth of posts and would spread them out slowly and generously, giving you time to digest them and wait with baited breath for the next one. They would also realise that if nothing exciting were to happen in the coming week or so they would still have something interesting to post. Not me. Oh, no. I’m just in one of those ‘rip all the presents open in one go’ kind of moods, hope that’s ok with you? You don’t really mind do you? Go on, say it’s ok, because I really want to show you this cushion I made from the scraps from the Saffron Field quilt. I think I like it!
I called this one 'Curves', I thought that was original. I machine pieced the patchwork and then rather randomly hand quilted it. Most of the fabrics on the front are Amy Butler, but the brown is from Moda. The bright orange margin and back are Kaffe Fassett; anyone would think I didn’t like fabrics from any other designers. But, this is not true
 It's a striking fabric this one isn't it? I love the colour, it makes me think of all things warm and fuzzy. It’s a pity this colourway doesn’t match any of the furnishings I have at home. (My home is such a coordinated haven. NOT.) I think I may put it aside for sale in a possible Etsy shop I may one day bring into being. I’m seriously thinking about it. Along with thinking about the possible allotment. And the possible Liberty quilt I want to make next. And, and, and! I should probably stop now shouldn’t I? You can wait for the post on drawings can’t you? A day or two at least. Well, ok, tomorrow then if you insist!
Night night for now
Stephie x
By Stephie, on Monday 29th March, 2010 at 00:37 am
Well, yes, hello from me I may have had the Mac back for a couple of days, but those couple of days have been a bit fraught; connecting to the internet has been at best intermittent. But after another trip to the Mac shop and a call to BT I think I’m finally sorted. Apart from putting everything back in place that’s disappeared since the demise of the unbacked-up hard-drive that is, *groans loudly*.
It feels like I’ve been away forever. It’s hard to actually remember what life was like before we had personal computers, but I know I had one (a life, that is). I wonder what it was I filled my days with? Probably that making art business, or maybe even reading. So, two weeks without a computer and what have I got to show for it? Well at least a few things worth sharing with you, I think! I thought I’d use this first post to show you the finished lap quilt I was working on, before every thing Mac went tits-up (what a wonderful phrase that is, it does make me smile). It’s in an exhibition at the moment at Art House 2 near Portsmouth, so if you’re in the area pop in and have a look!
 I called it Saffron Field because the colours have a warm spicy feel, but next to the daffodils I think Spring Field would have worked just as well!  Picnic anyone?!  Stringy detail! You can see some of the hand quilting too.  OMG - now what's going on?! It's upside down Did I speak too soon or something? I thought all my internet/Mac problems were over. But as is obvious from the image above, I was wrong! Oh so wrong… Why oh why is WordPress uploading my images any which way IT likes and not the way I tell it to? All I want is for my pictures to be the RIGHT WAY UP – is this too much to ask? Apparently. I’m running out of ideas now – I’ve tried turning them up the other way in iPhoto and loading them, hoping they’ll come out the right way up, but no they still come out upside down. All I can suggest now is that you turn your monitor upside down. I may well be about to throw mine out of the window.
I’m so sorry; I’m sure you can detect my frustration and irritability. I wanted to come back here with a colourful, jolly post (well as jolly as I can be!) and here I am growling. Maybe I should head off to bed and hope that the world is the right way up when I wake up in the morning – do you think that might work? Pigs might fly I guess!
I hope your weekend has been a bit less frustrating? Have you been up to anything fun? I went for a lovely walk along the cliffs with Kim yesterday and I even had some photos to show you, but I think I’ll save that for now! I had planned to go for a run today, just three miles, and do a bit of gardening, but it’s been raining so heavily I couldn’t bear to go out. Deluge is an understatement. My wee bit of lawn will be a swamp; I expect to see alligators in the morning. I did manage a trip to the garden centre though and bought a few packets of annual seeds: pansies; violas; petunias; stock; godetia and some cupid’s dart (a perennial that apparently flowers in it’s first year). They should add some colour to my pots and flower beds this summer. I don’t know about you, but planting seeds always makes me think positive thoughts about the future, I guess it’s the anticipation of colour and warmth! Notice I didn’t say sun? This is Cornwall: we can’t guarantee sun here but we can definitely guarantee rain!
Well my lovelies, I think I really will head off now and leave the problems for tomorrow. I hope you had a good weekend and look forward to catching up with you soon.
love Stephie x
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I'm running a 28 mile marathon in memory of Josie this February. Come and find out why.
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