Chinese lantern cushion

Transcription

1 Chinese lantern cushion Fabric requirements 3 fat quarters printed fabric for the 3 layers of the lantern 1 fat quarter cream/solid for the background 2 pieces 16 x 12 printed fabric - for the cushion back 1 piece 16 x 16 wadding Cutting the lantern pieces - Take your 3 fat quarters of printed fabric and press them. - Choose which one you want to use for the centre of the lantern and cut one piece, from this fabric, using template A. You could do this by pinning the template to the fabric and cutting around the template with scissors. Alternatively you could draw round the template on the wrong side of the fabric and cut it out. - Choose which one you want to use for the inner ring and cut 2 pieces using template B - Cut 2 pieces from the final fabric using template C. - Take the fat quarter of background fabric, press, and cut 2 pieces using template D. Piecing the lantern - Take one B piece and carefully clip the inside of the curve only. Make the cuts approx. ½ apart and just under ¼ long. See figure 1. These cuts will give you the leverage to pin the curved seam accurately.

2 Figure 1 - Take the centre (A) piece and pin the prepared B piece in place around the edge. See figure 2 - Start by adding one pin at one end. Continue to add pins approx. ½ ¾ apart. Ease the edge of the B piece to match the curve of the centre (A) piece. You may need to remove a few pins and readjust as you go to make sure it is pinned evenly and the ends match. Figure 2 Close up of pinning - Sew together, using ¼ seam, removing the pins as you go. - Press, allowing the seam to sit comfortably toward the B piece. - Add the next B piece in the same way. See figure 3

3 Figure 3 - Continue in the same way to add the outer layer and the background pieces. Completing the cushion top - Trim the top and bottom of the lantern panel to ensure the edges are straight. There should be ¼ between the edge of the panel and the tip of the lantern centre. You may find the inner and outer rings have ended up a little longer than this so just trim the excess. - Cut two pieces 16 x 2 ¼ from the remaining background fabric - Sew these to the top and bottom of the lantern panel using ¼ seam. Press seams away from the lantern tips. Quilting the cushion top - Place the completed cushion top face up on top of the wadding and pin in place around the outside. Quilt the cushion top with a spiral design covering the whole cushion top. Note: you could choose an alternative design depending on your preference and quilting ability. You could choose straight lines or quilt following the lines of the lantern pieces. The more quilting you do the more texture the cushion top will have. - Square the completed cushion top up to a neat 16 x 16 Preparing the cushion back - Take the first of the cushion back pieces. Fold over one of the long ( 16 ) edges ¼ to the wrong side. Press the fold. - Fold over again, this time an inch, and press again. - Stich a line 1/8 from the first fold so secure the hem. - Repeat this for the second cushion back piece. Complete the cushion

4 - Take the cushion front and lay it face up on a flat surface. - Take the first cushion back piece and lay it face down on top of the cushion front. Line up the raw edges on the 3 sides with the hemmed edge across the middle of the cushion. - Take the 2 nd cushion back piece and place it in the same way on the opposite side of the cushion front. - Pin around the edges - Sew together all the way around the edge of the cushion. - Turn the cushion right sides out through the gaps of the cushion back pieces. Adjust with your fingertips so the corners and edges of the cushion sit neatly. - Press and sew around the cushion, a final time, ¼ from the edge. This will give the edges of the cushion strength to hold the shape and give the appearance of a piped finish. - To bring out the texture of the quilting wash the cushion before stuffing it. Applique instructions for a beginner If you would like to avoid sewing the cushion with curved seams or you are new to sewing, you could make it using applique. To do this start with a background piece 16 x 12 and discard the D template. Attach all the other lantern pieces to this using bondaweb or a similar iron on adhesive. Start with the centre (A) piece and attach it centrally to the background. Remove the ¼ seam allowance from the inside curve of B and C pieces and attach them, in order, after the centre piece. Overlap the pieces by ¼ as you go. Secure the edges of the lantern pieces with applique/blanket stitching. Add pieces 16 x 2 ¼ to the top and bottom of the lantern as instructed above and complete the rest of the cushion in the same way.

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