Flower trilogy

It certainly feels like spring is here - I have a scattering of snowdrops in my front garden, some delightful miniature daffodils in the back garden and the mornings and evenings are getting lighter.

So as I've been busy preparing for the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC, this weekend, a project with flowers seemed to be the obvious choice, and I have to admit that this project keeps growing!

It started with coasters, which we will be making in workshops at the show, and then I thought it would be nice to show another project using the same die - and that has now turned into 3 cushions embellished with the same flower but each slightly different...... and then I thought about napkin rings, table runners, bag embellishments .....so I've stopped. There are 3 cushions, and the idea now that you could make lots of different things just using one die - the only limit is your imagination or time!

We have lots of different flower dies but for these projects I have chosen this slightly irregular flower

http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659961/sizzix-bigz-die-flower-5

 

and I used it with the lovely new Big Shot Plus ( not because I needed to but because I just love this new size machine!!) http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray

 

 

This is the first cushion - with the flowers scattered randomly - some with leaves but most without.

 

I chose to stitch around the flower petals and centres on this, and the leaves I just stitched down the centre -

 

On my second cushion I decided to arrange the flowers more formally into a wreath -

 



 and I just stitched the flower centres in place so that there is a slight 3D effect -

which made me think that it would be nice to create more of a 3D effect so that led to this cushion -

Each flower uses 5 cut flowers. Fold 4 of the flowers into quarters and stitch to keep in place -

and then stitch the 4 flowers together onto a base flower -

and then add a centre -

or -

Make as many as you like (I made 3) and then stitch them onto a cushion cover -

So this trilogy of flower cushions make me smile, and think about eating out on the patio - which made me think about a table runner with flowers scattered along it. The 3D flowers would make a nice embellishment for napkin rings, and you could add a name tag to each one for easy setting planning.

If you cut the flowers out of voile you could scatter them on tables for parties or weddings.

They could also be used to decorate a plain bag for a special occasion.

Think I'm getting carried away here - so perhaps I should stop here and get some more work done on those overdue baby quilts.

Whatever your weekend holds I hope you'll find some time to sew, or perhaps come and see me at the NEC in the Sewing for Pleasure show.

Angela