Designing  Cushion Covers

This post shows you a simple way to design your own cushion covers.  Using white fabric with rag flowers, vintage doilies and crochet is a really pretty way to add a soft touch to your decor. These cushions make nice gifts as well,  I have been asked to make some for friends and they are always appreciated.  They don’t take nearly as long as you would think they do.  Better yet they are inexpensive to make.

This cushion starts with making our own envelope cushion cover and then adding embellishments.

How to Make a Cushion Cover

Supplies

You will need about 2 metres of fabric depending on the width

White size 10 crochet cotton,  large needle at 1.5mm crochet hook

3 to 6 white buttons

Scraps of white fabric

Cut the Fabric

This cushion is 20″ square.  Start by cutting three pieces of fabric.

Cut the first piece 21″ by 21 “, this will form the  back of your cushion

Cut two more pieces  21″ by 16″ for the overlapping front

Once cut, seal around the material edges to prevent unraveling you can use either a serger or a zig zag stitch.

Sewing the Cushion Cover

To make the edges for the envelope opening.  Place a  21″ by 16″  piece of the fabric good side DOWN, on the ironing board.  Fold the material over 1/2 inch and press.  Fold the material over again one inch.  Crease with an iron and then sew along the edge.

Repeat with the other piece.

I like to attach the two small pieces and finish the top and bottom seams first.

With the 21″ by 21″ piece of fabric good side UP.  Place the first 21 by 16 ” piece good side DOWN on top with the folded sewn edge towards the bottom.  Sew along the top.

Attach the second piece with the folded edge towards the top.  Sew along the bottom.  This way is a little bit faster as you probably don’t need to pin the pieces together first.  I take a shortcut and just line the edges up as I work my way along the seam.

Lay the fabric back down and pin the two sides in place.

Sew the two side seams.  Fold right side out.

Adding a Crochet Edge

You may prefer to sew bottom lace along the edge of your cushion cover, but if you will try the handmade edge, it doesn’t take long and it’s so worth the time.

You need to start by sewing a blanket stitch along the envelope opening edge so that you have loops to work your crochet into.

How to Sew a Blanket Stitch

Complete a blanket stitch edge,  place stitches 1/4 inch apart along the entire width of the cushion opening.

Knot your thread, starting from the back poke your needle up about 1/4 inch in.   Create a loop around the end, pull the thread back up in the same spot as when you started.  Now pull your thread through the stitch as shown below.

To make the second stitch poke the needle down from the top making sure to loop the thread behind the needle, pull taut. Continue to the end of the row.

Once you have the blanket stitch loops, finish the edge with a really simple and quick crochet edging.  Alternatively, you could stitch on a purchased lace but a handmade crocheted edge is beautiful and not hard to do and this one is very fast to crochet.

Crocheted Cushion Cover Edging

You will need Size 10 Crochet cotton and a size 1.5 mm crochet hook.

1st row –  st st in the first blanket stitch,  Place the crochet thread tail at the back of the cloth and work into you crochet.  Do 2 sc in each blanket stitch loop across, ch1 turn.

2nd row –  1 sc in each stitch across,  ch 1, turn.

3rd row –   sc in first two sc, ch 3, skip 2sc, *sc in next two sc, ch 3, skip 2 sc repeat from * across.  If you end up with extra stitches, fill in with sc.

4th row –  sc, in ch 3 loop, *(sc,hdc,dc.picot,hdc,sc), 2sc,* repeat across. Tie off

How to Make Rag Flowers

These flowers are meant to be a little rough along the edges and shabby chic.  Use some of the fabric from your cushion, or muslin,  old white sheets, any little bits of white fabric you have.

Cut six circles for each flower, so 18 circles in total.

Use anything small and round you have as a pattern, a glass, a cookie cutter, a mason jar lid.  Trace out the circle on paper to make a pattern, then cut out 18 circles.

1 – Put 2 layers aside to form the base of your flowers,

2 – Fold each circle in half and then in half again.  Press flat.

3. You will need four quarters for each flower.

4.  Lay the four quarters point to the center of your flower, and the open fold facing the same way on each quarter.   Attach each one to the base by sewing through the point.

5.  Once all four quarters are attached, cover with a button. Place on the cushion and sew them through both the button and the flower to attach it.  Repeat with the other flowers.

Designing a Cushion Cover

It can be fun to add the embellishments to the plain cushion cover, the crocheted edge can be skipped, you could place several flowers in a straight line.   You can also sew on some extra buttons or vintage crocheted doilies.  Have fun and make it your own.

The little fall basket with ties and leaves will be up on the blog soon, and I love how it looks with the DIY fall decor.

thank you much stopping by and checking out what I am up to.  Have a fabulous week.