Shabby ‘faux’ patchwork

Patchwork is so perfect for the shabby, cottage look…

But it can be quite time consuming to make…

And what if you can’t sew!

 

Well, I’m going to share with you a secret way to get this gorgeous look without all the hard work.

I call it ‘faux’ patchwork.

And for this project I’m using this amazing Tanya Whelan Rosey fabric in pink, aqua and mint that I got from my friends at Shabby Fabrics.

Isn’t it shabbiliciously gorgeous!

Here’s what you’ll need to make a shabby faux patchwork cushion:

A cushion insert,

Fabric for the front and back of cushion cover (I used a plain white cotton for the front panel and a piece of the Rosey pink for the back).

Visoflex,

Various matching fabrics – see note,

A vintage doily for the front of the cushion,

Sewing machine and usual sewing supplies.

Note – You can view coordinating fabrics in collections at Shabby Fabrics, which makes choosing fabrics much easier.

Don’t worry if you only have very basic sewing skills… trust me, you’ll be able to pull this off.

Instructions

1. Cut your front and back panel fabrics to fit the size of the cushion insert you have chosen.

I closed my cushion with an envelope opening on the back of my cushion, but you may prefer another method eg zipper, slip stitch closed, ties etc. The size of your panels will be dependent on the method you choose and the size of your cushion.

2. Iron the Visoflex onto the back of a selection of the fabrics you have chosen. I made a 5 cm x 5 cm square template from cardboard, which I used to trace squares onto the Visoflex backing. Cut out enough squares to cover your front panel.

3. Using an iron set to no steam, iron the Visoflex backed squares randomly onto the front panel. (see above photo)

4. It’s already looking like patchwork, but to fix the squares permanently so they don’t fray or lift, you will need to sew down the edges with a sewing machine. I set my machine to a decorative blanket stitch and simply stitched up and down the rows of square patches.

5. I wanted a little something extra on the front of my cushion, so I used a vintage doily from my stash. I started by ironing a fusible interfacing to the back of my doily to stabilize it.

I sketched my chosen saying onto the doily and embroided it with DMC cotton in a colour that matched my fabric.

When it was finished, I hand stitched it to the front of my patchwork panel with a running stitch.

7. Finally, I stitched my front and back panels together and inserted my cushion insert.

So there you have it…

A pretty patchwork cushion that was whipped up in just a day.

You could use this ‘faux’ patchwork method for a great many smaller projects… so don’t tell anyone our little secret.

 

If you are looking for some pretty cottage style fabrics, I can highly recommend the online business Shabby Fabrics.

I found their store so easy to navigate, ordering was straightforward and the best part…. it didn’t matter that I was an international customer, my fabric arrived safely within a week.

Visit them at ~ http://www.shabbyfabrics.com/

Disclaimer: Shabby Fabrics have provided me with pretty fabrics to design with, but I was not paid to promote them. I actually do love their store.

 

Happy crafting
♥
Kerryanne

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