TROPICAL POP

Hand appliqué a handful of luscious leaves onto a pair of simple colour-block cushions, topped off with some textural quilting

NOTES

■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.

■ Press seams to the darker fabric side, unless otherwise stated.

■ RST = right sides together.

■ Templates include seam allowances.

■ For templates, see p87.

FABRICS USED

Kona Cotton Solids in Carnation Pink, Mint, Iron and Emerald by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

CUTTING OUT

1

From each of the grey and light green fabrics cut:

■ One (1) 19½in square. Cut along the diagonal to make two triangles. You will only use one triangle of each colour.

2

From the backing fabric cut:

■ Two (2) 19in x 15in rectangles.

PREPARING THE APPLIQUÉ

3

Cut out your Large Monstera Leaf template and pin to the wrong side of the dark green fabric. Draw around it using a removable fabric marker.

4

Cut out the leaf, adding an approximate ¼in seam allowance around the outer edge.

5

Cut slots for the holes inside the leaf, making sure to leave at least ¼in seam allowance from the drawn line. 6

Finger press under the seam allowance, along the drawn line. You may want to cut notches in the seam allowance along curves to make the edge smooth.

ASSEMBLING THE CUSHION FRONT

7

Place your two triangles RST. Sew along the diagonal edge, taking care not to stretch the edges. Press the seam open to make the cushion background.

8

Arrange your prepared leaf on top of the cushion background and secure in place with a few dabs of appliqué glue or pins.

9

With a knotted thread, bring your needle up from the back through the leaf on the drawn line.

PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS WITH THE LARGE LEAF DESIGN, THEN TRY THE SMALLER VERSION

10

Use your needle to turn under a small portion of the seam allowance. Insert your needle into the background fabric, directly across from where it came up. Let the needle travel about ¼in and come up through a few threads of the turned seam allowance.

11

Repeat the last step, working around the outer edge of the leaf (Fig A). When you come to a point, stitch right up to it, and sew an extra stitch at the very tip, before continuing on (Fig B).

12

Once the outer edge is complete, go back and finish the holes in the centre. Cut notches around the seam allowance and appliqué as before.

QUILTING AND FINISHING

13

Layer your lining fabric, batting, and cushion top and make a quilt sandwich. Baste and quilt as desired. Collette added textural quilting to the leaves in emerald green thread. Then she added straight line quilting in each background triangle.

14

Square up your cushion top, trimming away excess batting and backing.

15

Press under ¼in of fabric along one long edge of a 19in x 15in backing rectangle. Repeat to create a double fold hem and topstitch in place. Repeat with the remaining backing rectangle.

16

With your cushion right side up, layer one backing rectangle right side down, aligning raw edges at the top and sides. Repeat with the second rectangle, aligning raw edges at the bottom and sides. The hemmed edges will overlap in the centre.

17

Sew around the outer edge of the cushion using a ½in seam allowance. Turn right side out and press to finish.

CUTTING OUT

1

From each of the grey and pink fabrics cut:

■ One (1) 19 in square. Cut along the diagonal to make two triangles. You will only use one triangle of each colour.

2

From the backing fabric cut:

■ Two (2) 19in x 15in rectangles.

MAKING THE CUSHION

3

Follow steps 3– 4 and 6 of the Large Leaf Cushion to prepare the appliqué shapes, using each of your leaf templates.

4

Follow steps 7–11 to attach the leaves and step 13–17 of the Large Leaf Cushion to finish – quilting as desired.

CONTRAST THE SOFT CURVES OF YOUR LEAVES WITH CRISP STRAIGHT-LINE QUILTING