SODALICIOUS CUSHION

Gather your supplies

• 60cm solid gray fabric (cushion side and back)

• 45 x 55cm pieces each of solid white (pillow front) and aquaprint patchwork fabric (appliqué)

• 23 x 55cm piece solid black patchwork fabric (appliqué)

• Lightweight fusible web

• General sewing supplies

• 35cm zipper in grey

• 137cm jumbo rick rack in grey

• 40cm round cushion insert

For you to note

• Measurements include 6mm seam allowances.

• Sew with right sides together, unless it’s otherwise stated.

• Use 100% co‰on fabric.

Cut the fabrics as follows From gray fabric:

• Two 6 x 106cm strips

• Two 25 x 40cm rectangles From white fabric:

• One 38cm circle

Here’s how

STEP 1 Trace 2 crescents, the le ering and underline (Diagram, page 177) onto paper side of fusible web and roughly cut around each piece. With fusible side down, press crescent shapes onto wrong side of aqua print fabric, and the le ering and underline onto the wrong side of the solid black fabric, then cut out shapes. Peel off paper backings from fusible web.

STEP 2 Referring to picture (below right), position aqua print crescent shapes at top and bo om of solid white circle, and the solid black le ering and the underline in the centre between the crescent shapes, leaving a 19mm border of white space all around; press all shapes. Using gray sewing thread, blanket stitch around crescent shapes. Using black sewing thread, blanket stitch around the le ering and the underline.

STEP 3 With right sides together, sew solid gray 25 x 40cm rectangles together along 40cm edges (Diagram 1, right); press seam open.

STEP 4 Centre zipper on stitched seam (Diagram 2, right); pin in place.

STEP 5 Using a zipper foot a achment, sew along each side of zipper. Turn fabric over. Use a seam ripper to open seam so zipper can open freely. Topstitch across top and bo om of the zipper (Diagram 3, right).

STEP 6 Mark a 38cm diameter circle on grey fabric with centre zipper, then cut out (Diagram 3).

Finish the cushion

STEP 7 Join 6 x 106cm grey strips to make one long side strip.

STEP 8 With raw edges aligned and right sides together, pin one long edge of grey side strip to cushion back (Diagram 4, below right). Mark where the ends meet with a 6mm seam allowance, cut off excess and stitch ends together. Sew strip to cushion back. STEP 9 Centre jumbo rick rack around cushion top edge, overlapping ends; pin in place toward cushion edge (Diagram 5, below).

Trim rick rack flush with cushion top edge; zigzag stitch the cut edge to prevent fraying.

STEP 10 Open zipper about 10cm. With right sides together and zipper opening at top of cushion, sew cushion front to side. Turn through open zipper. Press rick rack edge away from cushion front. Open zipper completely, and add cushion insert. Zip closed.

For you to note

You’ll need three identical straws per pennant.

hocmwr

STEP 1 Cut following paper straw set using identical straws. Repeat for desired number of pennants:

• 1 x 9cm segment

• 2 x 7.5cm segments

• 2 x 6cm segments

• 2 x 5cm segments

• 2 x 4cm segments

STEP 2 Use a sewing needle to poke a hole through each straw

about 2cm from one end. Thread tapestry needle with 6 strands of co on at desired length of garland. String 9 straw segments of one set onto co on, working from smallest to largest and then back to smallest to make a pennant.

STEP 3 Cut a 2.5cm straw segment and thread onto co on. Repeat Step 2 for each pennant, with a 2.5cm straw segment between each set for spacing.

STEP 1 Cut two 9 x 30cm strips from cardstock. Cut a 23 x 36cm rectangle from tissue paper.

STEP 2 Fold short edges of tissue-paper rectangle in 4cm (Diagram 1, below le•).

STEP 3 Fold tissue paper rectangle in half lengthways with short folded edges inside.

STEP 4 Fold 3cm wide accordion folds on each side of the centre fold (Diagram 2, below le•).

STEP 5 Lay out 1 cardstock strip wrong side up. Centre tissue paper on top, aligning top of accordion folds with the top of cardstock strip. Glue bo€om tissue-paper flap to the cardstock (Diagram 3, below le•).

STEP 6 Place the second cardstock strip, wrong side up, above the firsctmsrtrnipum. Pull the top tissue-paper flap over to the sedciaogrnamd cardstock strip, aligning with the base. Glue the flap to cardstock (Diagram 4, below le•).

STEP 7 Place cardstock strips with wrong sides together so tissue-paper folds are sandwiched in between. Glue the short ends together, leaving the tissue-paper folds free. 2 x 410g packets vanilla

cupcake mix

2 x 85g packets jelly in two flavours (try lime, strawberry, raspberry, orange or creaming soda) / cup boiling water / cup lemon-lime so drink, ginger ale or cold water 2 Tbsp milk

170g cream cheese,

so ened

115g unsalted buƒer,

so ened

6-7 cups icing sugar Drinking straws, cut

into 7cm pieces

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180 C fan-forced (200 C conventional). Line a 24-hole muffin tray with paper cases.

STEP 2 Prepare cake mix according to packet instructions. Add ba€er to paper cases until two-thirds full. (Don’t overfill, as it will be easier to spoon jelly mixture over cupcakes if they’re not domed.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in tray on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

STEP 3 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve half of 1 packet of jelly (about 3 tablespoons) in half of the boiling water. In a separate small bowl, repeat with second flavour of jelly and remaining boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes. (Reserve remaining jelly crystals from each packet for frosting in Step 5.) Slowly pour ’/” cup so• drink into each bowl and stir gently.

STEP 4 While cupcakes are still in pan, poke each one a few times with a fork. Generously but carefully spoon or brush one of the warm jelly mixtures over

12 of the cupcakes, and the other jelly mixture over the remaining cupcakes. Repeat, if necessary, to ensure cupcakes are well saturated with jelly mixture. Discard remaining jelly mixture. Chill cupcakes in paper cases for about 3 hours, or until set.

STEP 5 For the frosting, in 2 small mixing bowls, dissolve each flavour of remaining jelly crystals in 1 tablespoon of the milk. Set bowls aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and bu€er with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in icing sugar to reach piping consistency. Remove about half of the white frosting to a medium bowl and set aside. (That portion will remain white.)

STEP 6 Divide remaining frosting (in the large mixing bowl) between the 2 smaller bowls with the jelly-milk mixtures. Beat each with a spoon to tint the frosting. You will have 2 small bowls of frosting in different colours and 1 medium bowl of white frosting.

STEP 7 Fit 2 piping bags with large open-star decorating tips. To fill each bag, spoon in one coloured frosting and half the white frosting, placing them side by side (not one on top of the other). Pipe two-tone swirls onto tops of cupcakes. Garnish each with a cut drinking straw. Store in an airtight container in fridge.