Mini motifs
A cosy cushion with embroidered detail
YOU WILL NEED
■ Sewing machine
■ Linen fabric: one fat
quarter
■ Floral prints: 16
3 ½ x1 ½ in rectangles
■ Black floral print: ¹ / # yd
■ Letter print: ¼ yd
■ Binding fabric: % / # yd
■ Assorted fabric scraps
for appliqué
■ Cushion back fabric: ¾ yd ■ Backing fabric: 20in square ■ Batting: 20in square
■ Air or water soluble pen
■ Thread for embroidery
■ Thread for topstitching
NOTES
■ Turn to p158- 159 for templates
■ Seam allowances are ¼ in,
unless otherwise noted
■ RST = right sides together
■ WOF = width of fabric
■ WST = wrong sides together
■ We recommend using embroidery backing paper when sewing the designs onto the linen Mini machine embroidered motifs look great together and Minki Kim’s set of hand drawn designs are perfect for this cushion! If you’re not so confident with making the complete cushion, just make the front panel and sew it to a ready- made one! Once you’re comfortbale with the machine embroidery technique, why not try drawing your own designs?
CUTTING OUT
Step one From the linen fabric cut: ■ One 12 ½ in square
Step two From the floral prints cut: ■ 16 3 ½ x1 ½ in rectangles
Step three From the black floral print cut: ■ One 1x12 ½ in strip
■ Two 1x13in strips
■ One 1x13 ½ in strip
Step four From the letter print cut: ■ Four 3x16in strips
Step five From the binding fabric cut: ■ Two 2 ½ inxWOF strips
Step six From the cushion back fabric cut ■ Two 18 ½ x22in rectangles
MAKING THE EMBROIDERY DESIGNS
Step one Take the linen and mark a 10 ½ in square on the right side. Make sure the marked square is centred – you should have a 1in border all around. Divide the marked square into a three- by- three grid of 3 ½ in squares.
Step two Using the corresponding templates, trace the designs into the centre of each of the marked squares. 1
Step three From your assorted fabric scraps, cut out accent shapes for each design as required and glue them in place. 2
Step four Thread your sewing machine with neutral thread and set the stitch length shorter than usual. Minki recommends changing to an open- toe appliqué foot. Secure the fabric accent shapes to the background by stitching approx ¹ / # in inside the edge of each piece. Change to dark thread and stitch around each fabric accent shape, very close to the edge, to create an outline . Not all the shapes need to be filled in with fabric. 3
Step five When you have finished all the designs, trim the linen to 10 ½ in square, making sure you keep the designs centred. 4
FINISHING THE CUSHION FRONT
Step one Take the 3 ½ x1 ½ in floral print rectangles together end- to- end with straight seams to make one long strip. Press the seams open.
Step two Join the floral strip to one edge of the linen square. With the square right side up, place the strip RST along the bottom edge, matching up the long raw edges of the strip and the square, and the top short end of the strip with the right- hand raw edge of the square.
Sew in place and then trim the strip level with the left- hand edge of the square. Flip the strip open and press the seam outwards.
Step three Repeat step two to add a floral strip to each of the remaining sides, working in either a clockwise or an anticlockwise direction. The panel should now measure 12 in square. 6
Step four Repeat step two to add the black floral print strips to the panel in either a clockwise or an anticlockwise direction. Start by adding the 1x12 in strip, then the 1x13in strips and finally the 1x13 in strip. The panel should now measure 13 in square.
Step five Take the letter print border strips. With the panel right side up, place the first strip on the right- hand side of the square, RST and matching up the long raw edges of the strip and the panel and the top short end of the strip with the top raw edge of the panel. Sew a partial seam from the midpoint of long raw edge to the top edge of the panel, backstitching at the start to secure the seam. 7 Flip the strip open and press the seam outwards.
Step six Take the second letter print strip and, working in the same way, join it to the top edge of the square, this time sewing along full length of the seam. 8
Step seven Continue working in the same way to add a strip to the left- hand edge of the panel.
9 Repeat to add a strip to the bottom edge of the panel. 10 Once the bottom strip has been added you can complete the partial seam of the first strip. 11 The panel should now measure 18 in square.
QUILTING AND FINISHING
Step one Right side up, baste the cushion top centrally to the batting and backing using your preferred method.
Step two Quilt as desired. Minki used dark grey thread to hand quilt the linen square, stitching around the grid of 3 ½ in squares and just inside the seam of the floral print border. She also used neutral thread to machine quilt straight lines around the borders of the cushion.
Step three Trim off any excess batting and trim the cushion front to 18 ½ in square.
Step four Take the two 18 ½ x22in cushion back rectangles and, WST, fold each one in half to give two 18 ½ x11in rectangles. Press.
Step five Place the quilted cushion top right side down. Matching up the raw edges place one cushion back piece on top. The folded edge will run across the centre of the cushion. Place the second cushion back piece on top in the same way. The folded edges will overlap. Pin or clip all around. Stitching through all of the layers, machine baste all around the perimeter, stitching approx "/ # in from the edge.
Step six Join the binding strips together end- to- end using a diagonal seam. Press the seam open and trim away the dog ears. Fold in half lengthwise, WST, and press.
Step seven Sew the binding to the right side of the quilt using a $ / # in seam allowance, folding a mitre at each corner. Fold the binding over to the back of the cushion and then hand stitch in place to finish.