Be Scrappy, Happy.

My friend Mary Oram recently designed a beautiful cushion as part of an Instagram competition and won first prize.  I absolutely LOVED the design when I saw it and offered to pattern test it for her:

Mary's winning competition entry.

The pattern was very easy to make.  I used a mixture of low volume fabrics for the background and a combination of yellow, orange and lime fabrics for the crosses. The circles are cut from felt and I have used some Kaffe Fassett Collective prints in the centre of the felt circles.

The top is pieced and the embellishments are ready to be attached.

I used Perle 8 thread to hand quilt the top and to embellish the felt circles.

A close up of one of the circles.  The Kaffe circle of fabric has been attached to the felt circle using needle turn applique and then I have used a Perle 8 thread to attach the felt circle to the top using a blanket stitch.

I have then hand quilted around the perimeter of the felt circles using a black Perle 8 thread.

Hand quilting around the circles.  I have also hand quilted around the coloured crosses using a Perle 8 thread in matching colours (orange, yellow & lime green).

My completed cushion.

And now my beautiful cushion proudly sits on the futon with my other newly made cushions.  The hexie cushions were recently made using "Comma" by Zen Chic for Moda.  I also have two cushions made using Jodie Carleton's fabrics "Bunny Trail" and "The Cat's Pyjamas"

The view from my chair.

Mary Oram's cushion pattern "Be Scrappy, Happy" is due to be released in an upcoming edition of Make Modern Magazine. I assume it will appear in the next edition which is #14. 

You can follow Mary on Instagram, her account is @PoppinsPatch

The Hoot has a home!

I received word that the little Hoot has reached his new home (see previous post) and I am happy to see that he coordinates with his new surroundings perfectly!

I gave a hoot!

When someone does something super wonderful for you, do you give a hoot? (To "give a hoot" is an idiom which means "to care about") Well, I do, and in this particular case, to say "thank you", I decided that I would give a Hoot!

It started with some eyes. I cut out two large blue circles & two smaller black circles from felt; and sewed them together with yellow embroidery floss using a blanket stitch.

And a Hoot's not a Hoot if it doesn't have footsies & flappers, so I cut those out of yellow felt & I blanket stitched around the edges with blue embroidery floss.

After I had attached the eyes, beak, flappers & footsies to the Hoot's body, I then machine sewed all the bits together leaving a small opening to stuff it.

This is my stuffing of choice - "Hobby Fill" from Spotlight. 

Please excuse the X-rated shot, but a Hoot's gotta get stuffed, and this was where his stuffing hole was...

And when my Hoot was stuffed I then sewed close his stuffing hole (the Hoot was gently anaesthetized first).

So there we have it, my finished Hoot:

 

Why don't you show someone special that you give a hoot by giving them a Hoot too!

This little Hoot is on his way to his new home. And no, I'm not going to spoil the surprise by telling you where he's going. Not yet anyway...

 

Would you like to make your own Hoot? 

Click here for Spotlight's "You're a Hoot Owl Cushion" Pattern.