Blousy Blooms Pillow Cushion [Hidden Zipper + Pointy Corner Removal Tutes]

Haven't done any #selfishsewing in quite a while so took a day off from the computer (writing blog posts, tutorials, newsletter and sewing patterns) at the end of last week to have an afternoon at the sewing machine.

Multicoloured Moods Cushion - A Butterfly's Transformation!

Love is like a butterfly as soft and gentle as a sigh

The multicoloured moods of love are like its satin wings.

Dolly Parton                                      

Cast your mind back to November 2012 - I know it's a looong time ago quite possibly before you started following my blog but way way back then I did my first ever foundation paper piecing pattern test for Juliet @The Tartankiwi.

I love this 12.5" butterfly block so much and though I had plans for making it larger using this Kaffe Fassett fabric I just never got round to it.  If you want to read my original post you'll find it here and the butterfly pattern is available to purchase here.

Fast forward 2.5 years and I've finally done something with it, which is only what it deserves.  Pulling it from my WIP pile and I realised I no longer liked the Kaffe Fassett Shirt Stripes with it - it seemed to deaden the colours so I opted for bordering with the same green solid I used for the butterfly body and adding this vibrant Kaffe Fassett grape spot instead.  

After adding the borders I created a quilt sandwich and fmq'd the piece

You can see more fmq detail here on the muslin backing.

Thread: 

Aurifil 40 wt

1135 - Pale Yellow

2423 - Baby Pink

1147 - Light Leaf Green

2588 - Light Magenta

Then I chose two fabrics and a zipper to create a cushion back.

Fabrics:
A selection of solids - see my original post for full details of brands and colours used

Kaffe Fassett Spot in Grape by Westminster Fabrics

Belle Epoch by Kaffe Fassett for Westminster Fabrics

Clown Stripe by Michael Miller Fabrics

 And finally my foundation paper pieced butterfly block is transformed into 

my Multicoloured Moods cushion.

This is a variation on my hidden zipper cushion cover tutorial - this is the type of hidden zipper I teach in my classes but you'll find my original hidden zipper tute here if you want to make one yourself. 

And where's the cushion now?  On Flicky's bed of course - one of these days I'll get to keep something I make for myself!!!  I'm not complaining really, it's fab to have her home for the summer, can you believe she's been living in Scotland for two years now and about to go into her third year at St Andrews University?  If you're new to the blog you might want to have a look around St Andrews I did a couple of blog posts here and here when she first started there.

So that's my butterfly's transformation - what would you make with this butterfly block?

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