Sewing by Hand

giving your cushion a very personal touch.

Sewing by hand is an alternative way to sew cushions, this will take longer but the end result is a very special cushion, made and crafted without the use of a machine.
Personalising your cushion covers with patchwork can be done by machinesewing or sewing by hand.
Even when using a machine for sewing cushions there are a few steps that need hand sewing. An example would be sewing on sequins, braid or buttons.
Types of Stitches for Hand Sewing

1. Tacking stitch- This stitch is also known as basting stitch. This is used when two pieces of material need to be held together for a short time while the seam is sewn. This could be used for holding any applique patterns in place to make sure that they do not move.The stitches are usually long in length, usually sewn from right to left, and can be easily removed when the finshed sewing has taken place.
   
   
2. Running Stitch- This stitch is used when material is needed to be gathered up as with frills or ruffles. The stitch is similar to tacking stitch but the stitch length is smaller and neater. This is to get even gathers as if the length was too large or varying then the gathers would be different sizes. This stitch is also usually sewn from right to left.
   
   
   
3. Back Stitch- This stitch is a strong stitch and is good for sewing seams. This is usually sewn from left to right and gives a line of stitches on the top that overlap underneath.
   
   
4. Slip Stitch- This stitch is usually used when two edges of fabric need to be joined such a along a folded corner or when joining patchwork pieces by hand. These stitches are not sewn tightly to allow for a little movement.
   
5. Blanket Stitch- This stitch is a decorative stitch and is usually seen along the edge of a blanket. It is usually sewn from left to right.
   
   
6. Overcasting Stitch- This stitch is used to stop the fabric edges from fraying.
   
7. Hemming- This stitch is sewn on the wrong side of the fabric and small stitches are used with just a thin thread taken from the fabric and then into the hem. This is to make sure that the hemming stitch is not seen on the right side of the item. 
   
   
   
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Cushion Gallery Cushion Gallery Cushion Gallery Cushion Gallery

the showcase for your cushions

Welcome to the Cushion Gallery.

I have created this page for YOU, visitors to my site, so that you can show how creative you have been in making a cushion, cushion cover, or a cushioned item. Be it very simple or complicated everybody's idea of achievement is very different and all will be respected.

Have you just finished a cushion or cover that you may have worked on for a long time. The end result is much better than you thought it would be and it looks fantastic....

Have you just started sewing and you have made your first cushion or cover or any other cushioned item that you are really proud of....

Have you tried to do a more complicated sewing project that looks just great....

When I am building the pages for my site and describing the different ways of making cushions. I make them so I can take pictures at every stage to help with the explanations.

One kind of sewing work I had never done was reverse applique.

This took me a long time to make but when it was finished I was really pleased with the result and the effect cutting away the fabric gave. I made a few mistakes along the way and for me the hardest part was to think of a picture to draw and getting all the layers of material in the correct order.

 

Made a cushion or a cover?

Whether it has taken you days or hours to complete, are you proud of it? Is it the first item you have ever sewn? Are you really pleased with how it has turned out?

Why not show the end result in the gallery.

What did you make?

Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission.

View Cushions Other Visitors Have Made

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Quilted Cushion  
I made this as part of a GCSE project.

I joined the 3 coloured panels together and sandwiched thin wadding between these and a backing layer.

The ...
Applique Floor Cushion  
Using scraps of tie-dyed materials to make autumn leaves and the tabby cat, I cut out the shapes and used an iron on webbing to attach them to the background....
A Ribbon Cushion  
I made this years ago when I attended a class at the local college.

Basically two different shades of the same colour of ribbon are woven together to ...
Click here to write your own.

Return from Cushion Gallery to Cushions and more

Cushion Shapes

Not all cushions are square

The cushion shapes can play an important part of your interior look and have just as much impact as the types of designs that you choose.

When most people think of a cushion they imagine a soft padded cushion in usually a square shape.

This doesn't need to be always the case as there are cushions that have a cylindrical shape. These rounded cushions are called bolsters and fit very nicely into the side of a chair or settee. They are a good design for a head-rest cushion for that extra bit of support.

Heart shaped cushions bring out your feminine side and can give a room a romantic feel. These cushions or pillows look very good in the bedroom but are just as at home in the lounge or any other room you choose.

A shape that is very good for giving a different appearance and for a cushioned seat is round cushions.

If your passion is playing cards then why not add cushions in club, diamond and spade shapes.

Living by the seaside? or have an interest in Astronomy? Then why not make some cushions in star shapes.

Whatever shaped cushion you decide to make you can put the filling straight into the cushion and then sew the seams together. This is ideal if the cushion is for decoration only and will not get a lot of day to day wear. The whole cushion will then need to be washed or cleaned.

If you would like to have a cushion with a removable cover then thecushion pad will need to be made in the same shape.

As you can see the designs of cushions are not the only way to personalise your room in making it yours. Shapes can enhance your individuality as well. 

Garden cushions

Relaxing is made possible outside with the addition of outdoor cushions. What can be more rewarding on a nice sunny day.

Garden seating can be a little hard or uncomfortable making relaxing in the garden a bit difficult. Bring your cushions outside and your relaxation is complete.

Plastic or wooden garden chairs are great to leave outside and can be used all the time. They are fairly comfortable to sit on for short periods without the need for any extra padding. But by adding a thin squab cushion to the seat of the chair and an optional one for the back, your comfort levels will be increased.

Another type of cushion that is excellent for outside are those with aboxed edge or a gusset to them. These have a firmer, deeper seat than the squab cushion and are great for larger areas such as bench seats.

One of the wonderful aspect this kind of soft furnishing is that it is extremely portable. Smaller versions can be made astravel cushions. Your outside comfort can now be taken with you to stadiums, on picnics, aboard boats and in parks. Virtually anywhere you will need some extra padding to make your day or evening more enjoyable.

How often have you gone to the park and found that the benches are either taken or not in the best position. Picnic seats can be made with a boxed edge so sitting on the ground is more comfortable and these can be tied together to make carrying them easier.

But enough about relaxing and enjoying a summers day........ there is another side to having a garden or outside area.

By that I mean to have a lovely place you want to unwind in takes a bit of work to get it as you want it. Some people are able to bend while standing up to weed the garden but if you have a weak back then it is advisable to kneel down to do this part of garden work.

What has this got to do with cushions do I hear you ask.....?

Well..... what I am talking about are kneeling pads or cushions which if you think about it are outdoor cushions as well. These have the job of keeping your knees and sometime your shins from getting too sore.

Whether you are working in your garden, relaxing in it, at a picnic or sailing in the lake I am sure you will agree that outdoor cushions are a really good idea. 

Making cushions with cotton

Cotton

a versatile material 

Cotton - this is one of natures natural fibres, the others being wool,linen and silk.

These fibres grow on a plant as a flower similar to a Hollyhock. The flowers come in red, white or yellow and when these die the seedpod opens to show the white hairy down. The long hairs that cover the seeds look like fine wool and these have to be separated from the seeds to make the material. Years ago this was done by people until a special machine called a "gin" was developed to do this and made this process quicker.

This was an important material and has been around for many centuries. The Indus valley and Peru were the places that this fibre was first used. Gradually other places around the world began to grow it as well like the Persian Gulf, Egypt, China, India, North America, and Australia.

There are many varieties and those grown in one country will not grow properly in others as the temperature and humidity all play a part.

Cotton was not grown in Britain. Manufacturing inventions such as "The Spinning Jenny" by Hargreaves, the "Mule" by Crompton and the power loom by Cartwright changed the way it was produced and the cotton mills in Lancashire were born.

Before the fibres can be turned into cloth they have to be spun together to make long threads either by hand or machine. These threads are then woven on a loom to get the final fabric.

This fabric is ideal material for cushion making as it is hard wearing and washes well, although it may shrink. Because of this it is probably best to pre wash the fabric before the casing is made.

It also creases when in the pure form and may be difficult to iron. But mixes well with other fibres like polyester and this tends to reduce the creasing.

This comes in a variety of different colours and weights. There is a wonderful choice of plain and patterned material to please most tastes.

The types of material with this fabric base are Brocade, Corduroy, Calico, Chintz, Damask, Gingham and Lace.

It is best to use a good quality fabric as cushions may need to be hardwearing, however if the cushion is only for decoration, as on a bed, then finer fabric can be used.

It is always worth thinking where the cushions are going to be placed so that you can decide how strong the fabric should be.

I personally feel that any weight can be used for cushion covers as the lighter ones can always be lined for extra strength.