Size
Finished size 48 x 48cm

You Will Need

• 5 pieces of cotton print fabric each in a different design and colour for patchwork
• 50 x 50cm white cotton for patchwork
• 50 x 50cm piece of cotton print for backing (or use one of the patchwork prints)
• dressmaker’s pencil
• ruler
• matching coloured sewing thread
• 48cm zip fastener
• 48cm inner cushion

1 Wash the fabrics separately before you begin sewing to make sure that they are completely colourfast. Press while damp to remove creases. Play around with the fabrics before you start cutting, placing them in different sequences until you are happy with the contrast between the different designs and colours.

2 Draw strips in a variety of widths on the printed fabrics using a ruler and dressmaker’s pencil. Make sure you have a selection of different fabrics in each width. Cut out the strips. Make bundles of cut strips of matching widths. Now cut the white cotton fabric into 50cm-long strips of various widths.

3 Cut some of the fabric strips into shorter lengths. As before, you can make them in a variety of lengths to create a more interesting patchwork design.

4 To make a long strip, with the right sides of the fabric together, sew two or more pieces of printed fabric together, making sure they are the same width. Press the seams open. Continue in this way until you have sewn enough strips. Cut the strips each 50cm long.

5 With one patchwork strip and one white fabric strip right sides together, sew one side seam. Press the seam open. Continue joining the strips, with different widths of printed and plain strips next to each other, until the patchwork piece is the required size.

To Finish
Cut your patchwork to 50 x 50cm. Cut a piece of backing the same size. Insert the zip fastener down one side. Open the zip fastener. Working a 1cm seam and with the right sides facing, join the remaining three sides. Snip the corners diagonally for a neater finish. Turn to the right side through the zip opening. Insert the inner cushion and close the zip.

Text and image: Ideas