Using just one basic colour, a mix of textures and finishes produces an eye-catching, rich design
By Jan Iles
Photos by Alan Bennington

What you need

• 3 squares, each 38 x 38 cm, of textured white cotton fabric (the one used here has rough woven lines and there is a very pale cream line in it).
• 38 x 38 cm white cotton backing fabric
• 2 pieces white cotton backing fabric, each 25 x 38 cm
• 24 x 24 cm white wild-silk type fabric
• 24 x 30 cm white muslin fabric
• 24 x 30 cm white medium-weight white iron-on Vilene interfacing
• 3 metres (12 mm wide) white looped-edge ribbon (Offray)
• Pearly white flat sequins: Gütermann Col.1085
• Silvery white seed beads: Gütermann Col.1016
• 1 skein white tapisserie wool: Anchor Col. 8004
• Small amount of bright white double knitting wool (brighter than the tapisserie wool)
• White sewing thread
• 35 x 35 cm cushion pad

What you do

1. Fold one of the squares of textured fabric in half diagonally. Finger-press along the fold to mark the crease. Open out the square and fold from corner to corner along the opposite diagonal. Finger-press to crease. Cut along the folded diagonal lines to produce four triangles. On the longest side of each triangle turn 2 cm to the wrong side to neaten. Finger-press and pin to hold. Place one triangle in each corner of the square of backing fabric, overlapping the triangles where they meet at the mid-point of each side of the backing square (see Fig 1). Pin around the sides of the square to hold.
2. Carefully slip the small square of silky fabric into the central gap formed by the triangles, tucking its edges under the neatened edges of the triangles. Pin along these neatened edges to hold the silky fabric in place. Cut four lengths of the ribbon (30 cm in length) and pin these 1.5 cm away from the turned under edges and parallel to them, tucking the ribbon ends under the fabric to neaten (see Fig 2).

Fig 1: Overlap triangles to form a continuous pattern.

Fig 2

3. Use white sewing thread to machine straight stitch close to the turned-under edges of the corner triangles and then similarly stitch close to the edges of the strips of ribbon, to secure the ground fabrics of the design in position. If preferred, this stitching could be worked neatly by hand.
4. Print and accurately trace the leaf motif (Fig 3) onto an sheet of paper, allowing enough space to reposition it, and trace it again to produce a four-leaf motif. Similarly, trace a single leaf and stalk. Cut out the paper templates that you have made. [When printed, the design should measure 11.5 cm from leaf tip to the centre of the four-leaf motif - the point where the central veins cross - if necessary enlarge or reduce to size.]
5. Position the four-leaf template on the white muslin fabric, leaving enough fabric to cut out three individual leaves, then pin in place. Adding a narrow 0.5 cm turning allowance all around the motif, cut out the four-leaf shape. Position and cut out three individual leaves, adding the allowance as before.
6. Using the paper templates, from the interfacing cut out to size (i.e. without 0.5 cm allowance) the four-leaf motif and three separate leaves. Place the interfacing glue side down onto the corresponding muslin motif. Following the manufacturer's instructions, bond the muslin and interfacing together.
7. Using very sharp-pointed scissors, snip into the corners of the turning allowance on the muslin. Carefully and neatly fold the turning to the wrong side. Using white sewing thread and tiny hand stitches that do not show through to the right side, secure the turning on the wrong side of the leaf shapes. Reserve the three single leaves to decorate the back of the cushion.
8. Place the four-leaf motif centrally on the silky square. Pin to hold and stitch in position using white sewing thread, making your stitches as small as possible around the edges of the motif.

9. Using the creamy white tapisserie wool, work a line of neat and even back stitches along the centre of each leaf and then work side lines (veins) across one half of each leaf. Similarly, using the bright white knitting wool, work the lines (veins) across the other half of each leaf. Refer to the leaf pattern to help you work the lines of back stitches, but work them freely without drawing on the white fabric.
10. Using the white sewing thread (doubled for extra strength), stitch sequins and beads in a random scattering over the silky fabric. Use a single bead to secure each sequin (see Fig 4). This completes the cushion face.

Fig 4: Attaching sequins and beads: bring the needle and thread (use doubled for strength)
to the surface. Pass through the hole of a sequin, thread on a bead and then take the needle
down through the sequin and fabric.

Back of cushion

11. Take one of the remaining squares of textured fabric and one of the white backing pieces. Place the textured square on top of the backing fabric, matching up the sides and folding the excess at one end to the wrong side. Finger-press along the fold and then pin the layers of fabric together around their edges (see Fig 5). Pin a length of ribbon close to the folded edge. Pin a second length parallel to the first but 7 cm away from it. Machine straight stitch in white along each edge of the two lengths of ribbon.
12. Arrange and pin the three leaf motifs along the 7 cm gap and invisibly stitch them into position. Decorate each leaf with lines of back stitching to match the four-leaf motif on the cushion front.
13. Place the remaining white textured square over the remaining white backing fabric, folding the excess textured fabric to the wrong side. Pin the layers together around their edges to hold.

Fig 5: Fold top fabric over backing fabric and pin as shown.

To finish

1. Place the cushion front on a clean flat surface with right side uppermost.
2. Position the section of the cushion back with the leaves right side down on the cushion front, matching up the raw edges. Add the second piece of the back of the cushion so that its folded edge overlaps the other piece of the back, lining up the three raw edges with those of the cushion face (see Fig 6). Pin together around the edges.
3. Working with a 1 cm seam allowance, machine straight stitch around all four sides.
4. Snip away any excess fabric across the corners and then carefully turn the cushion cover through to the right side, gently easing it into shape.
5. Place a cushion pad inside the completed cover.

Fig 6: Make the cushion.

Suggestions

• Take the idea a step further by working the same design in black on black or any other colour.
• Keep the white theme, but alter the design.