A Challenge

Q: How do you photograph an enormous floor cushion when your floors are black and London is covered by dark and moody clouds?

A: With great difficulty!

Add to that, that I want to show both the back and front together, and I realise I've set myself quite a challenge. However, with the use of mirrors, drawer handles (to give a sense of scale) a ladder and a sheepskin rug, I think I've just about managed to do justice to my boro inspired cushion. Of course, I could have waited until the sun came out, but Willow has been eyeing the cushion covetously, so I had to take photographs before she gets her claws into it, and, quite literally reduces my work to scraps and rags. (Before you say that we should be stricter with her, Patrick and I try, but she is viciously defiant–we have the scars to prove it).

As you can see, the back is fairly plain. I've used part of a linen metis sheet, which is crisp and gloriously heavy, for the backing, and have added a band of very simple shashiko. I had plans for a hemp leaf design, but in the end thought this overcomplicated and at odds with the cushion top. I fully intend to try a more challenging shashiko project, possibly a drawstring purse of some kind, but at the moment I'm in love with straight lines, and how effective they are when used en masse.

For the fastenings, I've made I-cord from the same variegated cotton perle I used to embroider the cushion, and a few of my indigo dyed Dorset buttons.

I'm really happy with how my cushion turned out, and will make a few more, in the same style. Unfortunately, all the best bits of my indigo dyed fabrics have been used up, so I'll either have to buy some, or find somewhere with the facilities where I can make another batch. Alas, a gardenless flat just doesn't cut it.

Elizabeth,
x.

Behind the seams

I'm happy with how the front of my boro cushion cover has turned out. As well as the indigo dyed silks and linens I've added some pieces of net and silk scrim to tone down areas that were too overpowering. The additions also help achieve the heavily textured feel I'm after. Perhaps perversely however, it is the back of my patchwork that I prefer. When I look at it, I'm reminded of an occasion when I was lucky enough to take a peak backstage at a rather grand theatre and wander by all the backdrops, ropes, pulleys, trapdoors and trickery that conspire to convince an audience that what they are seeing is real. To me, the behind the scenes view has always seemed far more intriguing than the polished face that is often presented to the world.

It's not the first time I've fallen in love with the back of something I've made. Not so long ago, I made a needle case from scraps of Japanese woven cloth, and nearly chose to assemble it so the seams were on the outside, and the neat finishing, hidden from view. Convention got the better of me, or perhaps, I just didn't want anyone who spied my needle case thinking I'd sewn it together incorrectly.

But this fondness for exposed seams, raw edges and knots is definitely telling me something, and I suspect they will feature heavily if future projects. First I need to finish the back of the cushion, and by back, I mean the reverse, not the inside where all those lovely seams and raw edges are hidden.

Elizabeth,
x.

Pulling the scraps together

In keeping with the boro inspired theme, I'm sticking with a simple patchwork of strips and squares for my giant floor cushion. On to the basic patchwork I've added a bit of pleated linen, and a square of silk shibori. I've deliberately left the raw edges exposed as I quite like the feathery effect of frayed silk. I'll add more layers and other bits of manipulated fabric later, but first I want to do some stitching.

For a while, I've wanted to try my hand at shashiko, but was nervous of doing so–perhaps learning a new skill felt too daunting? Somehow though, shashiko seems right for this piece, so I've taken the plunge (I have Cynthia at aquilterbynight partly to thank for that!). The front will feature straight lines only, but lots and lots of them. I'm hoping that as I add more layers of fabric and stitch over them, the result will not only give an interesting texture, but also, a visual depth to the patchwork–we'll see. The back of the cushion will have a more intricate design. At the moment, I'm leaning towards a hemp leaf design, which feels appropriate since boro textiles were usually made from indigo dyed hemp.

Rather than use traditional shashiko thread (see, I can't even start off by following the rules!), I thought I'd try a variegated cotton perle instead. I had a lovely dark blue/white spool of thread, but rather foolishly left it within Willow's reach. My cat has little love for embroidery but does appreciate how a reel of cotton rolls along the floor, and can be batted under sofas, and into all sorts of nooks and crannies around our flat. So now, I can't find my blue and white variegated thread, and Willow isn't letting on where she left it. I'll just have to use plain white instead!

Elizabeth,
x.