Last Minute Make!

OK, so I'm going back about a week now.

Twelve-Teen daughter is going to a Sleepover Party on Friday night, will be at school all day.

She comes to me at 4.30pm on Thursday evening and says.....'I don't know what to get my Friend for her Birthday.....'

Mmmmmm!  It doesn't seem like she wants Middle-Aged Mother suggestions....but!  What does she want?

So I ask...what sort of things does Friend like?

She Hum's, she Ha's, she shrugs her shoulders (she has already bought her a very beautiful bracelet)....where is this going?

'Can I make her a cushion on your new sewing machine?'

THERE WE ARE.....that's it!  She's got the itch for making something!

OK, I say, but we have no time (unless we make it tonight when I had planned to get on with one of my sewing projects).  OK, tonight it is!

So first I need to share with you the NEW sewing machine!  It's a Brother Innovis 350 SE which after a lovely visit to Brighton Sewing Centre, I purchased from them a couple of weeks ago.

Here it is sitting on my 'new' bureau, look........

Oh!  *swoon, swoon*  IT IS A DELIGHT!!!!!

No need to use the foot pedal, easy thread, press start, press stop, press scissors (to cut the thread for you!) and set your speed (slow for starters!) *sigh* what can I say.....?

Should I let Twelve-Teen loose on this new piece of kit?

She is good.  But..........

We find an old piece of calico curtain from Ikea to which I had already attached a piece of stripey fabric, also from Ikea. 

I know that lurking in the cupboard under the stairs is a 19" cushion pad that I over-ordered.  I have plenty of cottons.

I explain that you want a snug fit, so a cover an inch less than the pad will make it more puffy, and that you need 2 of those (one for each side).  BUT, then we need to add on a 1 inch either direction for a half inch seam allowance all round AND for the envelope closure another 5 inches.

We measure the piece of fabric 19" across by 42" long.  She cuts it.

I then show her how the envelope closesure works, we pin it.

She goes to the sewing machine (I hold my breath) and starts (isn't it amazing how, to them, technology is so easy), following a blue line I have marked on (seam allowance).  She manages to turn the corners.  She stops. We turn the cover inside out and stuff in our pad.

To hold the closure she chooses some vintage buttons from my jar and some bright yellow grossgrain ribbon.

OK, ready....I think you'll like it...... I'm very proud of her......and......

Ta-Dah.........!!!

And here's a close up of those buttons and that ribbon....

...and doesn't it look lovely on my chair?  Shame she's going to give it to Friend really!

Not only am I proud of her skills, I enjoyed working with her on something AND I'm proud she has the confidence in a very commercial world to give a handmade gift to a friend.... you know how other girls can tease?

Well there you have it.

I'll be seeing you again shortly as I will have some lovely photos to share with you from my shopping trip.... but first I need to charge the camera!

Bye, bye xx