No brainer cushions {tutorial}

Oooh some lovely new cushions!

I called these 'no brainer' cushions, because seriously, they couldn't be any easier. The fabric I used is from Amy Butler's Lark collection. I am loving all ikat fabrics at the moment and I am in love with these faux ikat designs of hers, called Kasbah. I bought some real ikat on my recent trip to Vancouver (did I tell mention my trip to Vancouver????) and I think I want to make (yet another) scarf. I'm just sitting on it for a while and letting it brew. When I bought the ikat in Vancouver, the shop assistant went into great and fascinating detail about how the fabric is made and I have since done a bit more reading about it online and I think I'll have to do another fabric profile post. FYI, I feel the same way about batik. Especially since seeing these cushion from Sister Batik.

Anyway, back to my super easy cushions. I made covers for pillow forms measuring 16" x 16". I purchased 1/2 yard of each fabric - the perfect size, with very little left over.

Trim the selvage end and cut one piece measuring 17 x 17".

Now take the remaining piece of fabric. See how it is a rectangle? Trim it to 17" high, leaving the longest length intact. Fold this piece in half long-wise and cut along the fold line.

Hem the edges you just cut by folding over twice to hide the raw seams.

Place the 17 x 17" piece on your work surface, face-up. Lay the two smaller pieces face down with the raw edges matching and the hemmed seams in the center of the work. Pin and Sew around the entire square.

Clip the corners and turn the cover rights sides out. Push out the corners and press flat.

I like to finish my covers with top stitching 1/4" from the edge. This gives the cushion an outside 'lip' and helpfully encases the ugly inside seams.

I made 3 cushions in about 40 mins and that includes the time it took to pick up all the pins that fell out of my bowl when I dropped it AND a few wasted minutes dressing my thumb after I took a slice out of it with my rotary cutter.