Sew in... Upcycling Homeware

Bit of an 'aspirational' one from the Post Mistress today! Ahem... what I actually mean is I haven't actually made anything for a few days but as ever, I have lots of ideas brewing. First off, I have a dearly loved blue marble effect cushion I bought back in the 1980s and noticed on Sunday that sadly, the corners are now frayed and the piping is looking worn. These days, I hate throwing quality textiles away so as the cushion pad inside is still in near perfect condition, I have decided to get my beautiful new sewing machine out and re-cover it. I can even re-use the zip on the existing cover as it's still in perfect working order. It goes to show, if you invest in quality items, with a bit of ingenuity, they can last a lifetime.

Old cushion from the '80s with scuffed edges and frayed piping

Another idea I had was to recreate something similar to the vintage style round velvet cushion my grandmother used to have. As I remember, it had a panel that went around the edge which was about 2 inches wide and the front panel gathered in under a central fabric covered button. I'd really like to incorporate some fabric from my old thick cotton Paul's Boutique bag into the new cushion as I love the day-glo paisley flowers, but I will need to buy another complimentary fabric to go with it as there won't quite be enough. Scouring the net, I've managed to find a free pattern on how to sew a flat drum shaped round cushion, so watch this space!


Tatty oversized Paul's Boutique bag in neon with cream background

And finally, a habitual magpie, my husband rescued this footstool when a neighbour was throwing it out and I immediately spotted its potential. IKEA offers a wide selection of fabrics with cheerful modern prints and I will almost certainly breathe new life into this footstool by re-covering it in one of IKEA's colourful materials.


Reclaimed footstool with leatherette cover, ripe for a makeover



The reclaimed footstool with its cover removed

Lilac John Lewis sewing machine, isn't she beautiful!