Rosie Floor Cushion

Little girls will love this patchwork floor cushion, whether for lounging on or jumping on! Having several scattered around not only looks beautiful but also creates the perfect venue for story time or playing with friends.

The rainbow colours of this floor cushion make me so happy and the ‘log cabin’ patchwork pattern is perfect for using smaller strips of your favourite fabrics. You’ll find that the strip piecing method is an easy one to master, and produces a really satisfying look that is a lovely mix of classic and contemporary design.

You will need

For a 69cm (27in) square cushion

One 9cm (3¹⁄₂in) square of fabric (A)

6.5cm (2¹⁄₂in) wide strips of 12 different fabrics (B–M)

Backing fabric, 70cm (27¹⁄₂in) square

Cushion pad, 69cm (27in) square

FABRIC COLOUR NOTES

I wanted to create an obvious rainbow effect for this cushion, so I chose a whole spectrum of colours and arranged them as follows, from left to right: dark purple, medium purple, pale purple/violet, dark blue, medium blue, turquoise/light blue, turquoise, green, yellow, pale pink, medium pink, medium/dark pink, dark pink/red.

Cutting

• Cut the 6.5cm (2¹⁄₂in) strips as follows:
• Bi: 9cm (3¹⁄₂in), Bii: 14cm (5¹⁄₂in), Ci: 14cm (5¹⁄₂in), Cii: 19cm (7¹⁄₂in), Di: 19cm (7¹⁄₂in), Dii: 24cm (9¹⁄₂in), Ei: 24cm (9¹⁄₂in), Eii: 29cm (11¹⁄₂in), Fi: 29cm (11¹⁄₂in), Fii: 34cm (13¹⁄₂in), Gi: 34cm (13¹⁄₂in), Gii: 39cm (15¹⁄₂in), Hi: 39cm (15¹⁄₂in), Hii: 44cm (17¹⁄₂in), Ii: 44cm (17¹⁄₂in), Iii: 49cm (19¹⁄₂in), Ji: 49cm (19¹⁄₂in), Jii: 54cm (21¹⁄₂in), Ki: 54cm (21¹⁄₂in), Kii: 59cm (23¹⁄₂in), Li: 59cm (23¹⁄₂in), Lii: 64cm (25¹⁄₂in), Mi: 64cm (25¹⁄₂in), Mii: 69cm (27¹⁄₂in).

All seam allowances are 5mm (¹⁄₄in) unless otherwise stated.

Tip

If you find it difficult to locate a 69cm (27in) square cushion pad, substitute it for a standard 66cm (26in) cushion pad (for a loose fit) or a standard 72cm (28in) square cushion pad if you prefer a tighter fit.

Piecing

1 Take square A and place strip Bi, right sides together, on top. Sew together along the right-hand edge.

2 Open out and press the seam to one side, away from the centre square.

3 Sew strip Bii to the unit you made in step 1, across the top of A and Bi. Open out and press the seam to one side, away from the centre.

4 Sew strip Ci to the piece you made in step 3, joining it across the edges of A and Bii. Open out and press the seam away from the centre as before.

5 Next add strip Cii, and continue adding strips in this way in alphabetical order: Di, Dii, Ei, Eii, Fi, Fii etc. Mii is the last strip, which completes the log cabin top of the cushion.

6 Lay your backing fabric right side up on a flat surface. Place your cushion top, right sides together, on top of your backing fabric. Sew all around the edges, leaving a 50cm (20in) gap down one side. Stitch around the edges again to create a strong seam (leaving the gap again). Turn right side out and press.

7 Insert the cushion pad and close the gap with slip stitch or ladder stitch (see Hand Sewing Stitches in the Techniques section).