Pirate patchwork cushion.

It's a  lovely summer again with lots of visits this year from family. I love to make a little keepsake gift for my adorable niece and nephew and this year decided to make them a patchwork cushion to take home.

 Now for me, making anything for a boy is quite a challenge-I just have never had the practice and can't say my interest runs to football and the like! However, there is one theme that I do enjoy and it is so linked to Cornwall...pirates! Luckily my little nephew likes to be a pirate on occasions especially when he is down here in Cornwall. 

Inspired by this cute little offcut I decided to make the ship the centre of the cushion and match some of Ollie's favourite colours around it in simple strips, keeping the central focus. 

Love the clean lines, symmetry and bright colours of this fabric.

Headed for my quilting stash unfortunately being faced with the fact I really should stop the sewing and have a good tidy out. I blame this on being creative.

Eek! or as we are on a pirate theme...aaaarrrrggghhhh!!

Basically I don't have a clue what I do have in the way of fabric any more. I can only get away with blaming creative for so long-I may have to have a sort out before I disappear under an avalanche of Michael Miller and Amy Butler....

After much rifling through (and a few surprises-when did I get that exactly/oh I've just ordered some of that-didn't know I already had some etc) I put some sea themed pieces together.

Great-Ollie's favourite colours being red, black and blue I could do something with that. Would love to work in that cheeky shark with the jaws. I also love 'worded' fabric-aren't these old pirate sayings fun?

Well shiver me timbers...better get started! One of my favourite parts of doing anything patchy is mixing and matching colours, then noting how the colours interact with each other for best effect. 

I started with a black check around the ship as the ship was outlined ,then tried this deep textured blue which had a kind of wave effect: this gave focus to the waves and background.

 However, then trying out the red/white polka dots (Cath Kidston old favourite!) really brought the sails to life!

 If we try both, there should be some great lift to the central colours:

Coming along nicely...would love to fit in that cheeky shark but in fact he did distract the eye from the ship. He probably wanted to be the central piece!

So to finish had to go for 'Shiver me timbers/sharkbait etc.' Sharkbait?? Sounds ghastly but I think Ollie will approve, as he was keen to relate the most gruesome facts of the Great Plague as a conversation starter at dinner last week. 

I then machine quilted the patchwork 'in the ditch' to a lightweight wadding and backed the cushion in the original black check 'frame' of the ship. I gave the cushion an envelope style opening, using the overlocker for speed.

 Finished! Quite pleased with the co-ordination but most pleased that I really enjoyed making it! 

The cushion measured just 12 inches as I have a stash of cushion inserts to fit that size!

All ready for a little pirate and now oh what joy-a girlie one for my lovely niece who loves unicorns...now where did I see those gorgeous designs by Michael Miller??

Then it will need to be a good summer quilt fabric tidy up...no more 'creative' excuses? Well maybe...

How's your creative space?  Sometimes it's good to find a surprise lurking amongst all that forgotten stash!

Hope you're having a fantastic and creative summer xx