New packs of off cuts have landed!

After the success of the last batch of my off cut fabric packs I have created some more for you but this time in different colour ways. You can now choose from our signature multi coloured brights, pale pastel tones or black and white monochrome patterns. This means it's even easier to create the projects you would like!

Like before each pack consists of around 40cm x 40cm worth of scrap fabric once all the off cuts have been sewn together. All the packs are completely unique, full of fun and funky patterned fabric scraps ready for you to create to your hearts desire!

So this week in an effort to inject more colour into my home I have been creating some patchwork cushions with the packs.

Each cushion was made using one pack of my off cuts for the front cover and scrap fabric I had left over for the back panel. You could totally make a front cushion cover using one of my packs and then mix it up with a cotton fabric backing or say even a mustard velvet back... Yum! The world is your oyster! And at £10 for one pack it creates quite a good price for such a dreamy cushion cover. Take a look here https://www.gabriellevary.co.uk/fabric-bundles

To help you create your own cushion I thought I'd give you a few tips and pointers when sewing knitted fabric.

Things to remember when sewing knitted fabric....

1. All the knitted fabric is made from pure lambswool so it’s important you don’t put it in the washing machine on a hot wash as it will felt the wool further. A cold hand wash (not in a machine) or dry clean is recommended.

2. A hot steam iron is recommended to flatten the fabric. Use the steam to iron the fabric; try not to press the iron onto the fabric with force as this can stretch and distort the fabric.

3. You can either sew the fabric by hand or using a sewing machine, however sewing the fabric on a machine will ensure the knitted fabric won't unravel, if you are creating a big cushion I would definitely recommend a sewing machine. Use a nylon thread on a standard tension on your sewing machine to create an even stitch. Sew as you would with other fabrics, just go slow at first whilst you get used to the stretch and the thickness of the knit. Hold the fabric in your hands as you feed it through the machine to create a straight seem, don't stretch or pull the fabric whilst you are sewing.

4. If you are hand sewing make sure you use a small blanket stitch to stop any holes appearing, I would use a slightly thicker thread to ensure the seam is as secure as possible.

5. Use sharp fabric scissors, the knit shouldn't unravel too much as the fabric has been washed however sewing a zigzag stitch over the cut edge will stop this if it bothers you. Using an over locker will help with this too.

Those are the basic pointers, I hope it helps! If you do have any other questions do let me know and I'll try to help as much as possible!

Whilst we're at it I'll talk you through my patchwork cushion too.

Creating a patchwork cushion.

Get the cushion that you are looking to cover. Lay all your off cuts pieces that you want to use over it. Start by placing the off cuts of fabric over the cushion, making sure that you really like the layout, colour placement and style you have created. I tend to work with rows of fabric. I will create my first row of fabric along the top of the cushion using small squares of off cuts in random lines and then another row and then another until the whole cushion is covered. I then sew together the strips of patchwork fabric to create the whole front cover panel. There are lots of patchwork patterns out there but when working with off cuts of random sizes I find this is the best way for me.

I then create my back cover; you could get some ready made fabric or you could make a patchwork one from another bundle of offcuts (make sure you buy two bundles in total if you're wanting to do this.) I would then work fairly similarly to the front cover, placing the scrap pieces over the cushion to design your cover and then sewing them together. I create two panels of fabric for the back that slightly overlap so that you can make an envelope opening. Once you have made each panel make sure that you steam iron them all flat being careful not to stretch or distort the fabric in any way. Now you can sew all the panels together. There will be points where the fabric gets very thick, I use my normal sewing machine to sew them I would just suggest you take it slow so that you don't break your needles. trim the seams and corners and turn the cushion cover right side out. Give the cover a final press before inserting your cushion pad. And there you have it! I'd love to see what you make please tag me in any of your pics and I'll share them on my Instagram. Do take a look at my Pinterest board for patchwork inspiration.

I hope you enjoy getting creative, much love, Gabrielle.