A Cover Story

Thanks to the producers of Mollie Makes magazine issue 14 I finally got to cover a ghastly pouffe my partner insisted we kept as it belong to his mother. The original cover was a drab chocolate brown velvet circa 1970 that was starting to wear. I have been wanting to cover it for years but haven't had the know-how.

My first step was to strip away the old cover, so I took a pair of scissors to it with glee! Inside, all the padding was falling apart so I stripped that back too. I was then suprised to find that the pouffe itself was just made out of one big lump of polystyrene. Although thinking about it now I don't know what else it could be made out of. My partner has a massive aversion to polystyrene and ordered me to do something about it before he really freaked out. So I was banished out of the room until I sorted it out. I simply took the old padding and stitched it back around the polystyrene. I then got some spare cotton fabric that I had in my stash and wrapped it around the pouffe as if you were wrapping a circular gift, and put in some stitches to hold it in place.

Finally I could start working on the proper cover. The magazine provides instructions for producing a patchwork effect of 8 segments. I throughly enjoyed taking the measurements and drafting the pattern as it was something I haven't done before. I then popped along to Hobbycraft to see what gems of fabric could be found. I quite liked the style on the pictures in the magazine so that's what I aimed for when making my choice. They had a lovely basket full of Amy Butler fat quarters, out of which I picked the wavy stripes and the funny orange tree fabric. I then purchased half a metre of the green spotted fabric which is also Amy Butler. As you can see, I decided to use 3 different types of fabric instead of four like the magazine suggests, as I felt this offers a bit more consistency to the design. I also purchased some green and blue trimming to go along the top and bottom edge. The magazine features pom pom trimming which I would've like to have used but couldn't get any.

So here is my finished result. I am very pleased with it but the trouble is now the pouffe is so bright and colourful that it makes the rest of my living room look really drab!

Having completed the segmented version, I see no reason why it wouldn't be easy enough to cover a pouffe in just one sheet of fabric. You would just need to cut out two separate pieces, one for the top and a strip to go around the bottom according to your measurements and adding on 1cm for stitching it together. You could then trim it with any embellishment that takes you fancy.

Now, on to the next project!

Gingerrose x

Follow Your Childhood Dreams

 It occurred to me the other day whilst making a cover for a very old fashioned Pouffe, that when I was little I was always at the dining room table making something. This varied from a new toy, to a bag, an outfit for a doll or a collage. They never amounted to much, but I recall that sense of excitement and anticipation that I was creating something new, clicking my fingers with glee as I went along and rushing to finish the piece. I stopped to try and recall the time when this passion was lost. I can't put it down to a precise moment but it was somewhere between Barbies and the hormone infused penchant for teen mags, boys and fashion.

I now deeply regret not persuing that passion into my teenage years. I took GSCE Textiles and achieved a C through arrogant disinterest (English was my strength back then). I then attempted to carve out a career by studying A-levels in what now seem like completly boring and pointless subjects. I completed a degree in my chosen career path and achieved a first, but later left my profession through dissillusionment. I spent the rest of my twenties trying to figure out what to do next, which left me no more satisfied then a dog chasing its own tail. Now I've turned thirty and become a mother I've decided enough is enough. It's time to reclaim that old childhood passion and to see where it takes me.

 

Here are the things I have made so far this year, plus a vase of flowers which I thought was too pretty to leave out!

 

I have plenty more ideas which I will be working on over the next few months so please do watch this space.

 And remember, if all else fails follow your childhood dreams, they are always the best!

Gingerrose x

If you like the butterfly wreath go to fellow blogger Gingerbread Snowflake at http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/177  for the guide on how to make it.