Koselig Cushion Tutorial...
Egg & Feather Easter Decoration Tutorial...
Homemade decorations are always so special, whether you keep them for yourself or gift them. Every precious scrap used is a reminder of another lovely project, so can I entice you to spare a few for these pretty decorations?
To make a 2½” x 3½” stuffed egg you will need...
4 3" x 5½" print pieces
loose craft filling
5” piece of twine
water soluble pen
spray starch
To make a 2½” x 6” fabric feather you will need...
4 2" x 8" print pieces
3" x 8" scrap of batting
5” piece of twine
water soluble pen
glue baste
spray starch
You will also need to download and print a copy of the Egg & Feather Decoration Template.
Please read through the pattern before you begin. Fabric is always placed right-sides-together and joined with a ¼” seam allowance unless otherwise noted. Please note that the additional fabric required for this project is not included in your block of the month kits.
Egg Decorations
Cutting out...
1. Starch the fabric lightly before you begin, then, using the egg template, cut an egg quadrant from each of the 4 prints.
2. Mark the inner stitching line - along with the 2" opening - and then mark the top of each quadrant with a dot.
Assembling the egg...
4. Place a pair of contrast quadrants right sides together and sew along ONE SIDE, following the stitching guide. MAKE 2 PAIRS
5. Leave the first pair wrong sides out and turn the second pair right sides out, finger-pressing the seam open.
6. Fold the piece of twine in half and glue baste to the top of the first pair, then nestle the second pair into the first, right sides together and pin or glue baste in place.
7. Sew around the egg, REMEMBERING THE OPENING THIS TIME, again following the stitching guide.
8. Turn the egg right side out - this is a bit fiddly - and then fill with the loose craft filling until you have a nice smooth egg before slip-stitching the opening closed.
Feather Decorations
Cutting out...
1. Using the inner stitching line as your guide, cut a feather shape from the scrap of batting.
Assembling the feather...
2. Starch the fabric lightly then join a pair of contrast print pieces together, pressing the seam open. MAKE 2
3. Fold the piece of twine in half and glue baste to the top of the seam - right-sides-up - of one of the units. Place the second unit right sides down, matching the seams, and pin.
4. using the feather template centred on the seam, mark the outline with the water-soluble pen, along with the inner stitching line, the 2" opening and a dot to mark the top.
5. Sew around the stitching line, REMEMBERING THE OPENING, then trim away the excess fabric.
6. Glue baste the batting in place on one side.
7. Turn the feather right side out - again, this is a bit fiddly - taking care to push out the seams (I found a crochet hook useful for this step). Press lightly and slip-stitching the opening closed.
There are lots of options for personalising your decorations. I chose to use contrasting prints, but you might decide to use one, although I'd encourage you to use two for the feather to emphasise the shaft. You could also add quilted lines to the feathers to create the barbs (and I'll admit I just had to look that word up) or replace the twine with ribbon.
I'm using mine to decorate a jug full of blossom branches, but you could also hang them around the garden as clues for an Easter egg hunt or gift them to the chocolate-averse in your family (who are these people?).
Happy Easter,
Nicola xx