I started this cushion last March. It happened because I was neatly folding my Liberty stash. We could say that Marie Kondo prompted this cushion. I was admiring the pretty blue fabrics as I folded them and was inspired to start cutting out hexagons. A cushion would not take long, I thought.
I used all of my blue and bluish Liberty prints in this cushion.
Machine piecing the 2-inch hexagons was easy and did, indeed, not take long, but finding the time to hand quilt the cushion front was another matter. I had a plan and had chosen the quilting thread and backing fabric in April, but I stalled. Last month, I made quilting the cushion front my main focus, and now it is done.
I used navy Aurifil 12 weight to simply quilt the hexagons, about ¼ inch inside each hexagon. I use painters’ masking tape to guide the quilting. It is not very sticky and needs replacing frequently when it loses its adhesiveness, but it does not damage the fabric.
I bought 2 metres of ready-made Liberty bias binding for the piping.
I added some Liberty piping around the edge. I did not have large enough pieces of fabric in my stash to cut my own bias strips without a gazillion joins, so I bought a length of ready-made Liberty bias binding.
On the back, I concealed a dark blue zipper in a simple chambray backing. The chambray looks like denim because of its colour, but it is not as heavy.
I used a blue chambray and a simple covered zipper on the back of the cushion.
The zipper, bias binding, piping cord and cushion insert were all I bought to complete this project. The rest came from my stash.
The cushion is 60 centimetres (about 24 inches) square, or the size of what we call a European pillow (the big pillows you prop yourself up with when reading in bed). This might end up as a bed pillow rather than a sofa cushion. I am not sure yet.
Hubby has been talking about downsizing to an apartment. This is not a short-term idea, but it is something we will want to do at some stage. It will mean having to rationalise my sewing room, and the downsizing discussion has made me look at my UFOs again. If we are to downsize in a few years, finishing as many UFOs as I can and being more mindful of starting new projects is not a bad idea.
I am going to keep a UFO tally for projects finished in 2020 that were started in previous years. So far, my 2020 UFO tally is one. Let’s see if I can finish a second in February.
Granny Mauds Girl 
that’s simply gorgeous
I love that the blues are so varied, it makes it much livelier. I was quite surprised when you said how large it is, I’d envisaged another of your exquisitely tiny hand sewn jobs, but that would have made the visible quilting unfeasibly minute!
I love your cushion, and I love blue!
I’d love this pillow on my couch ~ really pretty. Glad you got it done!
What a lovely pillow; with the Liberty fabrics and hand quilting I’m sure it is soft and has a great tactile feel to it. Downsizing is definitely an adventure. I wish you the best as you find the best path forward!
Love your pillow. Now you have inspired me to make one of my own. I have lots of odd little bits of fabric, hopefully big enough to cut out some hexagons. Two and a half inch do you think? If I cut them out and save them together then, when I have enough I can start sewing them together. Love the piping idea. It’s really nice.
That is a beautiful cushion and a lovely way to use up your liberty prints.
This is such a lovely cushion to rest a weary head on. The colours are great and the pop of that aqua/reddish one roughly in the middle is really joyful. I’m with you to get through UFO’s this year. It’s a terrific idea and something to work for in amongst everything else! So thanks for that.
sweet cushion and nice start to a UFO finishing year!!