Sewing: Simple Embroidered cushion covers

My concerned,
"Oh no! Please don't squish them so... the beads may cut loose..."
was met with,
"Well, this is how people use the cushions... if you don't want them to be used, put them in a museum or something."

And that's how my embroidered cushion covers end up in the linen closet for the longest time, never getting their turn in the limelight. For, if they did, I couldn't stand the abuse they had to endure.

Well, not that D doesn't appreciate the work - he exclaimed, "Nice! Beautiful!", before he matter-of-factly folded the said cushion with its precious embroidered cover and tucked it under his head.

Anyway, I convinced myself that I could whip up more in a flash (if I can find the time) and decided to let these embroidered cushion covers cheer us up for the start of this Holiday Season, despite the treatment they get.



With but a few colorful threads and a few simple stitches, the transformation of a dull old fabric to a vibrant piece of art is magical and brilliant.

Embroidery, initially, fascinated me. My mom has always made beautiful embroidery work, as far back as I can remember. She wouldn't just sew the clothes for me, she would add embellishments via embroidery and beads, and even paint to make my clothes special. She also did a lot of cross-stitch and beadwork.

So, it was natural that I took to it early on and from middle school through high school I shared the joys of embroidery with my mom.

And then somehow I outgrew it. It didn't hold the same sort of charm it once did, especially since my interests became diverse and I had all these other crafts to teach myself...

Now, one of the things that used to block the flow of embroidery for me was the need to periodically stop, tie off the old thread and start a new one to continue the work.

This annoyed me no end as it broke the rhythm.

I used to try and 'stretch' the thread to finish just this piece in the frame... and fail.

Of course, the length of the thread has to be reasonable so it doesn't get tangled while doing intricate work...

...and judging the required amount is not an exact science, so, while it is okay to end up with more than needed, it always seems a waste to throw away 4 inches of green and 6 inches of pink as nothing much can be done with it...

Darn, look at me, I am rambling... anyway, since these are out getting air, I thought it would be nice to record it here :)