Saturday 4 April 2015

Sasha's Tunisian Cushions

Hello there! 
As mentioned in my recent post "Works In Progress" I've been working on some cushion covers (as well as other things) for my friend Sasha.
Well....On Tuesday I finally gave Sasha his completed cushions back.
Not only was I thrilled that he was happy with them, but a little relieved that I had actually finished them!

I don't know if you find this... but sometimes when people ask me to make them things, I cringe at the idea. Mainly because of the amount of work it takes (and they don't always realise), but also because of the responsibility of creating something that the recipient is going to like. 

Sasha asked me to make some covers for some old cushions that he had. Being the great friend that Sasha is to me,  I was more then happy. 
He wanted some simple yet fun cushions in a blue or grey. Sounded easy enough, so I got to work on them.

Now the reason I was so relieved to finally give these cushions to Sasha, was because this project could have been completed within a week or two. But alongside other commitments I had to work on, it turned out taking 4 months before I finally got around to finishing them!
Sasha asked about his pillows on a couple of occasions and I kept saying "they are almost ready". He waited another few weeks, then asked again...."they're almost done"  
Finally the week before last, they were actually "almost done".  I finally got them finished!!! "Phew!" (I say as I wipe my brow).

For Sasha's cushions I chose some deliciously soft Rico Baby classic dk. An acrylic blend that comes in some great shades. I was actually looking for a thicker yarn, but decided on this purely because of the colour. 




To make up for the yarn being a little thinner than I had wanted, I wound three balls together and made one luxuriously thick ball to work from. 


Isn't that a pretty sight. One perfectly wound ball of yarn, ready to be worked up into something special.

Yarn at the ready and a nice thick crochet hook (Size 9) with cable attached and I was ready to start this project. 


I needed the cable as I had decided to do (once agin) some Tunisian crochet. I decided to use the Tunisian simple stitch, as when worked up in rows this stitch creates a lovely dense fabric, that isn't as holey as your average crocheted material. 


I made four rectangular pieces. Two for each cushion, making up both sides of the case.
I single crocheted both pieces together, making sure to leave one end open. 
On the end that I had left open I sewed (by hand) a zip into the cushion cover, making it nice and easy for Sasha to remove the cushion inserts if he needed.

Once done, I settled upon some big shiny red buttons to add a little something special to the simple blue cushion covers. 



I sewed the buttons on, with nice chunky stitches.


All finished! I'm hoping they are masculine enough, as I can get a little carried away with my crochet work. I figured simple was the key to this project and I think that I succeeded in that.


Sasha was very pleased when I gave the to him. I was very happy to finally have something to show for his long and patient wait.


I may make myself a couple once I have a free minute. Not too sure when that will be though, as my brain is buzzing with other ideas and projects. I like it when I'm feeling like this.... feeling inspired!

Happy Easter weekend lovely people!

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20 comments:

  1. The cushions are great, nice and blokey!

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  2. They're perfect - I love them! That Tunisian stitch gives such a great texture, and the bold colours look fab!
    Maria x

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  3. LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE. Were the big buttons hard to find?

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  4. They look great, love the pop of red!

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  5. You do such wonderful work.. lucky Sasha! I tell many guys that I meet about you and your fantastic crochet.

    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*
    *H*A*P*P*Y* *E*A*S*T*E*R*!*!*
    *:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*

    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  6. What a lovely gift! I also feel nervous when I promise to make something for my friends. Last I made a crochet tunic for my friend, it took me several months, but she was so happy with the result that it was definitely worth it! Love the look of Tunisian crochet, haven't tried it yet.

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  7. Those turned out great!!! The buttons are a nice touch. I would love to learn Tunisian crochet...one day LOL

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  8. You did a fabulous job, and the colors are outstanding! The buttons tie everything together nicely.

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  9. Maria in Baltimore.5 April 2015 at 09:36

    I love these. So simple and fun. The red buttons are the perfect pop of color. I have always wanted to try Tunisian crochet. The fabric almost looks woven. Great job Matt! Oh and I finally found some paints in cocool little glass bottles like the ones you have. Thanks for your email. :)

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  10. Those look awesome!! I'm a fan of your reading pile as well - so many good books!

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  11. love these, the red buttons are great!

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  12. If you put your mind to it, Matt, I think you could design anything! Love the cushions!

    Happy Spring!

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  13. What a perfect stitch for a cushion cover. Lovely colour too.

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  14. Your pictures are so amazing, it makes your projects even more gorgeous.

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  15. I freakin' love these gorgeous pops of fun!

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  16. Your photography is so fun. I love how you made the blue cushions pop on the grey chair.

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  17. Those cushions look great - learning Tunisian crochet is on my 'to do list' for sure! I love that you've included all those books in your pictures too, I caught myself trying to read all the covers... As several of them are ones I've already read then I figured I could get some tips for more reads I might like! ;)


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  18. Tunisian cushions are the best! I can't stop making them - so easy to knock up, so easy to put together, such a lovely result when they're done... These are great - I love the big bold buttons!

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