The method of making round cushion-- part 2 Continued from older posts........

The method of making round cushion with Canadian smocking part 1

graph of round cushion

Join the sides

Materials needed

Satin cloth 70 cm x 176 cm
2 big cloth covered buttons

I could not get buttons of the size I wanted. I got plastic disks having 5 cm diameter cut from school badge maker, made two holes using hot nails, passed a thick thread through the holes and tied a knot. I then covered them with sponge sheet and fabric.

Design used -- leaf design
Size of the square used --3cm x 3cm

Mark the graph as shown in the figure leaving 1 cm all around for seams. Squares should come in the center and the parallel lines on the sides. You can do the smocking by just drawing the squares in the middle.I prefer to draw lines at the sides also. We can use these lines as guide lines while pleating. Finish the edges by Zigzag stitches. This stops the edges from fraying and hindering our work while smocking. The squares that are marked along the length (176 cm) should always be of an even number. This decides the circumference of the cushion. The squares marked along the width depend upon the design and thickness of the cushion we want. The length of the parallel line decides the diameter of the cushion.

Join the shorter edges together matching the graph as shown in the figure to form a tube. Do the smocking by joining two points together. This forms a cover for a round cushion

Measure the circumference and width of the smocked tube. Stitch inner cushion of the same size of the smocked piece as illustrated in the figures.
Cover the inner cushion with smocked cover as shown in the figures.

I have used the smocked piece to make a cushion cover and not to make a cushion. By doing so we can smock as many covers as we want and can store them in a small place.We can change them whenever we want by untying the knot that holds the the pleats on one side. Long thread can be used while stitching the pleats and then the extra thread remains after tying cab be pushed in side the opening.By doing so we need not stitch the pleats again. Washing covers is easier than washing cushions.
There is another method in which poly fill is directly filled in the smocked cover and openings are covered with cloth covered buttons.

Continued in newer posts.............

TAST 2010 Week 26 Chained Cross Stitch

This is my trial of chained cross stitch

Round cushion with leaf design

Method of calculating the fabric needed for smocking done by joining two points- "Leaf design"

Measurement of the cushion= 40 cm x 40 cm.
Size of the squares on which smocking is done= 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm
Design= " Leaf design"
Two columns of squares marked with diagonals are worked together while smocking. These form one column of smocked design. These columns are separated by columns of gaps on which smocking is not done.
Two columns of diagonals are separated by one column of gap. These are repeated to get the measurement we need.
 First and last columns should be of columns with diagonals.
So there will be even numbers of smocked columns and gaps will one less.
In the above design square which are marked green are the squares on which smocking is done.
Draw a square of side 2.5 cm and measure its diagonal. If we are accurate it will be 3.535. Let us take 3.5 cm.
After smocking 4 squares of the first column (filled with red stripes) the width will be half of the diagonal that is 1.75 cm.
The length will be equal to the diagonal of the square that is 3.5 cm.
There will be no change in the measurement of gaps
Keeping this calculation as basis we have to find out the number of squares we have to mark in each row and how many rows we need to get the size of cushion we need.

Width

Width of 2 smocked squares + 1 gap = 1.75 cm + 2.5 cm =4.25 cm .By dividing the width of the cushion by 4.25.
40/4.25 = 9.41
We have to repeat the design 9 times 4.25 x 9= 38.25
Last column of smocked squares =1.75 cm
So we need 10 pairs of columns marked with diagonals separated by 9 columns of gaps.
We have to mark 29 squares in each row
Width of these squares after smocking will be
1.75 cm x 10 no’s =17.5 cm
Width of 9 gaps =2.5 cm x 9 =22.5 cm
2.5 cm border added on each side for seams and for wastage while stitching.
2.5 c m x 2 no’s =5 cm
Total =17.50 cm +22.50 cm + 5 c m= 45 cm.

Length

After smocking 2 rows will be equal to the diagonal of the square we are working on.
Length of 2 rows after smocking =3.5 cm
Divide length of the cushion 40 cm by 3.5 cm
40/3.5 cm= 11. We have to repeat these two rows 11 times.
We have to mark 22 rows.
2.5 cm border is added on each side for seams and for wastage while smocking.

Material needed

Width= (2.5 cm x 29) + 5 cm =77.5 cm
Length= (2.5 cm x 22 rows) + 5 cm = 60 cm
In the same way you can calculate the material needed for cushions of different sizes and of different designs .If you change the measurement of the square of the graph calculate the diagonal accordingly and proceed.

Do Canadian smocking by joining two points following the above graph

TAST 2010 Week 25 Vandyke Stitch

This is my trial of Vandyke stitch.I feel it is suitable for borders and ferns.Best for centipedes and millipedes !

Cushion with squares Graph

Siennese stitch

This week Sharon has introduced siennese stitch.This is my trial

Waved chain stitch

This stitch is from TAST 2010 week 23 from Sharonb's pin tangle.I am taking part in this challenge for the first time.It is fun.We can see how a particular stitch can be used in different ways.I feel this stitch is suitable for sea weeds,ferns and cacti.Using this I have also done some cute flowers and a small butterfly.