Sewing School // Chevron Scrap Cushion

Hey sweets,

This weeks Sewing School we've been dabbling in a little bit of patchwork! Had no idea it would be so much fun, we may become quilting addicts, seriously enjoyable and the results are just soo cute! So here it is, step-by-step, our chevron scrap cushion!





You will need:

Several different patterned fabrics cut into 10 - 2.5"x5" rectangles
Plain cotton 20 cut into - 2.5" squares
Plus plain cotton amount dependent on your cushion size.

sewing basics - measuring tape, pins, scissors, thread, machine (though could easily be hand-sewn if you have the patience!)



Step 1: Mark out your squares. There is probably a more sophisticated way of doing this, but we're just teaching ourselves as we go along... Once marked up, cut your squares and rectangles out...




Step 2: Lay your fabrics out in the order you want them so that you know the order & direction of your stiches (the significance of this will make sense in a moment)...



Step 3: Pin 2 squares to the front of your patterned rectangles. Repeat for all rectangles.



Step 4: Start sewing from corner to corner, in the same direction on each square (see pictures below)



See below - we used a yellow thread so that you can see the stitches. **Remember to alternate the direction of stitches to create the zig-zag effect.**



Step 5: Cut the corners of the pieces off just above the stitches.



Step 6: Open out the rectangle and press the seams flat like this:



Step 7: Layout in your order again, ready to start piecing your patches together?



Step 8: Place the pieces face to face and stich straight along the edge (as close as you can!)



Keep going until you've attached your entire row like below and press the seams (pressing addicts, like things to look neat as we go along!)



Step 9: Repeat with the second row, then fix the top and bottom (again by sewing along the edge, face to face, don't forget to press after!)



Step 10: Cut 2 strips of plain cotton the length of your panel (ours were 2.5" wide to fit on our cushion) - sew to the top and bottom.




Step 11: Repeat with cotton for the sides, cut to the height of your panel (again adjusting the width according to your cushion size.) and press (of course!)... So here is the panel, ours isn't perfect, but it sure is pretty!



Rather stupidly (blame our enthusiasm, we were so excited at how lovely it was looking we couldn't wait to finish!) we forgot to photograph the next steps so bare with us while we attempt to explain how to turn it into a simple envelope cushion.

Cut 2 panels for the back, to the size of your cushion panel and so that they will overlap, with a little extra for seam allowance. Hem the edges that will form the overlap. then pin to the panel, face to face and sew all round the edges, flip inside out - et Voilá - One super cute patchwork cushion!

Hope you enjoy, it's really easy once you get into the swing of it, we've definitely caught the quilting bug, may have to set aside some time away from the collection to work on more patchwork projects!

Much love,
R&L
xx

If You Could...

Hey lovers, Lauren here today

If you could do anything tomorrow, what would you do?

That is the lingering question posed by designers Will Hudson and Alex Bec, in an ongoing experimental project to graphically illustrate the enthralling, and occasionally utterly bizarre desires of our contemporary artists. The idea is simple, answer the question by drawing what you would do. I first stumbled across this project whilst doing research for Article, a magazine I wrote for at University. The ability with which it has progressed is astonishing. Encouraging simplistic yet personal creativity, the 'If You Could' project has the aptitude to engage a considerable audience with its exciting blend of light-heartedness with a thought-provoking and stimulating concept.

Inspired, the question remains, how would those without the artistic dexterity of Kandinsky respond to such a matter? A couple of years ago now (ah, time flies), I decided to explore this a little further and put it to a bunch of my friends to send back their responses - I think it was put on out on MySpace, that's how long ago it was!

I then thought it would be cute to represent their answers, as intended, with playful illustrations...
1. I'd dance at the front of a Rolling Stones gig - circa 1973 ish.
2. I'd go to Turkey and find the love of my life
3. I'd fly to New York without a plane
4. I'd rob a bank, with a banana



1. I'd explore a castle in Slovenia
2. I'd be given £10,000,000 and go on a plane
3. I'd pack my bags and see the world
4. I'd dance all day, listen to good music I've never heard before, eat nice food and make love to some beautiful girls!



1. I'd go to the peaks
2. I'd dance...
3. I'd get sexually explicit with 12 beautiful women whilst eating fried chicken from a bucket
4. I'd go to Alton Towers



1. I'd wake up with absolute knowledge and have a coin-operated boy
2. I'd take magic mushrooms and go to the zoo with nice people and nice faces!

It would seem; the bunch of romantic, mushroom munching, thrill-seeking, not to mention cultured, wanderers would swap their material luxuries in a second for an idyllic life, travelling and viewing the world through rose-tinted raybans.

Without wishing to get all Louis Theroux on you (not that there's owt wrong with that, we love Louis!) it does appear to provoke further questions. It's questionable whether everyone feels that they are missing out on the subtleties of life such as exploring an enchanting castle or taking some time out to explore the world in our quest to succeed financially and set up home.

However, obtainable or not, it always fun to imagine what would you would do if there were no limits imposed and set yourself life goals - which for me has transgressed from being a ballerina, a spice girl, and air hostess in the 60s (which I understand, is a goal that might have a been a little hard to obtain in 2006 and more recently, a bohemian, troubled artist. Here, at Twee Towers we're always setting ourselves goals, foremost to keep us organised and secondly, to keep us sane when our workload gets a bit crazy... we WILL dress Jedward one day!

So, what would you do? To have a look at some of the designers' input on the project, take a look here!

Much love,
L xx

After Dinner Dance Party // Vinyl Revival Pt. 3

Not long before we moved into Twee Towers we decided we'd go for a pre-move rummage at a local car boot sale to see what treasures we could unearth for our soon to be abode. Besides the sweet vintage floral plates and strange side tables we picked up, and tucked between stalls laden with garish eighties cast offs and slightly creepy figurines we found a chap with suitcases full of records, who looked on slightly baffled at these two young ladies getting stupidly excited by the dusty vinyl gems they were discovering in his boot. Some of our most prized posessions and particularly special as they were our first joint purchases... So, from that little collection we gathered that day we bring you this weeks Vinyl Revival album, "The Most of Herman's Hermits"




You'd have to be living under a rock to not have heard their track "I'm into something good" - this album also includes "I'm Henry the VII, I am" (you'll know it well if you've ever seen Ghost!), and their playful cover of George Formby's "Leaning on a Lamp Post" - we love how they take ownership and reinvent Formby's hit nearly 30 years after its appearence in the 1937 film Feather Your Nest. The highlight for us however is most certainly 'No Milk Today'...

Happy dancing :)

Much love
R&L xx

ps. check out our Facebook page for a bonus track!

A Silent Recipe Film - Chocolate & Violet Cupcakes...

Hey Sweets,

We thought it was about time to do another recipe post (we love sharing our Twee Treats!), and we thought we may as well 'mix it up' a little for you... So She Dressed in Black presents our very first Silent Movie: 'Chocolate and Violet Cupcakes'




The Ingredients:

Cakes -

75g cocoa powder
225ml Boiling water
125g softened butter
275g light muscavado sugar
2 eggs
200g plain flour
2tsps baking powder

Icing -

115g softened butter
60ml semi-skimmed milk
1tsp vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
1-2tbsp Violet Syrup
Violet Sugar for decoration

Notes:

- Oven set to 180°
- Bake for 25 mins (poke with bamboo skewer to check if its done - if it comes out clean, tis ready!)
- Leave to cool before icing
- Enjoy!





Editors Note: Video length does not represent actual time to bake. We don't move at super-human speed, unfortunately.

Much love.
R&L xx

ps. Special thanks to J for his cinegraphic & editing skills!