Sunny cushions to break up the monotone

The great thing about a black and white or neutral base for a room is that it's easy to change the look by adding your current colour/s of choice. It's no secret that yellow is the hue of the moment for me so its no surprise that I've added some cushions with yellow tones to our living room. 

Renowned interior designer, Patricia Gray wrote on her blog that "yellow wakes up a room like the rising sun, it is cheerful and uplifting" and I follow her sentiment. For a little uplifting sunshine in our own living room, I started by adding some yellow wooden beads from Bali (see more here).

I'm now working on some abstract artwork in pink and yellow (see more here). 

Textiles were just the obvious thing to add next. After plenty of practise with other cushions (here and here), I sewed four 30 x 50cm lumbar cushions in a yellow and white striped fabric and a floral fabric with yellow, pink, white and a touch of purple.

Both fabrics were found at a nearby Spotlight and were around $10 and $12 per metre.

I am partial to a fresh flower and yellow orchids are a real fave at the moment, for their longevity and their vibrant colour. 

Once the artwork is complete, that should be enough yellow. I don't want to go overboard, just a few pops of colour to bring some life to an otherwise monotone space.

Crazy for cushions

After sewing a pair of European cushions from Simplicity pattern 5600, the cushion bug had taken hold so I started making one of the other very simple patterns for a small square cushion. Using an ornage trellis fabric from Spotlight, I sewed a pair of cushions for my mum's outdoor area.

 Envelope closure on orange trellis cushions

Now I'm feeling confident on the basic cushion, I've adapted the pattern to fit a 30 x 50cm lumbar cushion. Using a Greek key pattern in an off white and rust colour, these three cushions are now on armchairs at my mum's place.

Greek key fabric from Spotlight

It was a process of experimentation and improving my own pattern so the envelope closure is on a different spot on each of the three cushions. By the final cushion, I put the opening three-quarters of the way along (as per photo below), making it easier to insert a long skinny cushion into the cover.

Envelope closure on Greek key lumbar cushions

Now that I've worked out the dimensions that work best, I've cut my own pattern from brown craft paper. When I get the urge to whip up a cushion, this makes it so much quicker as all the deliberating over measurements has been done.

I've now started making cushions for my own place, the first being this yellow one above. Creating something in the space of a weekday evening is so satisfying. Now I must get back to learning to insert a zip.

Cushy, cushion love - part two

There's a certain fabric pattern catching my eye of late. Sometimes called trellis, Moroccan tile, riad, or Moorish, the simple repeated graphic catches my eye. You may remember me loving it on a bedhead in Sex and the City 2 or on curtains at Black and Spiro. I'm on the hunt for cushions again as I'm not so sure about the ones chosen in my last search. A few in the Windsor Smith Riad fabric paired with some coordinating graphical prints - like links, diamonds or squares - could do nicely. Perhaps...

 Trellis fret work cushion by Nena Von on Etsy

 Trellis fret work cushion by Nena Von on Etsy

 Pop by Sheridan Jiro pillowcase

 Trellis fret work lumbar cushion by Nena Von on Etsy

Circles and Squares cushion by Olive and Joy (Florence Broadhurst fabric)

Link cushion by Milk and Cookies on Etsy

Decisions, decisions!

There were not enough hours in the day for Sartorial Sunday today. I searched the web for pics of my new jacket to no avail and it's far too dark and late to take any myself. Lovers of chilled Sunday fashions - I apologise.

Cushy, cushion love

Want, want, want. I must stop wanting, I must stop wanting. I must not dream of having piles of cool and quirky cushions. I must not dream of having an interior designer at my fingertips to advise me on which cool and quirky cushions would look especially cool and quirky on my couch. To dissipate my obsession, I am sharing my cushy, cushion love with you. If there is an interior designer lurking inside you, set it free and tell me your pillow preferences.

Rumble cushion by Make Me Iconic $80

Ampersand cushion by Auntie Cookie $45

Portrait cushion by Me and Amber

Eye Chart cushion by Artful Home $95

Danica cushion by Collection of Cool $39.95

Black music cushion by Town and Country Style

Black dragonfly cushion by Town and Country Style