Bolster

For an opulent Regency look

Posted by Aurum Press

About

Make up a pair of bolster cushions in elegant aqua damask trimmed with gold braid and piping for an opulent Regency look. The braid was mounted onto some of the piping fabric, both for coordination and to create a wider-looking braid.

FINISHED SIZE
Length 45cm (18in), diameter 22cm (81?2in)

CUTTING OUT
• Cut one piece of damask 73 x 48cm (283?4 x 191?4in)
• Cut a paper circle with a 25cm (10in) diameter and use this as a pattern to cut out two circles of damask for the ends
• Cut two strips of shot silk, 74 x 7cm (29 x 3in) for the trims

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You Will Need (9 things)

  • 1.5m (11?2yd) gold Braid
  • 1.5m (11?2yd) fine Piping Cord
  • 50cm (3?4yd) sho Silk for the piping and trims
  • 50cm (3?4yd) Silk damask
  • Invisible Zipper , 36cm (14in) long
  • Bolster Cushion Pad , 22cm (81?2in) diameter x 45cm (18in) long
  • For each bolster :
  • Thread
  • Paper for the pattern

Steps (5 steps, 180 minutes)

  1. 1

    On the two cut strips of silk, fold both long edges into the centre on the wrong side and press. Cut the braid in
    half and pin one piece onto the right side of each strip of folded silk, positioning it centrally along the length. Hand-stitch it in place along both edges of the braid, taking tiny stitches on the right side and long stitches on the reverse.

  2. 2

    Pin and baste one silk-and-braid strip 6cm (2?2in) in from one long edge of the damask. Repeat with the other strip
    along the other long side. Using a zipper foot, stitch close to the braid along both sides of the trim. Now insert
    the zipper, which is positioned centrally in the single seam. Stitch the section of seam remaining at each end of the zipper

  3. 3

    Make up the cording in shot silk. Cut the length of cording in half. With the raw edges of the cording meeting the raw edge of the right side of the bolster cover, pin the cording around one edge; leave 4cm (11?2in) of excess cording at the ends and start and stop pinning 2.5cm (1in) away from the seam line. Baste the cording in place and then, using a zipper foot, stitch close to the cording.

  4. 4

    Now join the ends of the cording together. First, unpick about 2.5cm (1in) of the silk on both ends to reveal the piping cord. Pin one side of the seam allowance to the damask. Then, allowing a joining seam allowance, trim the silk along the straight grain. Stitch the seam to join the two pieces of silk. Cut the piping cords to length and hand-stitch the ends together. Wrap the silk back around the cord and, using the zipper foot, finish off stitching the cording to the damask. In the same way, apply cording to the other end of the bolster cover.

  5. 5

    Unzip the zipper and turn the bolster cover wrong side out.
    With right sides together, pin one circular piece of damask to one end of the bolster. Use the zipper foot to stitch
    it in place, following the stitch line securing the cording. Repeat with the other end. Cut notches into the curved seam, then turn the cover through to the right side and insert the bolster pad.