Sew a ruffle cushion, as seen on 'The Great British Sewing Bee' : free sewing pattern

You will need

• 40cm medium- to heavy-weight closely woven fabric, at least 115cm wide
• 1.4m 4cm-wide striped grosgrain ribbon
• Matching 50cm concealed zip
• Matching sewing thread
• 50cm x 30cm cushion pad

To make

1. Cut two pieces of fabric, each 52cm x 32cm and cut the ribbon into two equal lengths.

2. Lay a cushion piece wrong side down on a flat surface. Turn one end of the ribbon under 1cm twice to make a double hem and, with right sides together, pin this end to one short edge of the cushion piece, 1.5cm from the end. Make even pleats, about 3cm wide with a return of about 1.5cm, pinning each one to edge of fabric as you go, and finishing 1.5cm from end. At the end, turn under another 1cm double hem. Tack, then stitch grosgrain to fabric using a 1cm seam allowance. Pleat and stitch grosgrain to other end of cushion in the same way, ensuring pleats lie in same direction.

3. Insert concealed zip along one long edge between the two cushion cover pieces, with 3cm allowance at either end. Open the zip, then pin the two cover pieces with right sides together around outer edges. With the piece with the ruffle uppermost, stitch the two layers together, taking a 1cm seam allowance. Stitch inside the ruffle stitching so it won’t show on the right side and take care not to catch the side of the ruffle in the seam. Trim off a triangle of fabric at each corner. Turn the cover right side out and press. Insert the cushion pad and zip up.

This ruffle cushion pattern is taken from 'The Great British Sewing Bee' by Tessa Evelegh (Quadrille, £20).

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