Make a pretty cushion - from a tea towel

You will need:
two tea towels
3 buttons of your choice
matching sewing thread
40cm square cushion pad

Cut one 41.5cm square for the cushion back, one piece 41.5cm x 40cm for the lower front, retaining the tea towel hem, and one 41.5cm x 25cm piece for the upper cushion. All seams are sewn right side facing, taking 1.5cm seam allowances. Stitch the lower front to the back at the unhemmed edges and clip across the corners. Stitch the upper front to the back, leaving 1.5cm at each end of the seam unstitched.

Press a 5mm turning onto the wrong side of the three unstitched edges of the upper front. Press and topstitch a 1cm hem on the side edges and a 4cm hem on the leading edge of the upper front.

Turn the cushion through to the right side. Machine stitch three buttonholes in the leading edge of the upper cushion front and sew on three buttons to match.

Feature: Catherine Woram. Photo: Mark Scott. Illustrations: Terry Evans