Showa Inspired Floor Cushion

This cushion was made as the household item required for my City and Guilds Certificate in Patchwork and Quilting. It also satisfied the requirement for a mainly quilted item.

I began with photos of traditiona Kuba cloth from the Democratic Republic of Congo and by drawing some of the line patterns I found there:

 From this exercise I drew some of my own designs which initially I rejected as too complicated for the simple look I wanted.  

I went back to simplfying the variable square shapes on kuba cloth and then to think about how I might lay the squares on the cloth and how they might be joined in some  way   or quilted to give a variety of texture. I decided on some Italian corded quilting to make the lines for the original design within which squares nested ( and probably because it was in my mind having done as sample of it at a class at show.) I worked a sample

 The smalls squares are dark fabric bonded to Pelmet Vilene and satin stitched edges. The middle square was wadding and the lines were made with ribbon couched down, Italian cording and free motion quilting.  Although my final design did not use some of these elements they will not be wasted - now I have reminded myself of them writing this up I am inspired all over again to work these ideas into something else!

I then played with various layouts and sampled shades of fabric paint, weights of threads and fabric choices.I decided on a simple envelope back and to make that flap interesting I reverted to one of my 'too complicated patterns' for hand quilting a border, making an ink diagram which I taped to the patio door with the fabric taped over it. I then traced onto the fabric with a water soluble pen.  The fastenings were made from hand twisted cord and a two perfect beads.