checks and crochet

A while back I bought some vintage Viyella wool/cotton check fabric which, as usual, has been sitting on a shelf for some time, waiting patiently for the right project to come along. I love the shades of blues, olive, cream and brown that criss cross one another. Then there's the feel of it, ooh so comfy, soft, cosy; just like a familiar pair of pajamas.

I've also been hoarding an ever increasing supply of vintage crocheted doilies in a variety of shades, shapes and sizes. I can't get enough of these, they are everywhere in Blogland now and for such good reason since they lift a project no end. Including this one, I think.

So I made this cushion cover, combining the mannish-ness of the checks with the girly-ness of the doily, which I am completely in love with at this moment in time. I attached interfacing to the fabric for extra sturdiness and backed the cover with a couple of pieces of antique unbleached linen, complete with slubby texture, also keeping the original neatly hand-stitched hem that would have been done a couple of centuries ago.

I'm also totally enjoying making purses at the moment, they're really satisfying my zipping urge. With this one I went a step further than the checks and the crochet ... Liberty, aah yes, a touch of floral always does the trick! You can find it here.

Now then, who's for some haggis?