Modern stained glass windows are the inspiration for our latest design; the bold outlines around the jewel-like pieces of glass; the contrast of colours and the way the light shines through to illuminate the design – beautiful!
Then I got to thinking how I could create a similar effect with the Aso-oke fabric in my store cupboard… what could I use for the leading effect? How many colours would I need? I couldn’t wait to get home to scribble down the design.
I am a big fan of combining fabrics using patchwork and applique techniques, but that’s not the effect I was looking for this time. I wanted to create the same bold contrast as the stained glass pieces held in place by the leading.
For the prototype I used a selection of Aso Oke fabrics made with Lurex warp and cotton weft yarns. This composition produces a shimmering and iridescent fabric that I thought would give me the illuminated effect I was after.
After free-styling the pieces together I appliqued the satin bias ribbon to represent the leading and then piped the edges with the same bias ribbon. I used bronzed brown denim for the cushion back.
Following a couple of other design revisions I finally decided to use brightly coloured 100% cotton Aso Oke. I mounted the pieces onto a fusible interfacing, I then appliqued grosgrain ribbon strips, in specific order, to ensure that all the ends were neatly covered. With the front panel completed I tried a number of reverse fabric options and settled on denim – it ticks all the boxes for design and durability.
We are planning to add the ‘Stained Glass’ design to our Bespoke Templates, so that you can choose your own fabrics and create your own unique cushion/s.
We currently have a range of ‘Stained Glass’ cushions in the shop and all are available on back order.
