An Unicorn Cushion for yourself

Equipment

• BERNINA 770 or BERNINA 570
• Embroidery module corresponding to machine
• Maxi Embroidery Hoop (B 770)
• Large oval hoop (B 770 and B 570)
• Midi hoop - optional
• Sew Table
• Knee lifter
• Unicorn design on USB Stick – large for B 770 and small for B 570
• Seam guide
• BSR
• Included Feet used – #97D, #4D, #1D, #20C

Extra Accessories

• Foot #10 D
• Ruler foot #72
• Echo quilting clips (optional)
• Straight Ruler from Sit-down Ruler set
• Tula Hardware – Scissors and snips

Materials

• Tula Pink Pinkerville Fabric
• Fairy Dust Cotton Candy and Daydream – cream and purple - PWTP133
  2 x 4 ¾” (12cm) squares cut to make 4 x triangles of each (1/2 square triangles)
• Imaginarium Cotton Candy with Unicorn - PWTP127
  1 x 14” x 4.3/8” (35.5cm x 11cm), 1 x 17.4/8” x 2 6/8” (44.5cm x 7cm)
• Daydream purple fabric for backing
  20” x 20” (51 x 51cm) - PWTP 129
• Lilac cotton fabric for embroidery
  13” x 21” (33 x 53.5cm). Final size about 11” x 12” (28 x 30.5 cm)
  Green cotton fabric for decorative stitches 1 x 3 6/8” x 12”(10 x 31cm)
• Turquoise cotton for the piping (spray with starch and dry before cutting)
  Cut in 1.1/4” (3cm) strips on the bias. 6 ft (180cm) is the final length needed, it can also be shorter lengths sewn together to save on fabric.
• Muslin 2 x 20” x 20” (51 x 51cm) for backing – optional (I personally do not think it is necessary to back a cushion front) – you never see it!

   

Other materials

• Heavy tear-away stabilizer to fit hoop
• And as backing for decorative stitching
• Cotton batting 2 x 20” x 20” (51 x 51cm)
• Piping cord ½” x 6 ft (180cm)
• Cushion inner – 18” x 18”
• Zipper 19”
• Needles – SUK 80 for embroidery
• Quilting needle 80 for piecing and quilting.
• 505 Spray
• Spray starch
• Pins and wonderclips
• Self threading hand needle
• Wash away marker

Threads

• Mettler Isacord or Poly sheen colors for unicorn embroidery
• Contrasting embroidery threads for decorative stitching
• Mettler silk finish for quilting
• Mettler bobbinfil
• Mettler Metrosene to sew the project together.

Tips: I like to starch my cotton fabrics before I cut. Press as you go and neaten threads away to the back using a self-threading hand needle and tie them off.

Embroidery

1. Hoop the stabilizer and the lilac fabric and attach Foot #26 and the straight stitch plate
2. Embroider the unicorn following the colors suggested, remove the stabilizer and trim the piece to width 11” (28cm) and height 12” (30.5cm)

Decorative Stitches​

1. Attach foot #20 and the 9mm stitch plate.
2. Using the tear away stabilizer as a backing, stitch your favorite combinations of Tula stitches on the green fabric – 3 rows look good use the seam guide screwed into the back of the foot to stay straight – in a contrasting color of embroidery thread.

Piecing

1. Attach the Foot #97” engage dual feed and the straight stitch plate.
2. Stitch the panel to the right of the unicorn panel– ¼” (6mm) seam
3. Sew the floral strip below the unicorn
4. Stitch together the ½ square triangles with a ¼” (6mm) seam
5. Creating a strip, attach to the right of the unicorn with a ¼” (6mm)seam
6. Sew the last floral strip to the top of the panel with a ¼” (6mm) seam
7. Press well

Back panel

1. To prepare the back panel, lightly spray the batting and place it ¾” (2cm) in from one edge of the purple fabric (this will create the zipper flap.
2. Sandwich the panel with the muslin and quilt as you wish. This fabric makes an excellent free-motion “warm up” panel

Front panel - Quilting and Embroidery

1. Place batting (and muslin optional) behind the panel.
2. Thread the machine with mettler silk finish and quilt the area around with unicorn using echo quilting – foot #72 and the echo quilting clips? or as shown in with BSR and a fantasy effect. Which I drew on first with chalk.
3. Quilt the floral fabric as you wish, it is nice to highlight the flowers and leaves. Rulerwork looks effective on the half-square triangles.
4. Hoop the Tear away in the large oval hoop
5. Attach Foot #26. Contasting thread and using the anniversary font, program “Unicorns do exist” Size is 1” high and 8” long. Rotate to fit in the hoop
6. Mark the center postiton of the design on the floral panel
7. Spray the stabilizer with 505 and attach the panel (so the block to be  embroidered is positioned correctly in the middle of the hoop)
8. Embroider and tear off the stabilizer, press.

Zipper

So there is no panel matching, is it best to insert the zipper on the lower edge.

1. Pin the zipper to the panel right sides together attach the Zipper Foot #4D and engage dual feed, needle position far left.  Sew the length of the zipper, secure well at both ends.
2. Fold over the zipper edge ¾” (2cm) and pin once again so the flap overlaps 1/8” (3mm) over one side of the zipper tape. Needle position 4 right and use the 5/8” (1.5cm) marking on the stitch plate as a guide. Stitch the flap.  The remaining zipper tape becomes the edge of the panel. Close the zipper.

Piping

1. To decorate the bias strip for the piping, first mark the center with the wash-away marker and select the decorative stitch of your choice – here and with Foot #20 and the 9mm stitch plate stitch, using a contrast thread stitch down the center of the strip
2. Attach Foot #12D, needle position 4
3. Wrap the strip around the piping cord and stich down the length of fabric
4. Starting in the center of top of the front panel

1. Pin the piping strip to the cushion right sides together. Remove the piping cord from the strip where it overlaps to reduce bulk the move the needle position at 3 and attach with the piping on top. At the corners, notch the piping in several places to help it curve nicely.
2. With right sides together, pin the top and the bottom panel together. Sew both panels together. If the piping foot doesn’t move very well, another alternative is the Zipper Foot #4D
3. Trim the seam allowance and turn through. Stuff with

Enjoy!