The plumpest of them all

I am glad to report that the Princess Bunchy cushion project which started here has finally been completed, to the satisfaction of all. In between scaling the mountain of sheets which the morning brought, I pieced together the cushion of which you had a tantalizing little glimpse last week.

There was much discussion of buttons and in the late afternoon as I was amongst the peaks of the linen hills, I thought that I had finished, being under the impression that buttons were not required, being cheek denting to reposing royalty, but no, the princess insisted on exploring the farthest reaches of my button boxes and there was much in the way of pondering and setting out and rearranging and I had time to hang out more washing and wonder why small dogs have a penchant for pegs and enjoy picking my best jumbo pegs out of the basket and running off with them just when I want to peg out big chunky bathmats . . . although to find them you just have to follow the trail of chewed wooden dolly pegs to behind the greenhouse and then when you are back indoors ready to stitch on the buttons in the prescribed arrangement you find that said small dog smells, no smells is not the word, the Great Stink is what comes to mind, and then the small dog must be introduced to the concept of bathing by a princess, no less, and then you find small dog rolled up in a towel and smelling of coconut by the Aga having been carefully and royally deposited there with just a little black nose sticking out, unable to move. So then you have to release small dog from captivity being worried about the perils of rheumatism inherent in being left wrapped in a damp towel, at which point rheumaticky old dog settles herself to sleep on damp towel . . .

And then you try to remember what you were doing before the shaggy dog tale began, and oh yes, a dozen buttons to sew on a cushion which will not need many buttons . . .

But all is finished now - another lovely project from Cute and Easy Quilting and Stitching - thank you, Charlotte Liddle, and thank you, Cico Books - you have made a little princess very happy, and kept her mother happily stitching which is much more fun than grubbing around in the foothills of the laundry pile.

So there we see them, all lined up in a row - I am afraid that it is quite impossible for you to admire them in situ in the disarray of Bunchy's bedroom, for you would be quite shocked that a princess could live in such a, shall we say, busy environment, and in fact you would hardly get in through the door such is the agglomeration of artefacts on the floor, and actually it is preferable to avert one's gaze.

Much better to admire the soft furnishings sitting undisturbed in the wilds of the front garden and notice how beautifully they coordinate with each other, and how lovingly stitched they are. The regal opinion is that the John Lewis innards score highest on plumpness, a plumpness which is retained under pressure.

And if you would like to make such plump and cosy cushions for your own little princes and princesses, the one on the left was made using an Accuquilt pattern available here, and the rosette and unicorn cushions on the right were made following instructions in Charlotte Liddle's Cute and Easy Quilting and Stitching.

As for me, it's once more unto the ironing, dear friends, or maybe to the bleach, if the birds have been divebombing the washing line again . . .