In life we are faced with many decisions: Which shirt to wear to the dinner party tonight? Which pair of shoes do I buy? Chicken or beef? Well, one of the most nerve wrecking decisions we will make in our life is which stone shape to get? Well I am here to help ease some of that nervous feeling and uncertainty. This week we will look at one of the most beautiful and most sort after stones, The Cushion Cut.

The Cushion Cut diamond is an antique cut that is a cross between an Old Mine Cut diamond and the Modern Oval cut that was very popular in the early 20th century. They are sometimes referred to as Pillow Cut because they were square to rectangular with rounded corners and sides that resemble a pillow.

The Cushion cut diamond has a softer look due to the rounded corners than a Princess cut or a Radiant cut which are more geometric and with harder edges. While there is no cut criteria that defines an ideal cut cushion cut diamond, there are combinations of proportions that would look better than others. Those of you that prefer a look that is different than a round diamond but with a softer feel and brilliance might consider a Cushion Cut.

So before you go to bed tonight, take a good look at your pillow, think Cushion Cut, think unique, think R. Lazarre Consulting!!! Be safe and choose wisely.

Alex the Lion

I was delighted to be asked recently to produce a lion cushion for a little boy called Jack who had seen the block for Bertie’s Blanket and thought the lazy lion looked like Alex from the Madagascar film.

Jack has taken delivery of his cushion, thanks to a very kind friend of ours who couriered it and safely delivered it by hand to his mummy.  He likes it and his mummy likes.  I can let my breath out now!

I love doing these cushions, pictures and blankets but can never quite believe that people like them as much as I do.  I’m delighted!

barry the buzzy bee

Whilst making Jack’s cushion, I realised that there is a little character who is starting to appear on a lot of my pictures….

The little character is a buzzy bee and I’ve decided to call him “Barry’.

We have a local bee keeper who is called Barry and he very kindly gave us a talk and tour of some of his hives during the summer while we were out on a bike ride. He now sell his honey through our local butcher and a jar is always in our kitchen cupboard.  We have orders from our friend’s kids for his honey too.  He is a busy bee keeper.

Anyway, I’d quite like to keep bees myself but until a time when I can, I like the wee bee in my pictures and I like Barry’s honey so it seems fitting to call my wee bee Barry.

I hope Barry doesn’t mind.

Darlee Ten Star Swivel Cast Aluminum Bar Stool With Cushion Review

Darlee Ten Star Swivel Cast Aluminum Bar Stool With Cushion Feature

Darlee Ten Star Swivel Cast Aluminum Bar Stool With Cushion Overview

Cast Aluminum Construction. Color: Antique Bronze. Chair Dimensions (in inches): 25 W x 24 D x 46 H. Seat Dimensions (in inches): 21 W x 19 D x 30 H. Cushions included (Color: Brown). Welded. Some assembly required.

Cheap Darlee Ten Star Swivel Cast Aluminum Bar Stool With Cushion

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Teak Chaise Lounger + White Cushion – Furniture For Your Patio and Garden! Review

Teak Chaise Lounger + White Cushion – Furniture For Your Patio and Garden! Feature

• Solid Java Teak
• Minimal assembly to attach wheels
• Stain or weather naturally
• 24w x 78d x 13h
• 165 – Shipping

Teak Chaise Lounger + White Cushion – Furniture For Your Patio and Garden! Overview

Our egronomically designed multi-position Chaise Lounge is made from solid Teak using mortise and tennon joinery. Custom fit cushion is covered with a soft-faced washable cotton with reinforced piping, tiedowns and notched corners for a snug fit.

Cheap Teak Chaise Lounger + White Cushion – Furniture For Your Patio and Garden!

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By : sallyenglanddesign on etsy

Not just any other ordinary cushion . Mr Moustache will sure charm his way through your heart with his not one,not two,not three but four interchangeable velcro moustaches in shapes of Fu Manchu,trucker,gentleman,& salt ‘n’pepper.All this moustaches can be neatly stored away in a clear pocket at the back of the cushion.

Tamian’s frustration

Tamian is now very frustrated. He called me yesterday and we spoke for about five minutes before my cell phone battery lost all of its energy. As I connected the cell phone to the charger and plugged it in the socket, I felt confident that my phone would be ready again in another fifteen minutes or so and before the night was over, it would be fully charged for the day ahead.

Unlike Tamian, I am not frustrated at all right now. Maybe it is because my expectations were lower than his from the very beginning of this journey. Instead of the frustration, I am feeling a great deal of sadness for my country of birth. However, I am also thanking God and the great Universe for bringing this wonderful boy into our lives at this time. He is a good boy; a boy that reminds me of my own sons. I can just imagine how tiny Antonio was at birth – just like this one. I remember the day they were born as if it was yesterday. I sat on the hospital bed and looked into their souls, once when I was in my early twenties and then again when I was thirty while I thought about my purpose here on earth. I was a mother and a wife; a daughter and a sister; I knew what I wanted and so did they.

Many years later, I am here at this place with so many of you. I know what I want out of life and so do you. We all need each other in one way or the other; to express our feelings through Antonio’s story.

Men still rule

In Jamaica, men still rule. We women sometimes think we do but when it comes time for the IMPORTANT matters to be settled, such as who will conduct the “search” or who will sign the ”form,” we realize again that the seeds, while they might be vulnerable, they are designed to last for years without dying.

Jamaica is dormant like dried seeds. Because of many factors, our men have lost their way and turned over their primary responsibilities to women. As a result, we are in a constant war of the sexes and the genders. It is now being manifested in our music in ways that are alien to the eyes. Men are now trying their best to “match up” to the skillful females in the dancehall and on stage. It is so sad to see what is happening…men looking like helpless monkeys trying to calm roaring lions braced against their cages. But is this really what is happening in the Dancehall called Jamaica? Or is it that our men are still superior?

Is it going to take a man or a woman to get Antonio some asistance? I guarantee that whosoever steps up to the plate will have an impact on this boy’s life forever. So, will it be the men?

Cushion and cardboard ( a message for the Governor General).

Last week I met a church sister in the fabric store

She was looking for some material by the door

For the church benches are just too hard these days

When cool air blows and the Governor General prays

When pickney sleep on cardboard in the dead of night

Curled up like a snake on Jamaica’s back they fight

Faces pressed on brown cardboard instead of cushion

We spread out on red cushion instead of a cardboard demonstration 

Church benches are not supposed to be covered with cushion

We should not be sitting long enough there to get a vision

Church benches should be made from cardboard boxes

Versatile enough to accommodate our bottoms and our messages

How dare they even think of redoing those benches

When children are running away under fences?

How dare they think of redoing those benches

When homeless pickney de pon di street in trenches? 

It is time that we take the family life programmes to the streets

Save the children before we save their soul, that’s how we do it!

Ask the Governor General if him want cushion seat or see their feet 

And I guarantee you he will refuse the comfort and accept the heat.

flopsy's boyfriend 'fred'

I have made quite a few bits lately and I have even got my mum busy for Tinyinc too.

I’ve had an odd commission and a few of my bits are in a shop now.  It is so nice to have your efforts appreciated and hopefully they will sell and I will be supplying more.

flopsy

My full time job has proved challenging of late and I am in danger of slipping into the wrong life work balance that was destroying me before the joys of september (see all posts for september & hand embroidered cushion, blanket for bertie, recycling, blanket for henry, stuff on folksy, blanket for max, sorting out, kid’s aprons) but I am determined to stay on top of it.

boys apron

I have had some superb advise on what to make and how to do things and it is interesting to get opinions.  Whether you agree with them or not, they are all valid and even the ones you aren’t sure of can often be the best.

candy coloured handy bag

It has been fantastic having so many helpful hints, and I am very grateful.  I am bursting with ideas and only frustrated by the lack of available time.  It will change eventually when I have to make the jump.

a tinyinc tea cosy

It’s the country living christmas fayre this week and I  will be going some time before sunday. I am very excited and hope to meet some other makers.

Made of merino wool.
Designed by Ronel Jordaan in Johannesberg, South Africa and made by women in a successful job creation program.. they are hand dyed, carded and felted into free-forms that resemble real rocks from nature.
They are available in large, medium and small sizes.
Delivery time approximately 6 – 10 weeks.

http://www.workingwondersus.com/shoppers/show-item.cgi?itemId=931&groupId=

Cushion A*s.Ill
Colour: A*s

Submitted by: slex44 via Engrish Funny Submissions

…..this weekend I have been creative, gotten out my sewing machine and made two Union Jack cushions in preparation for my new house! And seen as one would cost about £50 in the shops (thank you James Brindley and Laura Ashley) I think that is thrifty and nifty.

Of course all of this is because APPARANTLEY boys dont like pink cushions so they all have to be amended to suits someone elses tastes too, as if! Oh well two down and…….a few more to go but slowly surely wins the race.

And they make me think I’m in Carnaby Street circa 1960 so I’m happy.
Extra points as I made them whilst wearing a Cath Kidston apron and in between baking Banana Bread cake.

And here is the finished creation!

p.s. waiting eagerly for my iphone to arrive next week
xxx

We attended a craft fair last week and I purchased a new pin cushion. Of course, what caught my eye was the Coca-Cola fabric, but it was also large, constructed well, and had a nice price. My problem is I have used the same pin cushion for almost 17 years. My neighbor lady gave it to me when I started to sew. It is one that she crocheted. Over the years, the yarn has become fuzzy as many a pin has been pulled from it and then returned to it, but it is still quite functional. As I removed the pins from the old pin cushion, I became very sentimental. Do I really want to give up my tried and true pin cushion? What did I need a new one for? Why did I even buy the new one when my old one is doing just fine?

I removed all the pins from the old pin cushion and poked them into the new cushion. I then tossed the old pin cushion into the good will box, but then promptly turned around and removed it. I decided I would not part with it yet just in case I disliked the new pin cushion and needed to return to using the old one. So, will someone remind me in a month or so to get rid of the old pin cushion so it does not just live in the back of the closet with all the other sentimental treasures. Thanks.

I am feeling very pleased with myself, having made a cushion cover – from scratch, without a pattern, in less than an hour!!  The material was an offcut mother-in-law bought me from a car boot sale, the thread was some mum gave me, which came from my step-grandfather’s curtain shop and must be at least 30 years old!  So a very cheap, easy to make, recycled, thrifty project.  Just what I like 

Front of cushion cover

Back of cushion cover

Here’s the instructions if anybody wants to make them.  It makes a cover to fit a 17 inch square cushion pad.

1. Cut one piece of material for the front – mine measured 20 x2 0 inches as I was erring on the side of caution, but think 19 x 19in would be a better fit.
2. Cut two pieces of material for the back, each measuring 18 x 12 inches.
3. Hem the two back pieces (approx 1/4 inch hem) – you could actually probably get away with just hemming one end of each piece as that’s all that will show!
   
4. Lay one of the back pieces onto your front piece, right sides together. Sew around three sides (you need the other side free to get the cushion in)
5. Do the same with the other back piece – they will overlap slightly.
6. Turn inside out and there you have your easy peasy cushion cover.

I am looking forward to making more of these out of my stash of old curtains, offcuts etc.  Maybe try a patchwork one, or embellished with ribbons and ric-rac…I am quite excited!

I am so glad I have learned to sew, it has become a real pleasure.  I only wish my beloved Nan was here to see it – she would have been so proud.

If it’s easy peasy food you’re after, have a look at my Home-Edible blog for lentil soup and apple pudding recipes

It’s at http://homedible.wordpress.com

Here’s another finished project that has been lurking in the ‘to do’ pile for too long. It’s from the book Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Embroidery (Crafts) which I got for Christmas last year (completing it inside of a year isn’t too bad now is it?!)

I’ve gotta say that embroidery is not my thing and this has reminded me of that! I’m too impatient and it’s too fiddley, plus my forty-year old eyesight isn’t what it used to be!! It took three hours to fill in a tree trunk! Thank heavens for Location, Location, Location and Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour.

I discovered along the way that buying cheap embroidery thread is a false economy because it untwists almost immediately and becomes straggley. But this sewing is good enough and even here where the thread split when I sewed through it, it just looks like the dog has an opened barking mouth – of course I meant that to happen, it was no accident- ha… I also discovered the joy of memory foam cushion filling – little sausages of really dense sqiddgy foam. I stuffed the whole bag in. It’s an arm workout moving it around the sofa!

So now we have the best dressed sofa because of the new cushions this week. They look great, it’s just a shame no one is allowed to lean on them!

what better than to cosy up and watch hitchcock’s rear window while the storm continues outside…especially after getting wet in it countless times today whilst trying to get some shots with the old faithful slr at a couple of  beaches.  This included some tricky avoiding of lightning strikes of abandoned beach parasol poles, whichI was resolved to use in the shots.   left the digital today to return to old faithful bulky pentax. there is still something about the mystery and anticipation of wating to see what the photo will come out like and if it comes out at all rather than just flicking through on your digital.   found some fun pieces too on etsy to match my hitchcock, stormy day:

vintage hitchcock 60s magazines

Lady Hitchcock by dkim

The birds pillow by regansbrain

the thing  is, you can’t expect people to not do you wrong no matter how much love you show them. there’s no such thing as training yourself to not get hurt, you still get hurt anyway. caring is part of being human and it does come with consequences and so i deal.

photo:sotreadsoftly.typepad.com

feeling something even if it’s not good is better than not feeling anything at all.

Have you seen the TempurPedic mattress commercials? Well, I’ve got one of their mattresses and I love it. Know what could be better? How about one for your feet!
I’ve got that too!
In fact, as I step out of my office each day I step onto a wonderful wool carpet by Godfrey Hirst, installed over ViscoBond memory foam cushion. It feels… fabulous and it’s not because of the carpet, although the carpet is exquisite.
Following is a primer on carpet cushion in general. We hope it helps and look forward to talking with you about any flooring project you may be considering.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CARPET CUSHION:
Why is Quality Cushion Important?
Cushion, not your carpet, plays the largest roll in determining how carpet feels when you walk on it, and helps maintain your carpet’s original appearance. It also affects your carpet’s warranty in that most wear and texture-retention warranties are void if you choose the incorrect pad.

How Does Cushion Work?
Cushion absorbs foot traffic and makes carpet feel better, last longer. Better quality cushion blocks moisture, fights stains and odors, minimizes sound transfer between rooms, provides thermal insulation and increases air flow between the floor and your carpet for better, more efficient vacuuming.

Will Cushion Protect My Carpet From Wearing Out?
Today’s carpet rarely wears out. Selecting the correct cushion helps resist “uglying out” due to premature matting and crushing – and now soiling and staining.

How Do I Know What To Buy?
Decide based on comfort, performance and a warranty that’s right for you. Typically, softer, luxurious cushion is found in living rooms or master bedrooms, and cushion with more support is used for certain precision-loop (berber) carpets and areas with active use.

Who Determines What’s the Best Cushion – The Manufacturers or My Retailer?
You do, and we can provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision. Place different cushions under a piece of carpet you plan to buy. Walk on it. Cheaply made cushion just doesn’t feel good underfoot. Next, check out the warranty and the extra functions like moisture barriers and odor and stain control.

What About These New Spill and Odor Technologies, and How Effective Are They?
Spill and odor fighting capabilities are the latest advancements in carpet cushion. Leading brands include Odor-Eaters®, Arm & Hammer® and STAINMASTER®. They are exceptionally effective, and they work for the life of your cushion. We carry them.

Every day we answer questions about pad for many different applications. Feel free to call or email and you can be sure you’ll get the best information.
All the best,

Chris - Email

My “Sky star” cushion is simple, the only thing is you have to be very patient with all these buttons