'Dear Spring' Double Clamshell Flower Panel

I was at Malvern Quilts UK this Spring when I spotted this gorgeous 'double clamshell flower' panel on Sewmotion's stand. As a big lover of EPP I knew instantly that I wanted to try it out and that I had the perfect fabric collection to use.

Using some of my co-ordinating fabrics from my 'Dear Spring' collection for Lewis and Irene, I chose a light and a dark design to contrast each other. I was also mindful of using smaller prints as they lend themselves really well to EPP because you can see more of the design. The quilting cottons worked especially well as they are quite sturdy when you stitch them together.

Once I'd finished piecing my templates together, I hand stitched the clamshells on to a plain white quilting cotton background so that the colours could really pop and showcase the design. Once hand stitched on, I then added a layer of wadding, and machine stitched around some of the clam shells to add a quilted detail.

From the beginning I had envisioned this panel as a cushion and it worked perfectly when sewing it together. I used a simple envelope flap at the back and it all came together seamlessly.

Sewmotion's pattern was really easy to follow and the instructions were clear and simple. I'd definitely make this one up again in different fabrics as I really enjoyed working with the templates.

If you're looking for a fun and easy EPP project, Sewmotion has lots of great kits on their website. I bought a couple of other kits whilst I was at the show and I can't wait to show you how they turn out. Now back to finishing a few more of my purchases!