One of my favourite collections ever. Check out this sweet version of the Smart Sofa Station
Every once in a while, a fabric collection comes along that just steals your heart, locks it up and throws away the key! This is one of those very very special compilations! I wanted to seize it with both hands and sew something, anything with it!
This re-colouring of Amy Sinibaldi’s greatest hits is one such collection. I’ve loved all of Amy’s Art Gallery Fabrics ranges, but this one is super special.
Called ‘The Softer Side’, it certainly lives up to its name. The colour palette, together and individually, is just amazing. It’s soft, vibrant, and O so classy! Each print sings a beautiful solo, but together they perform a symphony!
I couldn’t wait see this made up into a Smart Sofa Station –and sewing this was pure joy. It also inspired the creation of new attachment to add to the top of the base, giving you even more choices and adding more function.
I chose the peach, pink and apricot tones for my project, but I also want to make a version in the burgundy/red tones and the cool blues as well. They are all just gorgeous, and I could see each one being just as pretty as the last.
Now, I love sewing this pattern because of the different chapters that take place. You're not stuck just doing the same thing over and over again.
There’s a slow stitching phase when you’re stitching the base, then there’s the pockets, which require binding, and lastly the cute attachments that you can customise for your own use.
Base & Binding
On the base, it’s fun to sew it with two fabrics so you get a different look at either end.
This is one of AGF Elements called ‘Cotton Candy’, paired with the ‘The Row Seven’ – that adorable house print.
I usually do a mix of machine quilting, and then take it to the couch and finish it there with big hand quilted stitches. I soak it in – no stressing or rushing. My stitches are irregular, crooked, but somehow when you pull back and look from a distance, you don’t see any of that. Just charming hand stitches. The perfect, imperfect touch to the project.
This is the first time I’ve made a sofa station where the binding is a low volume print. It’s just the look I was going for – understated and elegant.
Don’t you love how different fabrics change the look of a project so much??
Pretty Pockets
You have two ends to style for this pattern, based on how you plan to use it.
I always have the ‘main side’ that I keep facing me on the arm of the sofa for frequent use. This is for the parts I use constantly as I’m stitching.
For the main side I chose my favourite ‘blue jeans’ styled pocket, because it’s actually modeled on the shape of jeans pockets. I love the cute little pocket at the top for scissors, and the option to add a tiny pocket on the front.
This is perfect for little bits like stitch markers and packets of needles. I fussy cut this little pocket, because I could!
When there’s fabric this cute, you can’t just chop the pictures in half and see where things end up. The overall effect of this together with the base looks like a little village nestled together.
The second end faces the outside of the sofa arm, and gets used less – more for general storage for things you need to keep close at hand,but not need constantly. I chose the layered pockets, as this is my favourite combo to hold a pattern or embroidery hoop in the deeper pocket, and other little notions in the smaller ones. It’s super efficient and lets you add more fabrics to the mix – win win!
Attachments + a brand new one
For me, the fiddliest part of this pattern is making the tiny attachments and flaps. But they are absolutely the most rewarding because they’re super practical and cute! You’ll not regret the time spent at all!
I’m so glad I bought a large stock of woolen felt several years ago from MyFeltLady. There’s been a shade for every fabric I’ve needed to match it to, and it’s just superb quality.
This petal shade was another perfect match and looks like it was meant to be there!
I fussy cut the needle minder with a single flower and it’s the sweetest thing ever. It’s only been in the last couple of years that began using a needle minder at all, and let me tell you this is the hardest working part of the whole Sofa Station.
And last, but not least, you can see the new attachment I designed for this version. It's called the 'Catch-All Cup', and has been on my mind to design for ages now.
I use my leather thimble constantly and take it off and put it back on a lot. I would just sit it on the top of the arm but seemed to knock it off an awful lot. That’s how this little catch-all idea was born.
It’s a tiny 2” square cup with a magnet in the base to snap it to the other magnets already there. I've already been using this little extra so much that I wish I'd designed it ages ago. But that's ok - everything in good time!
So I've written this up as a tutorial for you!
Because I bet you'll love using this as much as I do. Best of all, you can make this from scrap fabric, and it will only take you about 30 mins.
For a full tutorial to make this little cutie, head here.
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