PILLOWS GALORE By Denise Holguin 42 Volume72.indd 42 Designs in Machine Embroidery • Volume 72 • January/February 2012 • www.dzgns.com 12/6/11 1:26 PM One of my favorite challenges is to find multiple uses for an embroidery design. The way I see it—if you’re going to invest in embroidery designs it’s important they have endless uses! Posh Pincushions, In-the-Hoop Pincushions by Katherine Artines with Eileen Roche meets this goal. In Volume 70 September/October 2011 we showed you how to use the flower designs from Posh Pincushions to embellish a shirt. We even included a free design to help you get started. If you missed the free design, visit www.dzgns.com. Click on Designs in Machine Embroidery Magazine. Click on Volume 70. This issue highlights some very easy and fun ways you can create whimsical pillows to brighten up a room. The best part about making these pillows—there is absolutely no right or wrong way to make them. To make the construction easier I used stuffing instead of pillow forms. This way I’m not confined to a predetermined size or shape to create the pillow. Heart Pillows No special pattern was needed! I just folded a piece of paper and cut a heart shape. Experiment with different sizes. Surprise your loved one with this pillow or coordinate the colors for a wedding and use it as a ring bearer’s pillow. Base Fabrics for Pillows I used an assortment of fabrics - including craft felt, wool felt, quilter’s cotton, silk dupioni and even cotton twill. Flowers I used multiple sizes of the petal design from the Posh Pincushions book. I like to layer and scatter them. I stitched as many of each size as I could in a single hooping. Since they are very quick to stitch and I take the “more is better approach” I did multiple hoopings so that I’d have plenty of petals. I edited the leaf design in embroidery software. Although software varies, most editing programs enable you to select stitches. I deleted all the stitches but the complete outline for the leaf, color 1. Decorative Stitches I’m a fan of built-in decorative stitches on sewing/ embroidery machines. I did a test stitch on scrap fabric first to make sure I liked the outcome. Then I free-motion stitched on the fabric. Trim I’ve often admired the eyelash trim and other decorative cording but never really knew what to do with them until now! For the eyelash trim I used a wide zig-zag stitch to secure it down. I did carefully ‘comb’ the trim so that it would not be held down by the zig-zag stitching. For the decorative cording I used the cording foot and carefully guided the cording as I free-motion stitched on the base fabric. Designs in Machine Embroidery • Volume 72 • January/February 2012 • www.dzgns.com Volume72.indd 43 2 12/6/11 1:26 PM Magnolia Blooms Heart Supplies Posh Pincushions, In the Hoop Floral Pincushions by Katherine Artines with Eileen Roche (Available through your local dealer or www.dzgns.com) Fabric for pillow (wool felt was used in sample) White felt for embroidered petals Green felt for leaves Brown felt for strips Coordinating embroidery thread If your sewing and embroidery skills lean toward the novice side—this is the perfect pillow to boost your confidence! Felt is so easy to work with because it doesn’t fray—and you don’t need any stabilizer when making these flowers. Pillow Use your favorite heart pattern or create your own. Cut two squares of fabric for your pillow—large enough to accommodate the heart pattern. Trace the heart pattern on one of the fabric squares with a removable marker. Since this is felt there isn’t a right or wrong side of the fabric. Tip: If you are unsure if the removable marker will be removable, sew a basting stitch on the traced outline. The side with the traced outline will become the inside of the pillow. Use the basting stitch as your guide for placing your embroidered pieces. 3 Volume72.indd 44 Decorative Elements Strips Cut ½" strips of felt—long enough to cover the heart from top to bottom all the way across the pillow. Flower Petals & Leaves I chose the petal lg and the petal sm designs—two designs that are included in the Posh Pincushions, In the Hoop Floral Pincushions book. I knew I’d be making multiple pillows so I decided to fill my hoop with as many petal designs as possible. Extra petals can always be used! Be sure to leave enough room around each design for trimming. Leaf Open the emery leaf design in editing software. Delete all the colors except color 1. Save the design as leaf2. Fill your hoop with as many leaf2 designs as you can. Be sure to leave enough room around each design for trimming. Audition the strips on the right side of the basted heart fabric. Measure the strips so they’ll be evenly spaced. You could add horizontal strips of fabric instead of vertical or vary the spacing between the strips of fabric. Secure the strips with pins. Sew a straight stitch down the center of the strips with coordinating thread. Since it’s felt - don’t worry about fraying. Next, audition the flower petals and leaves. Given the size of the heart, I decided to go with the less is more approach. (Of course in other pillow samples I also tried the more is better approach). Send the petal designs and leaf design to your embroidery machine. Embroider the designs. Trim away the designs from the fabric. I like to leave about an 1⁄8" all around the stitching. Time to Decorate! I think my favorite part is this stage when I have all my pretty little decorative elements together and I’m ready for placement. This is your opportunity to be creative! Once you find a pleasing layout, secure target stickers on the pillow to denote the position of each flower. Designs in Machine Embroidery • Volume 72 • January/February 2012 • www.dzgns.com 12/6/11 1:26 PM Using coordinating thread tack down the flower petals. Carefully position the leaves under the petals so they peek out naturally from the petals. Tack down the leaves. Finishing! Place right sides of pillow fabric together. Pin in place. Sew the pillow just inside of the original basting line. Be careful you don’t sew down any petals or leaves as you sew along the edges of the heart outline. Leave an opening for turning. Turn the pillow, stuff, then hand sew the opening. Other variations: Chocolate Heart Flower Petal Explosion! Designs in Machine Embroidery • Volume 72 • January/February 2012 • www.dzgns.com Volume72.indd 45 4 12/6/11 1:26 PM
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