Sweetheart Pillow

Okay, I promised you I would be back on the bandwagon this week and here I am!  I spent some time letting my soul sing in my craft room yesterday; it is something that I haven't done in a bit but when I get an idea and the mind to do it, I set out on my quest.  Ask my husband...my quests are a tad dangerous at times but most times they are fun and pay off.  I thought I would give you an early Valentine's Day gift in the way of instructions so that you might make one for YOUR honey too!  I did not make a tutorial per say, but I am giving you the instructions AND the wording so you can just print it off on your printer and be on your merry way.  I used Word Perfect to create the lettering.  I LOVE WP for it's abilities, it is so much more "user friendly" than Word but hey, they both have their good points.  Here we go!

For this project you will need:

2 pieces of linen or your favorite fabric.  I cut mine 13" x 13", however, you may want yours bigger.  

1- 3" square of your favorite fabric (for the heart)

At least 12 inches of 1" satin ribbon.  Again, use your favorite that will coordinate with your heart.

Thread to match your linen

Thread to match your fabric for applique

Thread to match your ribbon (it is sewed on, not glued)

Iron with cotton setting

Ironing board

Polyfil

Pillow case or pressing cloth

3" square of Wonder Under

1 sheet of Print and Press (you can find at Walmart, JoAnn's, etc- OR you could use CitraSolv to create your lettering, however, you would need to turn your wording around before you printed it off.)

1 3-4" Skeleton key

1 sewing machine

1 needle

Scissors

Lettering jpg and heart jpg- printed to desired size

 

Okay, let's get started.  

Cut two 13" x 13" squares for your pillow.  You may want them larger, depending on the size of pillow that you desire.  Next you will want to iron your 3" square of wonder under onto the back of the fabric that you will use for your heart.  Now print off the lettering to a piece of "print n press", ensuring that you print on the side of the paper that has NO LINE on it.  Follow the manufacturer's directions on ironing on the transfer- onto your fabric, ensuring that you use a pressing cloth so that you don't get "hot spots".  After you have ironed on the first transfer, go ahead and place the heart where you want it then peel off the backing of the Wonder Under and press in place BUT!!!! make sure you use the print and press paper on top of it so that if you have some of the "transfer area" under your heart, it will not come off onto your iron and ruin your design.  

After you have finished the ironing, you will need to applique your heart to your linen.  I find it easier to use my zig zag stitch and open the stitching so that I can just push it around the heart.  You may want to practice a few times on another piece of fabric to get the hang of it, or even just use embroidery thread and button hole stitch it to the fabric.  It will not look as elegant but instead have a more prim feeling to it.  When this is done, pin if necessary, and sew together the two piece of linen leaving at least a 4" space opening so you can stuff the pillow without having to bunch it up too much- also round the edges if you can, it seems to look better.  You don't want to have to re-iron the applique again.  Turn and stuff, stitch up the opening with thread matching the linen.

Now to the key area.  You will need to have at least 12 inches of ribbon to create your bow.  You may want to double the ribbon as i have.  Tie the ribbon onto the key-add a dab of tacky glue in there so your ribbon won't slide around too much.  After this is done proceed to attaching the key area to the linen where you want it to be placed, tack it down very well- you may even want to tack the shaft of the key down but I chose not to do so.  

And you are done!  This is my early Valentine's Day gift to you.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.  Please let me know what you think of the instructions and if you have questions, please use the comment form below and ask!  That is why I am here!

If you would like one of these made for you, just let me know.  The keys are from Europe (I have quite a few) and it will be $35 with free shipping in the Continental US and free delivery within 25 miles of Cascade, Maryland.

*hugz and blessings*

Elizabeth