How to Applique and Weekend Round Up

I have a short tutorial to tell you about.

With leftover fabric from the quilt I made for a friend’s daughter last week, I made her a pillow. It’s a pillow that she can snuggle up with on the floor when she hangs out with her friends in her dorm room; a pillow she can lean against while studying for exams; a pillow she can cry on if things get rough.

I wanted to personalize it with the leftover denim (from her jeans) so I made an applique of her name with freezer paper.

I printed her name on the computer (because I have a horrible handwriting), then, I traced it onto the freezer paper. Then, I cut out the name.

I gently ironed the name onto the denim (this is the back panel of the jeans I didn’t use for the quilt). Then, I cut out the name, basted and sewed it onto the front panel of the pillow.

I also added some flowers made from the denim too.
..and a flower button.

Added piping and ruffles on the edges. This took me three days.

I kid you not.

I tried three different styles of ruffles and I didn’t like any of them. I settled on this style in the end. I finished all the inside seams with piping and finishing stitches. Who knows how the pillow case will be washed in college. I wanted to make sure that the seams don’t fall apart.

And, Ta Dah!

Do you think she’ll like it? I hope so.

Tip: You can make this pillow case with ANY flat sheet you have lying around. We don’t use flat sheets so this was a perfect project to use up cotton linen I didn’t use.

And when I wasn’t wrestling with ruffles, I was hanging out here this week.

Ecokaren

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I have some family visiting this weekend so it’s going to be another busy weekend. How about you? Are you doing any exciting this weekend?

6 comments

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Diana Hayes

Such a cool gift, someone going off to college would love it.

ecokaren

Thanks Diana! I hope so. :)

Lynn

HA! no, don't ever assume ;) i would never attempt to freehand any type. i am a graphic designer by day, so i am way critical of my own work!

Oh....you can print some cool graphics to use as applique then. I'm a putz when it comes to graphics. No talent in that dept. for sure!

how sweet are you? :) great tutorial. i was thinking that this could be used on so many other things like the craft show banner that i have been stalling on because of the lettering ;)

Lynn, I thought you knew everything there is know about sewing, including lettering! You mean, you learned something from me? I'm flattered! The lettering took a few steps but it was a piece of cake once I was able to cut out the lettering without ripping them. But if you have pretty handwriting, you can do it right on the fabric. But my handwriting is terrible so tracing it on the freezer paper was a 'must' step. Can't wait to see how your banner turns out!