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How to Make an Embroidered Pillow

Hand embroidery always looks impressive, and even the most basic of embroidery stitches give a home furnishing item a handmade appeal. People pay good money in furnishing stores to get the handmade look, but truly handmade items cost little more than your time and a few basic materials. As an added bonus, you get to choose exactly the design and colors that best fits in with the rest of your decor.

Things You'll Need

Pillow form
Tape measure
Fabric
Scissors
Image to trace
Plain paper or tracing paper
Embroidery transfer pencil
Iron
Embroidery floss
Tapestry needle
Pins
Sewing machine
Sewing needle
Thread

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the size of your pillow form in both directions across the front. Add 1 inch to both measurements to allow for 1/2-inch seams all-round.
- 2
  Cut two pieces of fabric, both the same size, using these measurements.
- 3
  Trace and transfer your embroidery design on the fabric piece that will be the front of the pillow. Use an embroidery transfer pencil to trace the image you wish to embroider, then turn the paper over, lay it face down on your fabric, and dry-iron over the paper to transfer the image.
- 4
  Embroider over the image using embroidery floss. Even the simplest running stitches around the outside of the image look effective when done in bright embroidery flosses, but other stitches to use include chain stitch, satin stitch, and French knots for added detail.
- 5
  Lay both pieces of fabric together, right sides facing. Pin around three sides, then stitch those sides together on the sewing machine. Remove the work from the machine, and turn the pillow cover the right way out.
- 6
  Put the pillow form into the cover. Fold the edges of the open side under by 1/2 inch, then hand-stitch the seam closed with a slip stitch to make as invisible a seam as possible. Plump up your finished embroidered pillow.

Sewing