QUILTsocial Issue 4 | Page 54

Embroidery in progress Embroidery is complete Using a lined index card to press under the edges of the pocket. The bottom angle mimics the original pocket The pocket is sewn onto the shirt front 54 QUILTsocial .com ● issue 4 I hope you enjoyed the process of making the memory pillow. If you don’t want to make a memory pillow – you could put any special message, design, an applique or even a photo on that pocket. Make the pillow for a student going away to college or leaving home for the first time, a loved one who lives far away, a friend who moves away, a beloved pet. The possibilities are endless. One of the reasons I hated making pockets is that I could never press the edges consistently. Well I decided that a piece of lined index card would be a perfect guide. I could use the lines to get a consistent measure and the straight edge of the card worked like a charm to get a perfectly straight edge. Hmmm – I don’t hate pockets any more! Notice in the picture below that I fused a piece of lightweight interfacing over the back of the stitches. The pocket is a functional pocket and I didn’t want the rough edges of the underside of the embroidery to be felt. Note to self: In future, make sure you do all the trimming on the front of the pocket (those jump stitches in the spaces) BEFORE you fuse the interfacing on! See – these projects are learning experiences for me too! Next up was sewing the pocket to the shirt front. Notice that I reinforced the top of the pocket. I rounded the corners as per my tutorial that was mentioned above. I used the J foot and an overcast stitch to sew the pillow front and back together. Make sure you open the zipper before you sew the two pieces together so you can turn the pillow cover right side out. Lastly stuff the pillow form inside the pillow cover and VOILÀ – a beautiful Embroidered Memory Pillow. I must admit that I love putting the pillow form inside the pillow cover. It’s like a big pillow fight as you shift everything around to make the stuffing fit into the corners and be evenly dispersed! A good stress reliever! Don’t you just love that I found a matching sofa to display it on! And I added my little signature tag to the pillow cover as well. Making those tags was covered in this link. I would like to thank Karen (and Barclay) for sharing this very personal moment with us.