Avery's First Birthday Pillow : 27 Steps

My dear friends baby was celebrating her first birthday and I wanted to make her something special. I used two types of printing methods to create this personalized pillow for Avery.

Step 1: Supplies

To make this pillow I needed
ink jet color printer
photo transfer paper
sewing supplies
pillow form
fabrics
muslin
an iron
fabric paints and fabric markers
laundry marker
cardboard
spray adheasive

Step 2: Printing Supplies

To create the border design I needed these supplies
pencil with an eraser
1"square gum eraser
printing dyes (I used a thickish block printing dye)
brush

Step 3: Cutting Muslin

Cut muslin 2"larger than pillow form, my form was 16X16 so I used an 18X18 piece of fabric.

Step 4: Back Fabric

Cut two sections of fabric for the back. I like to mix up my fabrics. each piece should be 18X12

Step 5: Photo

choose a photo and using an ink jet color printer print the photo on fabric transfer paper. Then carefully cut out the portrait.

Step 6: Transfer Print

Follow directions on transfer paper pkg. and iron the print to the muslin.

Step 7: Mounting

lightly spray the back of the fabric with spray adheasive and adhere to the cardboard. This will hold the fabric nicely to create a working surface.

Step 8: Pencil Border

Mark off 1/2" around border of fabric

Step 9: Pencil Detail

lightly begin detail around face.

Step 10: Printing Border Checkerboard

begin printing the checkerboard border by painting the fabric dye or ink on the side of the 1" square eraser and gently pressing it on the fabric using the pencil border line as a guide. re paint the eraser before each application. you can measure an inch away or eye-ball it but continue printing along the border.

Step 11:

Step 12: 2nd Row

after printing the entire border, go back and print a second row to create checkerboard effect.

Step 13: New Color

I chose a second color to work with

Step 14: One More Color

And a third color to finish my checkerboard boarder

Step 15: White

Using white and the eraser on the pencil as a stamp I printed dots in the middle of each square to enhance my pattern.

Step 16: Painting With Fabric Paint

I began working on the design by painting areas of color into my image.

Step 17:

Step 18: Detail

when the larger areas of color were dry I went in with assorted fabric markers and finally a very thin, black laundry marker to enhance the detail on my pillow.