Big Warm Fuzzy Secret Heart

Step 8 Sew the pillow body

I did this bit in reverse order, by sewing the main pieces together before I put velcro on for the opening. I didn't want to sew the opening shut completely, because the batteries will run down eventually and I wanted to be able to change them easily. But I forgot about the velcro and ended up sewing it down after the other seam was done, which was a PITA as you can see from the 4th picture.

You, however, should stitch the velcro down first. Make sure you have regular thread in the bobbin again, not conductive, and that the tensions are back to normal. Choose a straight, or relatively straight, section of seam at least 6 inches long, and sew two 6" pieces of velcro to the main pieces, right up against the edge of the fabric. Sew the velcro to the front sides, so it will stick when the edges turn under.

Now, place the right sides of your pillow pieces together, matching the velcro. Pin and stitch. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam, as shown in pic 3. Backstitching simply means to sew forward for a half inch or so, then backwards over the same seam, then forwards again. It serves the same purpose as a knot, the seam won't unravel unless the thread breaks.

Finally, clip the concave point between the heart's ... cheeks ... close to the stitching line (last pic). This vastly improves the line when you turn it right-side out in the next step.