Introduction: How to Make a Pillow

Instructable How To Make A pillow

In this instructables, I will teach you how to embroider a piece of cloth, stitch it together, and stuff it, creating a pillow. This instructable will consist of sewing, ironing, embroidering, and hand stitching.

Step 1: Choosing a Cloth

one choose a cloth In order to make a pillow, you need to find a piece of fabric. The guidelines for ironing begin long before you get out the iron and the ironing board. Start by washing and drying your cloth correctly to reduce wrinkling. When preparing to iron, be sure that the cord of the iron is not strung across a walkway where a pet or child could pull the iron down. If you don't have an ironing board, you can still iron well by using a sturdy flat surface like a table or counter. Before you begin, read the label. There will be ironing guidelines written with symbols. It is usually best to iron while the fabric still slightly damp. The exception is when you need a completely dry iron on fabrics that water-stain. To add dampness, sprinkle the clothes lightly with water or use an ironing spray like starch or sizing to add moisture.

Step 2: Embroidering

Embroidering the cloth

Next you find a hoop to put the fabric on. Once you have a good hoop, you should bind at least the inner ring of the embroidery hoop. If you do it right and do it well, you only have to do it once. With your fabric ready and your hoop ready, lay the inner ring of the embroidery hoop on the table. Make sure that the top ring of the hoop can be flexed open a bit, and pull it open enough to fit it over the fabric and inner ring without having to push hard to get the outer ring on. While you circle the hoop, pulling the fabric taut, your fingers will be pushing down on the inner ring, while your thumb and fingers are pulling on the fabric. Make sure that, as you pull, you are pulling evenly all the way around the ring. You don’t want to warp the direction of the threads of the fabric towards one side of the hoop or the other. Once you’ve gone all around the ring, pulling the fabric, tighten the screw as much as you possibly can with your fingers. You’ll get to the point where you think the screw is completely tight, because your fingers can’t tighten it anymore. Next, you’ll put the hoop into the machine by sliding it in sideways, then you’ll turn the machine on by clicking the button on the back of the machine, choose a design you want to do, but they've string through the holes labeled 1- 7, then click the button with an arrow sticking out. The button will get a hold on the string. Afterwords, you do an are test to see if the space is not too big, nor too small. When the area test shows an accurate reading, click begin to stitch.

Step 3: Sewing

Sewing

When you’re done embroidering, you’ll take the cloth and fold it over itself so there is two sides with the design facing the inside. Next, you’ll take the sewing machine and sew the two pieces together with the exception of a half of one side unsewn. On the front of the machine, you will find several knobs. On this particular machine, there is a knob with letters-when you turn that knob you change what type of stitch you are doing-straight stitch, zig-zag, etc. Below that you find another knob which changes the length of the stitch-are they tiny, close together stitches or long, farther apart ones? That knob determines this. To the right of both of these you find a stitch guide which shows what stitch options this machine has. On the side of the machine is a little wheel that turns. That’s called the hand wheel and will make your needle go up and down.Make sure you have the spool holder in place to keep your thread from flying off (that’s the plastic thing you see on the left of the thread up there). Take the end of your thread and somewhere on the top of your machine will be a few nooks and crannies for you to pull it through. And finally, thread the needle. Place the fabric over itself, near the needle, and slowly press the pedal on the floor making the machine go faster. Get all the edges with the exception of one of the sides being opened.

Step 4: Stuffing

Stuffing

Next you’ll take the cloth turn it inside in and put stuffing in it till it’s completely full, then stitch the remaining opening. This stitch is perfect for closing up a handmade pillow. It’s invisible, which makes it great for finishing hems. Use a thread that matches your fabric and all you’ll see is a tiny amount of ticking. Thread your needle and tie a knot in the end of the thread. Bring the needle out through the fabric from the inside of the fold of the hem so that your end knot stays hidden. Position the needle directly across from the exit point of the first stitch so that it goes back through to the inside of the opposite fold. The point is to bring the two sides of fabric together at exactly the same points on each side to hide the stitch. To progress, move your needle an 1/8 of an inch or so forward, and bring it back up along that same side. Pull the thread through that stitch and move the needle across to the other side of fabric, entering at the exact same point you did on the other side. Pull the thread through and repeat step 4, moving to the opposite side of fabric. Once you’ve closed the gap, the thread closing your seam will resemble rungs of a ladder. To make the stitch invisible, pull the tail of your thread taut, while smoothing out your seam. Straight stitches like the ones above in green thread are normally what you’ll use to sew a basic seam. When sewn in longer lengths, this stitch can be used as a basting stitch to temporarily hold two pieces of fabric in place. If you need a stronger seam, stitch shorter stitches.

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