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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NEST PILLOW

Out of the three projects described yesterday, I decided to make a NEST PILLOW first.  The first step is to put the design onto a word document.  You'll want to fit as much as you can onto the document - so think ahead to future projects.  This transfer paper (TAP) runs about $2.50 a sheet so you want to make the best use of every inch.  I got enough on my sheet to make 2 Nest Pillows, 2 crowns for the collage idea on the bird pillow, and 2 labels for identifying the Brown Thrasher.  
REMEMBER TO REVERSE YOUR LETTERS 
or it will iron on in reverse and you will have wasted a whole sheet.  
I know.  I've done it.  

Here's what I sent to my printer:


I know it's small, but I wanted to show how you can fit everything onto one sheet.  So - you get the idea . . .

I used a font called "The King and Queen".  I downloaded it free from here.  It's a great font - big and swirly, and a little funky, with great capital letters that have all sorts of big curls.  After it's printed out, cut the pieces you want to use really close to the design - and remember - it's been printed in reverse so it'll iron on correctly.  The closer you can get to just the design area when you cut, the less chance for any of the plain, unused transfer paper to show on your fabric - since the plain areas can have a bit of shine, especially if you're using a darker cloth.

 
After it's ironed on, then you put it together like any pillow - right sides together, sew about 5/8" all around leaving about a 5" opening on the bottom seam for stuffing.  After it's stuffed, just hand sew the opening closed.  Since I am filling this with fiberfill, instead of a pillow form, there's no need for a closure of any kind. 
 The nest and bird are from the Graphics Fairy.  You could scroll through her graphics for hours - it's never-ending!


I worked on about four other pillows which aren't sewn together yet - so those will be for another day.

But, here is just a little peek at another hare pillow.  After talking to my mom this afternoon (who is a great fan of hares in every shape and form) I knew she needed a European Hare Pillow of her own. I thought the burlap might be a little too nubby and casual for her home - so hers is on a very pale blue handkerchief linen.  
(If you'd rather have burlap, mom, I could make that!)

But, for now, it's getting late . . . and I'm tired.

Tomorrow's another day!

(It's also going to be a day for a bag with burlap roses!)




4 comments:

  1. Hi Nan, I love this cushion, thanks for sharing your technique. I love the Graphics Fairy..she is amazing.Enjoy your week.

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  2. Nan - I was so happy to find your blog and also happy that you are a fellow Wisconsinite! Can you give more details on how you downloaded the font...I downloaded it but get an error message that says the zip file cannot be opened by Windows. Also, how did you get "Nest" transferred to the word doc? Thanks for any help you can give!

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  3. Hello Meta,

    To answer your questions:

    I use a Mac, so I'm not familiar with how downloading the font would go on a PC. I would suggest looking at this "tutorial" on that subject. http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/fonts/f/install_fonts.htm

    The word "Nest" was not transferred to the word document - I just typed it in and then "flipped horizontally". Your PC may call this "mirror image" also. I'd go to the "help" tab in your word processing application to get help with that. I use the application, "Pages", on my Mac.

    Check back and let me know if this helps you. I know it's hard with the Mac vs. PC issue - but hopefully you can google around and get the help you need.

    Best of luck and have fun!

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  4. Beautiful cushion Nan! I have to get some of that transfer paper! I am on a mission for it now LOL!~

    TO DOWNLOAD FONTS for Windows - I downloaded a program called "7 Zip". You run it once you've downloaded, then each time you download a font, you need to extract it. (I right click on the zipped folder, then select "extract all" - it will open to the same file location as the zipped file (which you can then delete). I then open the file and copy the True Type Font file ("TT" icon)to my Windows/Program Files/Fonts folder.

    Hope this helps? :o)

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