A Pillow Start

Thought I'd get a couple of projects started, that will travel well so I can have something to stitch while on the road. Here is the beginning of a pillow for Aidan. The initial is an enlargement of the "A Block" from the Alphabet Soup pattern.  The size is as big as I could get it and still fit on a piece of letter size paper. After enlarging, I traced the letter to the back of the paper too...creating a reverse image. That was then used as a pattern to trace the image to heavy fusible, which I then applied to heavy interfacing (sounds heavy huh?)...sorry, couldn't resist.   That created a fusible letter of heavy interfacing. This was ironed on to the back side of my fabric for the letter. The interfacing will give the initial some "lift" and dimension above the other embroidery work. I'm hoping and thinking that this will also help it not to become overpowered when I add the silk ribbon embroidery too.

 Next, the fabric is trimmed close to the letter...leaving a scant quarter of an inch of fabric to turn under. Using some scrap news print, and my glue stitck...

 the fabric is rolled over the edge and temporarily stuck to the back. This is just a regular children's washable glue stick...not fabric glue stitch. They are both the same thing...one just costs more. Both adhere lightly, can be ironed dry, and wash out when the item is laundered (this won't be however).

So, the letter is now ready to put on the background fabric of the pillow, and hand or machine appliqued down. (Yep, I choose hand...)

So, I grab the glue stick again...and add some to the back of the letter. It doesn't take a lot, I just want it to remain in position on my pillow center while I add the borders to the center block, and so I can applique it down without a lot of straight pins to contend with.

Here is the letter all "glued" to the background fabric of the pillow. I'm using some more of the linen fabric I have used for other recent projects...as I have about twenty yards of it...and it's a dream to work with. And, it's neutral in color...and is light enough to easily see any pattern through on my light box.

And, back to the lightbox it goes...so I can trace the remainder of the enlarged embroidery design. For this project...I'm only needing the vine. The other parts (leaves, buds, flowers) are still in the "thinking" phase...and I'm not sure what I want to do to create the design. So, for now...only want the general shape to the vine for embroidery.

More tomorrow...hopefully...