Personalized Pillows: Part 3

Today I'll show you the final steps to finishing the personalized pillows.  I have a pair of finished pillows all done and ready to ship out tomorrow.  They are a surprise for a brother/sister duo (and I think their mom is going to be surprised too.....their daddy ordered these.)  You can read about the previous construction steps HERE and HERE.

After the fabrics have been selected and the letters cut and ironed onto the backing fabric, I applique around each letter to adhere it to the backing fabric.  In the photo below you can see a pin near the right side.  I use a tear-away stabilizer on the back which keeps the base fabric from puckering during the applique process.  This makes a BIG difference in the finished product.

Next I make the pieced border.  I cut strips of the letter fabrics (3" wide) and then cut these strips into 4 or 5 inch pieces.  The pieces are then stitched together end to end as shown below.  After sewing a long strip of these, the threads must be clipped and the seams pressed open.

Then the border is ready to attach to the name piece as you can see in the photo below.

I don't have a photo of the next step, but after the border is attached, I cut a piece of backing fabric and stitch the front and back together, leaving a space for stuffing.  Then, the pillow is stuffed with polyfil and hand-stitched closed.  The next two photos show the finished pillows.

Personalized Pillows: Part 2

Just thought I'd pop in and show the next step to making the personalized name/word pillows.  You can see my Part 1 post HERE.

For this particular set of pillows, the requested color scheme is red and gray.  I've done another red/gray name pillow and I love this combination.  The first photo shows a pile of laundered fabrics on the ironing board.  I almost always pre-wash my fabric.  Then, of course, it has to be ironed.  So that's my next step.

After ironing the fabric itself, the letters (cut from HeatNBond) are ironed onto the WRONG side of the fabrics as shown in the photo below.  So, the letters are backwards and ironed onto the wrong side.

After ironing the letters onto the wrong side of the fabric, I cut each letter out on the lines.  (See the "H" below.)  At this point, the letter has a paper coating on the back that will need to be peeled off for the next step.

 

 Now I lay out my letters on the background fabric as shown below.  When I have them arranged the way I like, I'll iron over them.  This adheres them to the background fabric and makes them ready to be sewn in place, which will be the topic of the next pillow post.

The beginnings of a custom pillow order: Part 1

I'm having a lot of fun here documenting what's going on in my studio.  Right now I'm working on a custom order of two pillows for a brother/sister pair.  Since custom pillows are one of my best-selling handcrafted items, I thought it would be nice to show you the steps I take from start to finish to get a completed pillow.

The very first step is tracing the letters for the name/word onto HeatNBond.  I have my letter templates in plastic page protectors in a 3-ring binder, capital letters on the front and lowercase on the back.  I simply lay my piece of HNB right onto the page and trace the letter with a black Sharpie marker.  In this step, the letters are reversed.   That will make more sense after you see what I do next.  

The recipients of these pillows are Haven and Olive.  The next photo shows their letters traced and cut apart.  I'm waiting to hear back from their dad what colors he'd like for their pillows.  After I have a color scheme, I'll "shop my stash" or shop for real to choose the fabrics I'll use.  I'll cover that in a future post.

Thanksgiving Pillow: BLESSED

Just listed this pillow in my Etsy shop.  It would be a great hostess gift for Thanksgiving or a wonderful keepsake to pull out in November each year, reminding you to count your blessings.  CLICK HERE to purchase.   I will have 2 similar pillows at the Holiday Boutique on November 15th and can make more to order, but ORDER SOON!!

"merry" pillow

Here's a cute little pillow that would make a great gift or home decor item for Christmas.

Time to order for Easter!!

Don't wait until the last minute (like I usually do!) to plan a special, one-of-a-kind Easter gift for your loved one!  Walnut Hill Handmade is here to help!  I would love to make a custom-order name pillow or doll for you to give as a gift.  It's the gift you won't find anywhere else, handmade with love, just for you!!  Here's a few photos of some orders I've done recently.  Remember, dolls and pillow can be completely customized to your preferences.  Dolls are $35 and pillows are $10 plus $5 per letter.  Leave me a comment if you are interested in ordering.  If you are out of town (not in SW Iowa), I'll set up a custom Etsy listing for your order.  You can then purchase via Etsy which makes it much easier for both of us!!

Back of Belen's pillow with a custom heart applique.

Me + You = US

I love how these little pillows turned out.  It's great when an idea that's born in your own head can be made into reality.  It took a bit of tweaking, and sewing into the wee hours of the morning, but I'm happy with the results.  This pillow set would make a great gift for a wedding, bridal shower, or anniversary.  I made the one pictured using some charm squares I had on hand.  They happen to coordinate perfectly with the quilt on my own bed.  However, I've listed this set in my Etsy shop.  I can customize this pillow set for any color combination.  So sweet!  I love how the pillows make the word "US" when you flip them over.  I have plans for a His/Hers pillow combo too.  Hopefully that will be coming within the next week or so.

LUCKY pillow

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, I've whipped up a LUCKY pillow.  This pillow is perfect for all your St. Patrick's Day decorating needs.  It is listed in the Etsy shop for $25.  Right now there's only one available, but with proper notice I could make more.  Fabrics may vary from the one pictured depending upon availability.

Customized Options

Here are several photos of items I've made recently as custom orders.  Name pillows make great gifts for your child and can be customized to their favorite sports team, color combination or room decor.  I can pretty much find a fabric with any motif on it.  Pillows start at $10 plus $5 per letter.  This price may go up a bit if I have to special order the fabric.

For a little guy who loves Batman............I made this pillow.  I can do striping on the back as shown in the second photo.

The pillow below was made for a "tween" who loves neon colors.  

And for a Husker fan............

Personalized Name Pillows

I just finished my first custom order for a personalized name pillow.  The pattern I use is from Kimberbell Kids and turns out SO cute.  It can be customized a jillion ways for both boys and girls.  I also made this little gal a "love pocket" pillow with a heart pocket on the front and her initial on the back.  Colors were chosen to match her bedroom decor.  So cute!!  Let me know if you are interested in a custom pillow for someone special.  The cost is $10 plus $5 per letter unless I have to special order the fabric in which case the cost increases a bit. So, a 6 letter name or word would be $40.

New item and Custom Orders!

Boy dolls are now available for custom order!!!  These guys are so cute with their little "cowlicks" sticking up!  The two pictured above are a custom order and are headed to Virginia tomorrow!  However, they are representative of what your custom ordered boy doll would look like.  He comes with a little shirt (part of his body) and coordinating removable shorts.  Boy dolls are $35 each.  I will make an additional coordinating pair of shorts for your doll for $5 extra.  Skin color, eye color and hair color can be customized as well as clothing color and design.

Below are several examples of the various felt colors I can use for hair color.  The middle one looks gray, but is actually tan/taupe.  The second from the top is pumpkin-colored and would be perfect for a little red-head!  Top color is a VERY dark brown.  I could also do black.

 And don't forget that you can order a customized girl doll as well for $35.  She comes with a removable skirt and can be customized just like the boy.  $5 extra for an extra skirt.  Both dolls are made using a Bit of Whimsy Dolls pattern.

Also available is a cozy flannel cowl.  I haven't been able to enlist the help of a professional photographer yet, so I wish the photo were better.  But...........this is a circle of flannel sewed into a ring.......nearly 60 inches in diameter and about 11 inches wide.  You loop it twice around your neck for a VERY stylish, cozy, and functional accessory.  The cowl is $20.  I only have this one available right now, but if there's interest, I will make more in different color palettes.  There will definitely be a selection of softer, lighter infinity scarves in the shop for spring.

Don't forget about the little "love pocket" pillows!  They are only $10 each.  They can be customized with your child's initial on the back.  The one shown below is a custom order for a little girl whose name begins with "C".  It was made to match her room decor.

And finally..........Valentine's Day is just around the corner!  Would you like some unique, one-of-a-kind home decor to brighten your surroundings?  Think about ordering a custom pillow like the one shown below.  Pillow are $5 per letter.  They can also be customized with your child's name or a meaningful phrase.  All fabric colors can be customized as well.  These would make GREAT gifts for a new baby!  

Remember, if you are not in Southwest Iowa, you can still order a custom creation to be shipped right to your home.  Simply order through my Etsy shop.  Link is on the right sidebar.  Hope to hear from you soon!