HOW TO APPLIQUE LETTERING

As many of you know, I make and give a lot of baby gifts.  Way more than the average person.  For most gifts, I embroider or applique something.  Except for those pesky moms who keep the baby's name under wraps.  Then I have to get creative.

Since this post is more show and less tell - here's what I did.  I used the same method for appliqueing the baby's name here. 

The only real trick to appliqueing a name is to remember when tracing the letters - draw them backwards on the Steam A Seam 2.  One guess as to how I know this!

To make the pillow cover, I used a 12 x 16 pillow form from Joanns.  The name is appliqued to an off white cotton chenille, which I love because it has texture and isn't that makes me cuss like a sailor hard-to-work-with minky cloth.  The letters actually adhere better to the chenille.  

The way to make the envelope pillow cover is very simple.  My pillow is 12 x16, so, for the chenille top I cut out a piece of chenille 1" larger to accomodate a 1/2" seam allowance.  That means the chenille is 13 x 17.  

Since I want an overlapping envelope opening in the back, I need to add 1" to the sides and 6" to the length.  That means I cut a piece that is 13" x 22".  Then I cut the piece down the middle so I had two pieces that are now 13" x 11". I hemmed the one of the raw edges on each piece.  Next, I overlapped the hemmed edges and pinned them together until they made one piece that is 13" x 17".

I added a little rickrack, but you can skip this and just attach the front to the back right sides together, slip the pillow form in and you have a lovely, personalized gift.