How To Make A Treasure Pocket Pillow

This tutorial for how to make a mermaid pillow includes a treasure pocket for secret letters and tiny trinkets. Painted scales suggest a nautical theme while the script printed canvas makes the perfect heart shape pocket. Your favorite mermaid enthusiast will be tail-over-fins for this fanciful pillow cover.

Tools:
Circle Punch
12x12 Cardstock
paint brush

needle

Supplies:

Gold Braid
14" Round Pillow Cover
Printed Canvas
Glitter Fabric Paint

 Step 1:Make a Mermaid Scale Stencil
Punch a series of circles along the edge of a 12x12 piece of cardstock. 

Cut the row of circles in half.

 Step 2:Paint Mermaid Scales on Canvas Pillow Cover

I chose two colors for mermaid scales and used an alternating color pattern. I placed the stencil at the edge of the pillow cover and painted the first row of scales. I centered the stencil on the first row of scales to paint the second row. This gave the scales an overlapped appearance.

 Step 3:Trace Heart onto Printed Canvas Fabric

I cut a heart shape about 5.5" tall from the 12x12 piece of cardstock. I folded the Printed Canvas Fabric in half with the printed side in. I laid the pattern on the fabric so that I had room for 1/2" seams around the sides and point. The top of the heart I laid flush with the edge of the fold. I traced the heart shape lightly with a pencil.

 Step 4: Cut Heart from Printed Canvas

I pinned the halves of the printed canvas together and cut out the shape leaving at least 1/2" of canvas outside of the shape for seams.

Step 5: Stitch Heart Shape on the Printed Canvas 

I machine stitched the heart shape along the pencil lines, leaving a 3" gap along the side. I made a series of shallow cuts in the seam allowance along the edge of the curves and at the point. These clipped lines ended close to the seem but did not go through it. Clipping the curves lets the fabric stretch and settle when you turn it right-side out.

 Step 6:Turn Heart Shape Right-Side Out

With the 3" gap along the side turning the heart is fairly easy. Run the eraser end of a pencil along the inside of the seams to ensure they are all turned properly.

Step 7: Stitch Opening Using the Blind Stitch

1) The stitch begins on side b. Pull the needle through, anchoring the knot inside the hem space. Insert the needle in side a, directly across from where the thread emerged in side b. Slide needle in the hem space for 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch, exit the hem space still on side a.

2) Insert the needle in side b, directly across from where the thread emerged in side a. Slide needle in the hem space for 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch, exit the hem space still on side b.
3) Continue this pattern for the length of the seam, alternating sides.
4) Pull the thread snug so that the edges match up exactly, but not so tight they pucker, and knot off thread.

When hemming a shape such as a heart with curves and points it is difficult to keep the desired shape. Tracing and stitching the pattern directly onto folded fabric, then turning it right-side out preserves the shape and prevents any edges that could ravel.

 Step 8:Pin Heart to Pillow Cover

Pin only the sides and point to the pillow. The top of the heart will be left open to form the pocket.

Step 9:Stitch Heart to Pillow Cover Using a Feather Stitch

The feather stitch is a series of "V's". Each new stitch begins at the point of the previous stitch.
The first stitch come up through the fabric at point a and goes back down at point b leaving a small loop. The thread comes back up at point c and catches that loop. The thread goes down into the fabric at point d, leaving a loop which is caught by the thread coming up at point e.

I used a flat foam pillow to stuff my pillow form. My chairs are not deep and I wanted to be comfortable with multiple cushions. Of course it didn't take long till the cats had to try out the new pillows. Noir is hoping Mermaids taste like fish. She is willing to wait all day for a nibble!

This project was originally posted on the Canvas Corp Blog in July of 2018.

Craft On!

~charity hotrum~