Monogrammed Pillow Cases

I will show you a sew and no-sew method to make your very own cute and sparkly monogrammed pillow cases. These customized case scan simply give your old pillows a total make over and could totally change the color theme in your room. Decorated pillows add a nice and lovely cozy feel, or a splash of color to decorating your living room or your bedroom.

Okay, so some of the tools and materials I will be using for this tutorial are some measuring rulers, a pair of scissors, pins, and of course a pillow. And, if you’re not sewing you will need some iron on adhesive, or you could also use fabric glue. Next, I will be using one yard of printed fabric and another one yard of just plain inexpensive fabric. This helps me cut down my cost in fabrics all together by using a more in expensive kind for the back part of my pillow and something more nice and fancy for the front.

Okay, so let’s jump right into this, shall we? Now, start by laying your fabric down with the right sides facing downward and the wrong sides facing you. Draw out the shape and size of your pillow. I will be making a basic square for myself and everyone’s pillow measurements will be different. So, what I would suggest for you to do is add half an inch to one inch in seam allowance. And, basically what a seam allowance is that extra part near the edge where you will be sewing or gluing.

Okay, so here I’m just basically folding my fabric together so that way I can cut out two squares. Okay, so with this part right here I’m basically doing the same thing except I am using a different type of fabric for the back part of my pillow. And, draw out your square or whatever shape it is. Next, add six to ten inches on your vertical line and basically my shape is going to come out as a rectangle. So, I’m basically doing the same thing right here except I’m making a rectangle this time. Now, I’m just going to double up on the fabric and cut out two rectangular pieces.

Okay, so now with the two pieces on top of each other doubling up just like this. I’m going to find the mid-point and draw a line across. And next, I’m just going to cut it down the line. Now, I have four smaller rectangles. Separate them into two sets, one set per pillow. Okay, so it’s time to finish the raw edges on the rectangles. Starting with one set takeout two small rectangles and take one of the longer sides per rectangle and press it in half an inch with a heated iron.

Now, if you’re going to use that iron on adhesive tape then make sure to place that in between the wrong sides of the fabric. And, if you’re going to use fabric glue, or sew it in then do that after pressing in your seam. Once you’re complete you should have something that looks like this and remember to do this only on one side of your rectangle. Okay, so now it’s time to bond the front of the pillow to the back of the pillow. If you’re not sewing your pillow then lay the iron on adhesive to all four sides of your square or whatever shape your pillow is.

Now, place one of the small back rectangle pieces to match the two corners of the square. Make sure that your finished edge is in the center of your square, just like how I have it right here. Go ahead and press it down with your hot iron. Repeat with the second back piece, it should overlay the other rectangle. Make sure to add extra adhesive or glue to the few extra inches that overlaps. Once everything is in place go ahead and press it down with your hot iron, make sure that you get all four sides nicely.

And, if you’re using synthetic material then be careful not to melt your fabric and I would highly suggest for you to use a towel or something between the hot iron and your fabric. If you are sewing, it’s pretty similar here. Just sew on the first rectangle and then pin in the second piece and then sew it. Again, make sure to have the middle overlap by a few inches and that all your corners match evenly. Once you’re complete with bonding all four sides of your pillow or sewing it the next thing to do is snip off the corners so that way there won’t be any bunching on the inside and that your corners will stick out.

If you’re bonding then be careful not to over cut it because you don’t want the glue to come apart. This is the part that you’ve been waiting for. Go ahead and turn the pillow inside out to see the finishing result. Isn’t it cute? I just love it. Now, you could stop here if you like, but if you want to add a personal touch by adding some initials or a monogram or any type of prints then you can continue on watching. To create a flat platform just simply put in a magazine or a piece of cardboard. This will help protect the fabric paint from seeping through.

Next, I printed out some letters from my computer and these came out a lot smaller than what I wanted it to look like. So, I’m just adjusting it a little here and there adding my little touch to it. Once I’m all set all I have to do is cut this out and then I’m going to take this letter and then trace it onto the vinyl decal sticky paper. So, after I transfer my design onto the vinyl decal sticky paper what I’m going to do next is just cut it out with an X-acto blade. Okay, so my cut lines a real ready on my sticky paper and now I am just sticking this onto the pillowcase.

And, I would suggest for you to take out a ruler or something like this and just, you know, go slowly as you’re doing it. After that I’m peeling off that letter A and just flattening all the edges around making sure there’s no air bubbles. So, here I’m using a base paint to paint over my letter. And, once that’s dried I am going to use a gold paint to match the color of my glitter. Before the gold paint dries up go ahead and sprinkle on your glitter so that way it could stick to the letter. Next, let the glitter dry overnight and in the next morning cover the glitter with some gloss to prevent any fall outs.

And, after a few lovely hours peel off the sticker paper to find a clean and lovely looking design or monogram letter.

 

What embroidery machine should you buy?

This is the question I was pondering recently as I look at the many amazing embroidery machines available. With all the features on modern machines, it is difficult to make a decision.

This first decision to be made is do I go for a separate embroidery only machine or a dual purpose sewing and embroidery machine combined? If you are ready have a sewing machine then an embroidery only machine would be the obvious choice. If then it is worth considering a dual purpose model but that also depends on what you plan to do with it. If you are going to do commercial work then a dedicated high-end embroidery machine is a must.

Brother embroidery machines are without a doubt one of the most popular and sought after embroidery machines on the market. The Brothers Company continually introduced new and improved home appliances since they first launched back in 1954.

The Brother PE700 embroidery machine is one of the most popular Brother Embroidery machines. It is so fast indeed that you can practically finish all of your sewing in half the time it would usually take if you were to use a different embroidery machine. So if you are one that doesn’t have the necessary time to sit for hours with a needle and a thread then the PE700 will be exactly what you need.

The Brother PE500 is another amazing Brother Embroidery machine. It has six needles and can sew with six different threads at the same time. And although this is a great benefit, you will need some time to practice with this one before you start to do some serious work.

But if you are one for technology then you are really going to enjoy the IN2500D. This Brother Embroidery machine is nothing like the older models of embroidery machines. It is a completely computerised model that comes with a 10×6” LCD touch screen and you can also connect it to your personal computer through the USB portal so as to download even more patterns and embroidery designs. With all the different features made available on this model you will be able to achieve truly amazing embroidery designs with unmatched ease and quickness.

Although there are many other more Brother Embroidery machines out there on the market today, these are the most popular ones, that people have bought and that they are most pleased of. You can read user reviews on other embroidery machines here.

Ultimately it is up to you which Brother embroidery machine you will be using, depending on what will you be using it for, how much money are planning to spend and what features would you want it to have.

Choosing an Embroidery Machine

Embroidery is something I have always been interested in ever since I sat on my grandmother’s knee while see did beautiful embroidery work.

 

I learned some basic embroidery techniques from her but lost interest in my teenage years. I recently started making my own outfits again and doing some simple hand embroidery.

 

However, I find it slow and tedious doing all this by hand so I have decided to invest in a modern computerised embroidery machine. They are not as expensive as I had first imagined. But I will still have to pay $300 – $600 for a basic machine.

So, when you are purchasing an embroidery machine, do you get an embroidery only machine or a dual purpose sewing and embroidery machine? That is the dilemma I now have. I hope to sell my stuff to earn a little extra money down the road so that has to be taken into account also.

 

Here are a few of the embroidery machines I am looking at:

The Brother PE 770 embroidery only machine is an impressive model. It is the bestseller of the Brother range and currently my favourite. The only issue is that if I get this model I will also need to get a sewing machine also, so more expense.

This Brother PE525 is also an embroidery only machine but is a cheaper machine that the PE770 so I could afford both. The only issue with this model is it has only a 4″x4″ embroidery area which will limit the size of the designs I can produce.

The Brother SE400 Combination Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine so it is a versatile model and may be my best choice.

Be sure to check back as I will post a review of the machine I finally decide to go for.