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Embroidered Fleece Pocket Pillow

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Add a soft and cozy look to your home decor with this fleece pillow. A large pocket holds story books, stuffed animals, remotes, and more!

Supplies


  • 16" by 16" pillow form
  • 1/2 yard solid-colored fleece (for pocket)
  • 1/2 yard print fleece (for front and back panels)
  • Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
  • Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer for topping
  • Air-erase pen for marking
  • 2 yards decorative trim

Finished Size: 16" x 16" 

Designs Used

To prepare the front pocket, cut a piece of the solid-colored fleece to 17" x 22". Measure and mark the center of the fabric along each side and draw a line connecting the marks.

A template is a printout of a design, and it's an excellent tool to plan where to stitch. Print a template of the design from your embroidery software. Arrange the template so it's in the lower half of the square, about 1/2" from the line. Center the template between the two sides. Mark the center point, as well as the horizontal and vertical axis lines of the template on the fabric.

Use cutaway stabilizer on the back, and a lightweight watersoluble stabilizer can be used as a topping too. This topping helps to keep the stitches from sinking into the fabric. Hoop the three layers together, lining up the marks on the fleece with the marks on the hoop.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so the needle is right over the center point. Embroider the design. A size 11 or 75/11 embroidery needle is a fine choice when embroidering on fleece.

After embroidering, trim the excess cutaway stabilizer away from the back. Then gently tear the watersoluble stabilizer from the front. You can use a damp sponge to remove any small bits that are left behind.

Fold the fabric lengthwise (top and bottom edges aligned) with the wrong sides together. Pin in place and sew a 1/4" seam along the entire outer edges of the shape. Also, sew a 1/4" seam along the side and bottom edges.

To prepare the front panel, cut a piece of print fleece to 17" x 17". Lay the fabric flat with the right side facing up. Align the embroidered pocket on top, right sides facing up. The bottom edges of the front panel and the pocket should be aligned. Pin in place.

To prepare the back of the pillow, cut two pieces of fabric to 12" x 17". Fold the inner edges of both pieces in 1/2" to the wrong side. Then, fold the fabric again 1/2" to the wrong side and pin in place. Sew a 1/4" seam along the inner side of each fold.

Flip the fabric pieces over to the right side. With the seamed edges facing in toward each other, overlap the two pieces 4" on top of one another and pin.

To add the trim, align the raw edge of the trim with the outer edges of the back pieces and pin. Using a zipper foot, sew a 1/4" seam along the outer edge to tack the trim in place.

Lay the front piece on top, right sides together, and pin. Sew a 1/2" seam around the entire outer edges. Turn the fabric right side out through the back panel opening, and insert the pillow inside.

The pocket of this cozy pillow is large enough to hold bedtime story books, favorite toys, and more.

Mix and match designs and fabric prints to coordinate with any home decor. Here a snowflake design and wintery fabric make it perfect for the cool months.

Or, tuck goodies inside to surprise loved ones with a soft, warm, unique gift!

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