Pillows & Cushions IV Embroidery Project

No house is complete without throw cushions. (A bad term, as children tend to take it literally.) There are a wide assortment of throw cushions or throw pillows available from furniture and department stores- even Wal-Mart. They key is to find one that has a zipper enclosure so that you can open it up for embroidery purposes. If not, then you must resort to the unstitch/restitch routine for the seam. Most of them have an internal pillow form, but some have stuffing – watch out! And just because it has a zipper, doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to hoop. The size of the opening will affect how much area can be sewn. As the pantograph moves the pillow cover back and forth over the sewing machine arm, depending upon the size of the opening, there may be some binding which leads to distortion of the design and possibly a popped hoop. But assuming that you can embroider it, the next point is to determine what to sew.

First question: Where will the pillow be used? In a formal living room? The family room? A playroom? Obviously, the location will affect the type of design that you choose. For example, in a nursery, the pillow might go in a rocking chair with the child’s name and birth date, or perhaps embroidered with an angel (a little devil in the case of my kids) or a nursery rhyme character. There are lots of great designs in the stock design catalogs that would fit well in a nursery. The possibilities are practically endless.

On the other hand, if the pillow is going into a formal part of the house, then the design may take on a more conservative flavor, in keeping with that room’s décor. Perhaps a Victorian or Colonial motif will be the rule. More than likely, digitizing will be necessary to create the appropriate look. This is where the real creativity comes into play. Look for elements of the existing room decoration that would be appropriate for the pillow embellishment. (Wallpaper, borders, fabric patterns, etc) Take photos and create artwork that can be used for digitizing the design. If you are doing this for yourself, then take your time and enjoy. If you are doing this for a customer, hen be sure to charge appropriately. Remember that this is intense customization, which should carry a high price tag. If the customer just wants a pillow, then they should buy a pillow. But if they want it to match the décor, then it becomes a custom fixture for the room.

MARKETING TIP – Team up with local furniture stores and interior designers to develop custom throw cushions for home decoration.