A person’s daily life is decorated with little things, often useless objects that do not perform any practical function. For example, candlesticks, paintings, fabric toys, garlands. But without these things the apartment looks gloomy, boring, too strict.
A decorative element such as a cross-stitched pillow will add warmth and comfort to the design of the room.
The craftsman puts a piece of his soul into a thing made with his own hands.
Beautiful cross stitch pattern for a pillow
The most unusual decoration of the room are pillows with embroidered patterns. This accessory is also used by restaurant designers to give the catering area a special homely feel and atmosphere. Cross stitching various pillows is not only a cute hobby, but a real art.
Embroidering pillows in Rus' was one of the favorite pastimes of Russian women.
You can choose threads to create an ornament so that they are in harmony with the color of other things. For example, with the color of the sofa. Despite the hard, stressful city life, people try to find a cute hobby that will make their life more romantic.
The cross was considered a talisman against the evil eye and evil spirits; it protected and cleansed from all evil.
Creating a beautiful interior item is a kind of outlet, an opportunity to escape into your own world. It is believed that thread embroidery is a very painstaking work that takes up a lot of useful time. But, if you calculate how much time we spend buying groceries, surfing the Internet, reading useless news (scandals, gossip), watching useless TV shows, traveling in public transport, you come to the conclusion that handicrafts do not take very much time. You just need to give up “useless” time wasters and spend them on art.
Shirts and sundresses, as well as towels, tablecloths and pillows were embroidered with a cross.
It was difficult to find a house that did not have embroidered pillows.
Ideas and patterns for cross stitching sofa cushions
Ornaments and patterns are selected based on the style of the room. There are several techniques for making a pattern on a pillow. The most popular technique is hand cross stitch.
There is a belief that a pillow embroidered with a cross brings goodness to everyone who uses it.
Monochrome ornament does not lose popularity. For example, a landscape with a winter theme, embroidered with one thread.
Nowadays you can embroider a pillow with a cross using absolutely any design.
A fashionable direction is also “Modern” or “Art Nouveau”. Ornaments in the Art Nouveau style are used to process pillows, sachets, interior paintings that decorate shelves, and greeting cards. Inspiration can be drawn from the encyclopedia “Art Nouveau. Cross stitch.”
You can simply choose a neutral theme, for example, patterns, ornaments, flowers.
It is not necessary to embroider a multi-colored landscape with complex color transitions and buy a lot of thread. You can create a design from four, or even three shades, and it will look no less impressive. Using a small amount of thread is also good because it makes it easier to count the crosses. By the way, selecting threads that are in harmony with each other is the most difficult stage of work if you embroider (no matter what technique, cross stitch or satin stitch).
If you want to add something new to your interior without significant expenses? Original handmade pillows will come to the rescue!
A regular cross is the easiest element to make. There are several sources that people rely on if they want to create drawings with threads. For example, ready-made beautiful patterns are sold for beginners, allowing them not to worry about which threads and how much canvas to buy.
Cross-stitched pillows will look great in a children's room.
At first they may seem expensive. But if you consider how much time people spend on selecting and counting all the embroidery components, you come to the conclusion that ready-made patterns allow you to save money. An ornament embroidered on canvas can be easily used when sewing a pillow.
For beginners who think that sofa cushions are too much for them yet, you can start by making a pincushion.
The second option is to create an original pattern using a special program on the Internet that converts an ordinary picture or photograph into a pattern for cross stitch. This program is available to everyone, absolutely free and easy to find. She not only “translates” the picture into a diagram, but also selects the shades of threads that should be purchased to create this picture.
When decorating your baby’s nursery, you can add a drop of care and warmth by embroidering original accessories for children.
How to decorate
Each housewife has her own ideas for decorating. Some people decorate with buttons, others with fringes. You can also sew on various laces, beads or rhinestones and make patterns out of them. The most original ways were to decorate with plant prints, lace or embroidery and appliqués.
Knitted roller under the neck or for hugging
Decorating a pillowcase with plant prints
Decorating with floral patterns involves transferring prints of fresh leaves or grass onto a pillowcase, creating combinations and patterns. To implement this idea you will need:
- Freshly picked plants;
- Natural light fabric;
- Scissors and hammer;
- Parchment.
Tools
The process itself involves laying the plant on a cloth and covering it with baking parchment. Next, it is hit firmly and evenly with a hammer, which allows the plants to secrete juice, which is absorbed into the fabric and leaves a pattern on it. Such pillows require careful care. Pillowcases should be washed in warm water with a delicate cycle and detergent.
Stuffing process
Lace, knitting and embroidery
This method is quite labor-intensive, but it will give the products a unique appearance and aesthetics. Knitted pillows have a certain advantage over sewn ones. Firstly, they are embossed, and secondly, all the seams are very easily masked in them. Knitting such a product yourself, of course, takes a long time, but making it from an old sweater is as easy as shelling pears.
Embroidery on pillows also requires skills and knowledge of what exactly you want to depict with threads. It could be any patterns, flowers, or just chaotic straight or broken lines. It's even easier with lace. You just need to buy them or detach them from old products and attach them to pads. Lace can be made from old tulle.
Newborn pillowHow to properly sew an applique onto a decorative pillow
Also quite an interesting type of jewelry. Pillows with appliques can be used not only for decoration, but also for sleeping due to the fact that this decoration sits very tightly on the cover or pillowcase. The step-by-step algorithm of actions here is something like this:
- Prepare a pattern and cut out the base of the pillow with seam allowances;
- Cut out appliqués of the required size from decorative material;
- Pin and baste the applique using a decorative stitch or overlock stitch on a sewing machine;
- If desired, attach decorative braid;
- Sew both pieces of the pillowcase to complete the pillow.
Decorative pillows from old pants
In conclusion, I would like to say that sewing a pillow with your own hands is not so difficult. After completing any master class on sewing pillows, even a novice craftswoman will be able to learn how to make both simple pillows for sleeping and sofa decorative items, pillows and crib bumpers for babies and newborns.
A simple cross stitch pattern for a pillow: ornament
If the creator does not know which ornament to choose, he can resort to a universal option: a red ornament on a light background of the pillow. A light pillow with a neat red ornament looks almost luxurious, and you can give it to a friend for the New Year. The red and white pattern looks dynamic and cozy at the same time. This chic pillow is uplifting without looking tacky. In addition, repeating patterns are easy to create.
A DIY embroidered pillow can decorate your interior and make your home more comfortable.
To give the design a more impressive and neat look, you can process the edge of the product with a two-color or one-color ornament, creating an embroidered frame. If the drawing is quite simple and uncomplicated, it will “sparkle” when framed and will look quite expensive. This trick was used by craftsmen who created postcards and interior items in the Art Nouveau style.
Things that we create with our own hands are considered much more pleasant and expensive for us.
Botanical cross stitch - embroidery patterns on the theme of wild flowers
Flowers are a universal embroidery option for all times. They can be created in winter to lift your spirits and give the room brightness, summer warmth, in the fall - so as not to fall into depression. There are many schemes on the Internet dedicated specifically to colors. Various weeds, grasses, and dandelions, both ripe and April, are successful.
Such things contain internal energy, which is a strong talisman for our home.
A pillow embroidered yourself speaks about the skills and tastes of the craftswoman, her skill and desire to create something beautiful for her interior.
Beautiful and bright sofa cushions with flowers transform a gray interior. Things made with your own hands protect you from everything bad that you can bring into your home from the street. Therefore, before, an embroidered pillow was in every home. If the pillow was small, then it was called a dumka. Linguists still cannot come to a consensus why the accessory was called that way. Perhaps because it was pleasant to rest on a pillow that was embroidered with your own hands, to unload the psyche, and when the brain is relaxed, it is easier to think.
Our ancestors had a peculiar cult of embroidery. The girl had to learn this art from childhood.
The front side of the pillowcase
Baste part 1 to part 2, then part 3 to part 2:
Make sure that the stitching goes exactly along the edge of the embroidery where the design includes partially embroidered fragments. If your embroidery looks better when there is “air” around it, take this into account when cutting out the details
If your embroidery looks better when there is “air” around it, take this into account when cutting out the details
Sew two lines on your sewing machine. Press seam allowances.
Gabardine is a smooth, free-flowing and quite soft material. It is wear-resistant and moisture-retaining, so the pillowcase will be resistant to abrasion and any stains.
However, when stitching, the difference in the thickness of gabardine and impregnated canvas is noticeable:
To equalize the thicknesses, we will use different lining materials.
For a part with embroidery we will cut out a thin adhesive interlining, for example, Vlieseline H630 (2 mm thick), and for two parts made of gabardine - a padding polyester for sewing and patchwork, for example, Fairfield 4 mm thick.
It is necessary to cut out one part from non-woven fabric (the dimensions are the same as part 2, but without side allowances). Made from padding polyester - 2 parts (the dimensions are the same as parts 1 and 3, but without side allowances).
To prevent the padding polyester from moving relative to the fabric, it must be well fixed. To do this, we place parts 1 and 3 on the central part 2 (gabardine for embroidery), thus opening the seam allowances. We pin the padding polyester to the seam allowances and sew it on the machine:
We straighten the parts, align the padding polyester with the fabric.
We put interlining on the wrong side of part 2 (embroidery) so that the adhesive layer faces you:
Carefully iron the seam allowances (on one side the allowance is sewn to the fabric, and on the other it is glued to the interlining):
Next, we fold the front side of the pillowcase we just worked with with the front side of the lining. We align them and cut off the excess. We combine both parts along the bottom and sew on a machine at a distance of 1 cm from the edge:
Iron the seam allowances. We turn the lining so that the wrong sides of the parts are aligned. Iron the pieces along the front side of the lining, and the interlining will stick to the lining.
From the front side the pillowcase looks like this:
We see that gabardine and embroidery are now the same thickness:
Iron the back of the pillowcase well at this stage.
Next, use pins to secure the lace on both sides of the embroidery:
On top of the embroidery, seam allowances of 1-1.5 cm have been added, take this into account when measuring the lace:
We baste the lace to the pillowcase, and then add sewing lines:
These stitches secure the lace and, importantly, securely connect the lining to the front side of the pillowcase
Fashionable patterns for cross-stitched pillows
A popular trend in embroidery is “celestial” themes, for example, stars, planets. In the works of 2022 you can even see shiny lurex elements. They do not decorate the entire picture, but only small, individual details. For example, the eyes of a unicorn, horse, fairy.
Embroidery made by hand is still in demand and valuable to this day, so its cost is also overpriced.
Monochrome pillows are also trending. Craftsmen don’t want to spend a lot of time counting and selecting threads of different colors, so they came up with monochrome paintings, for example, in beige or soft blue, which look very beautiful but are easy to create. Cross stitching a pillow with a monochrome picture does not have to involve using only one color of thread. You can decorate the picture with a splash of color. For example, make a gray character's eyes orange.
In order to master such a skill, you need to have a certain desire, make the maximum amount of effort and find a lot of free time.
Interior layout ideas
Today, ribbon embroidery is a popular type of handmade decor. It is used for finishing pillows, pillowcases, bedspreads and duvet covers. In addition, it serves as an excellent technique for creating three-dimensional paintings.
The embroidered patterns are sophisticated and ornate.
Pillows embroidered with satin ribbons are in particular demand. Depending on the chosen pattern and colors, they are suitable for different styles: Provence, classic, modern.
Material for cross stitching pillows
How beautiful the finished item will look depends not only on the pattern that the embroiderer chooses. First you need to buy good canvas and quality threads. Anyone who embroiders without a hoop should take a closer look at the compacted, dense canvas treated with a special substance. This fabric can be found at a craft store. In principle, you can embroider on any canvas or fabric purchased, for example, in a linen store. But on a special, dense fabric with a large canvas it is undoubtedly more convenient.
When handicrafts are just beginning to be studied, you can use ready-made embroidery kits that are sold in special sewing stores.
You need to choose threads especially carefully. If the choice of fabric is more a matter of taste, then almost everything depends on the quality of the threads: both the pleasure of the creative process and the appearance of the finished item. Don't buy the cheapest threads. They get confused during the work process and gather in knots. It is better to purchase high-quality threads “Maderina” or “DSM”.
They are silky, elastic, wear-resistant, and have a rich color range.
Assembling the pillow after embroidery
Cross stitching a pillow consists of two stages: creating a pattern and sewing the pillow itself.
A pillow decorated with cross stitch can be an excellent gift for loved ones and relatives.
Making a sofa cushion is no fundamentally different from sewing an ordinary living room accessory without embroidery. You just need to cut out a round or square silhouette from the fabric, overcast the edges, and then fold the two fabric elements together and sew them, turning them inside out, leaving a free gap for the filling. This procedure is easy to do manually if the pillow is small (smaller than the standard 40X40). After the rag parts are sewn together, the pillowcase needs to be turned right side out, filled with fiberglass and sewed up the remaining edge of the pillow.
Handmade has a special value, so such gifts are kept with you for a long period of your life.
If the embroidery was created on a special linen material, then there is no need to sew anything additional.
Today, beautifully designed embroidery becomes a unique and unusual component in absolutely any interior.
Soft cloud for children's
This is a toy pillow in the shape of a cloud that will give the room lightness and spaciousness. This seemingly unusual shape is universal, as it will fit equally well into the room of both girls and boys. Soft and cozy decor for a sofa and even a bed can be made from any material and in any color scheme. Here is a master class on how to make a cloud from an old sweater.
Preparatory stage:
- Take a cotton sweater. You can also use a T-shirt, and any similar wardrobe item. Avoid only synthetics and high acrylic content in the fabric.
- It is recommended to fill beautiful sofa cloud pillows with synthetic down or holofiber. They are safe and hypoallergenic. In addition, they are easy to wash, and after drying they return to their original shape.
- You will need a sewing machine and matching thread. Take acrylic ones, as they are durable and flexible.
- Pattern. Those who wish can show a little imagination, and for those who have trouble with invention, we offer ready-made pattern schemes.
At this stage, preparation is complete. Now proceed directly to sewing a textile masterpiece for the nursery.
- Turn the sweater inside out, attach a pattern to it with pins, and trace it with chalk or a piece of soap. Cut along the outlined outline, leaving a seam allowance of 1-2 cm.
- Sew the edges of the pattern, leaving a small space for filling.
- Turn the workpiece inside out and stuff it tightly with synthetic fluff or holofiber. To make the filling denser, use Chinese chopsticks to push the filling further inside.
- Sew the hole closed with a blind stitch.
A soft, beautiful and cozy pillow for a child is ready. It can be decorated by sewing on appliques, buttons, and beads. Or you can add eyes and a nose.
