Tooth Fairy Pillow Tutorial

Are you ready for a long tutorial. I try to write my tutorials for someone who hasn't sewn much and explaining it in detail. I hope everyone understand this tutorial and has as much fun sewing it as I like making them. Pillowcases for the little travel pillow is another way I make my tooth fairy pillows, but I had to go the long route and add a zipper at one end and have sides to kind of square it off. So here goes.

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This is one of the travel pillows you can pick up at Walmart or even Walgreen's have some but they are little bit smaller. This one measures 14"X20".

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Our Goodwill has $0.50 day on Sunday and Monday, so I have several pair of jeans bought and ready to use. I don't waste any of the jeans the rest is for skirts, aprons, etc. Bottomless jeans, cut pockets away, be sure to leave enough to trim away and turn back. Picture of pocket trimmed around and then folded back and ready to sew on pillow. Closer view of the back ironed, but my top edge did not show up. This is turned under, but not all the way to the edge of the pocket due to attaching it to the pillow. You want to be able to still slip your hand in-between the pocket and the jeans. Picture later on sewing it the pillow. I didn't take picture of all the cut out pieces but you will need-

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1 piece of main fabric (red cowboy print) 12" x 21"

Several other pieces of the main fabric in a variety of sizes this is for the crazy quilt pillow side

Side pieces are 3" x 21" (brown check)

1 red check strip 3" x WOF (crazy quilt side)

1 red check strip 5" x WOF (crazy quilt side)

Muslin pieces

12" x 21"

17" x 21"

Zipper 9"

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This is a crazy quilt pillow front so understand you can use any scraps of any size, I'm just showing my technique on this pillow top to get the idea. Are you still with me?

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With this in mind here are some of the stitching I did for the front of this pillow. I first squared off my embroidery design. You can applique an initial or name, hand embroidery a design or machine embroidery. I'm for fast production. I really can't give you an answer why I square this up because I cut all angles around it.

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Position your design on your muslin piece measuring 12" x 21" anywhere you want it.

I work clockwise and I'm starting with the top edge. Lay a piece of fabric, it does not mater what you pick on top of your embroidery piece. Right sides together. You want to make sure that the piece you are sewing is going to be enough to cover the area you want. You can always add another piece if it ends up short. This is very easy to do. Sew through all three pieces just across the edge of the embroidery piece and stop. Turn fabric toward the foundation piece and press. Pressing is your best tool. This was the upper corner so I turned the foundation piece over and trimmed away the excess fabric. Make sure you do not cut your foundation, you want it to stay at 12" X 21". x Next is the side piece, I placed my 5" red check strip along the embroidery piece at an angle just to give a little bit more crazy. Pin through all layers and your ready to sew. x Press again. xx x xx Cut away the bottom of the red check at the same angle of the embroidery design. x x Fold muslin piece and red check back very important and trim the embroidery piece to the seam, this will take away some bulk. x Ready for the next piece, you will lay it and sew the same way as the above step, then trim. I drew a line on this piece to give me the correct angle (cutting only the main fabric). If you notice I did angle the red 5" strip and trimmed away the side to make it wider at the bottom and narrow at the top. But make it a straight angle and always make sure your muslin is turned back away so you don't cut it. x

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I'm adding a large cut of main fabric so I can get some of the design on the front of the pillow. Whoops, see the edge not enough fabric. I'll just add a little strip to the fabric then sew it on. x

This is showing after the piece is sewn down onto the foundation (see the little strip I added). It is turned over and trimmed away to match your foundation piece of muslin.

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Now you are ready for the back and side sections.

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Place main fabric 3" from top of foundation piece measuring 17" x 21". Place brown check strip measuring 3" x 21" on top right sides together and sew through all 3 pieces 1/4". Do this on the other side seam also. x

Sew around all the edges of your pillow, this will hold your crazy quilting and side edges to the foundation pieces.

Now you are ready for the zipper which I hope I can explain due to having the side seams on the back foundation. Does this make since. Why didn't a do a pillowcase tutorial for the tooth fairy pillow. LOL

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Oh my, I forgot to take a picture of me sewing the pocket down. Can you see I just went around it making sure I didn't catch the top of the pocket when I sewed the top edge that was turned back. This will let the special little one be able to put the tooth inside and the tooth fairy to leave the treasures.

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I placed my zipper on top just to see where I needed to sew my seam.

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You are going to match the two pieces of main pillow right sides together and make a seam just through the main fabric leaving the sides not stitched. I did not go all the way to the edge, just enough for my zipper and this is a longer stitch (basting stitch) because you will remove this after the zipper is sewn in. Can you see the red thread, this is my seam.

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Turn over and press seam open, you will place your zipper with wrong side facing you and laying on top of the seam. Sew along the edges of the zipper. Then you will rip out basting stitch.

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Open up the zipper, very important. Looks funny with the sides only attached to the back, but it will work out. x

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Turn right sides together and sew remaining side seams, 1/4".

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Fold pillow where the zipper is lined up together and the two sides seams are matching up together. I should of pressed it before I took this picture.

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You will sew the remaining top edge. Is this making since. x

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Now for the bottom edge you can tell better how to line it up in this photo. Almost done...

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Turn the pillow through the zipper opening and stuff with pillow. I did push my corners in to make it square with the side seams and tacked down on the outside. Like a box purse. I forgot to take pictures of this step and sold the pillow this weekend. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and understand it.

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Copyright by Calamity Jane's Cottage.

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Keep Stitchen'

Bonnie