Simple Project: Embroidered Pillow

Hello friend! I wasn’t sure if I was going to post about this embroidered pillow project, but it turned out so cute and so much better than I thought, so here we are! I tried something different with my embroidery and really liked it.

I’ve had this super adorable Winnie the Pooh fabric in my stash for a few years, but I don’t often make things that are baby-themed (although if I’m honest, I sorta bought that fabric for myself because I’m obsessed with Winnie the Pooh). But I went to a dear friend’s baby-shower last weekend, and thought it was the perfect opportunity to use some of the fabric.

I also had a little pillow with no cover at the back of my closet and knew the fabric would be perfect for it! Never one to pass up an opportunity to add embroidery everywhere, I decided to have one side of the pillowcase embroidered, and the other side showing off the cute fabric.

Appliqué & Embroidery

I cut out one of the scenes I liked from the Pooh fabric and appliquéd it onto some pale yellow cotton. The Pooh fabric print is rather pale, especially the outline of each scene, so to make it pop out a bit more I decided to embroider just the outline. I used two strands of DMC #3021 for most of it, and only one strand for the smaller details, like Piglet’s stripes.

I really, really love the outcome! It looks so textured and alive. The paleness of the fabric print gives it a sort of watercolour look that suits it so well! And it was so relaxing to stitch, because I didn’t have to think about colours and I just followed the outline that was already there. I used a backstitch for the whole thing.

Sewing the Pillowcase

To make the pillowcase I bagged both the front and back with some white cotton. This made the case sturdier, better for washing, and hid the back of the embroidery work (yellow fabric was really see-through!). I decided to leave an opening along the right side to make it easier to remove for washing.

And of course, I added a ribbon closure, because I love a good ribbon closure 😉. I find it’s a very pretty finishing touch and makes the pillow look more decorative. That way my friend can use it for her baby as an actual pillow, or just display it in the nursery.

Overall I am really pleased with how this embroidered pillow turned out, and the appliquéd/embroidery on fabric print idea was definitely a win! I wouldn’t necessarily do that on any fabric, but the Pooh one was very well suited for that.

Now I’m half-tempted to make one for myself…not for my non-existing nursery, but myself 😉.

Are you also a Winnie-the-Pooh fan? If so, who’s your favourite character? I simply can’t resist Piglet, he’s just too cute!!  

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of Pooh inspiration and embroidery on printed fabric! Has anyone else tried that before, and how did it work for you? Would love to hear from you!

Follow along on Instagram or check out my embroidery patterns on Etsy!

Fondly,