Make a Felted-Wool Pillow with Reverse-Applique Heart Design

• 13" square of tracing paper
• 2 -- 13" squares of red felt
• 1 -- 13" square of white felt
• Dressmaker's tracing paper
• Sewing thread; red and white
• Sharp embroidery scissors that cut to a point
• Pinking shears
• 1 1/2 yards each of 1/4"-diameter white and 1/2"-diameter red sew-in twisted cording
• 12" pillow form or polyester fiberfill

Download Felted-Wool Pillow with Reverse-Applique Heart Design pattern

1. Diagonally fold the 13" square of tracing paper twice. Crease along the folds to form a large X when the paper is unfolded. Use the creases as a placement guide.
2. Place tracing paper over the pattern so a crease runs through the center of the heart, and the bottom of the white heart is 5/8" from the center of the X. Trace only the dashed stitching lines of the heart pattern onto the tracing paper four times, one heart over each crease.
3. Trace the diamond pattern onto the tracing paper between the hearts to complete the pattern. Center the completed pattern on one red felt square, and transfer the pattern lines using dressmaker's tracing paper.
4. For the pillow front, center the red felt, pattern side up, on the white felt; pin them together. Thread your sewing machine with white thread, and set the stitch length to 16 stitches per inch. Sew through both layers of felt on the transferred pattern lines. Begin sewing at the center of the design and work toward the edges. Pull all of the threads to the red felt side; knot and trim.
5. Turn the stitched piece over to work from the white felt side. Referring to the photograph, use the embroidery scissors to carefully cut away the white felt inside the stitching lines of the large heart shapes and outside the large diamonds, cutting approximately 1/16" from the lines. Use the pinking shears to trim away the white felt 1/4" beyond the stitching lines of the large hearts. Cut three extended teardrop shapes in each of the diamond shapes, using the photo as a guide.
6. Use a 1/2" seam allowance to baste the 1/4" white cording around the outside edges of the stitched pillow front, clipping the carding's seam allowance at the corners and overlapping the ends at the center bottom. Baste the 1/2" red cording to the pillow front in the same manner.
7. Pin the pillow front, right side down, on top of the second red felt square. Sew the pillow front to the back, leaving an opening to insert the pillow form. Clip the corners, trim the seam allowances, and turn the pillow right side out. Insert the pillow form, or stuff firmly with polyester fiberfill. Hand-sew the pillow opening closed.