Mermaid Pillow With a Treasure Pocket

Tools needed:
Circle Punch
12×12 Cardstock
paint brush
needle

Supplies I used to make my mermaid pillow:
Gold Braid
Canvas Corp Brands Canvas Pillow Cover – Round 14″
Canvas Corp Brands 12×12 Printed Canvas Fabric – French Letters
Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam – Tide Pool
Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam – Night Sky

 Step 1: Make a Mermaid Scale Stencil

Punch a series of circles along the edge of a 12×12 piece of cardstock.
Cut the row of circles in half.

 Step 2: Paint Mermaid Scales on Canvas Pillow Cover

I chose two colors for mermaid scales and used an alternating color pattern. I placed the stencil at the edge of the pillow cover and painted the first row of scales. I centered the stencil on the first row of scales to paint the second row. This gave the scales an overlapped appearance. it looks like a mermaid pillow now, doesn’t it?

 Step 3: Trace Heart onto Printed Canvas Fabric

I cut a heart shape about 5.5″ tall from the 12×12 piece of cardstock. I folded the Printed Canvas Fabric in half with the printed side in. I laid the pattern on the fabric so that I had room for 1/2″ seams around the sides and point. The top of the heart I laid flush with the edge of the fold. I traced the heart shape lightly with a pencil.

 Step 4:  Cut Heart from Printed Canvas

I pinned the halves of the printed canvas together and cut out the shape leaving at least 1/2″ of canvas outside of the shape for seams.

Step 5:  Stitch Heart Shape on the Printed Canvas

I machine stitched the heart shape along the pencil lines, leaving a 3″ gap along the side. I made a series of shallow cuts in the seam allowance along the edge of the curves and at the point. These clipped lines ended close to the seem but did not go through it. Clipping the curves lets the fabric stretch and settle when you turn it right-side out.

 Step 6: Turn Heart Shape Right-Side Out

With the 3″ gap along the side turning the heart is fairly easy. Run the eraser end of a pencil along the inside of the seams to ensure they are all turned properly.

2) Insert the needle in side b, directly across from where the thread emerged in side a. Slide needle in the hem space for 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch, exit the hem space still on side b.

3) Continue this pattern for the length of the seam, alternating sides.

4) Pull the thread snug so that the edges match up exactly, but not so tight they pucker, and knot off thread.

When hemming a shape such as a heart with curves and points, it is difficult to keep the desired shape. Tracing and stitching the pattern directly onto folded fabric, then turning it right-side out preserves the shape and prevents any edges that could ravel.

 Step 8: Pin Heart to Pillow Cover

Pin only the sides and point to the pillow. The top of the heart will be left open to form the pocket.

Step 9: Stitch Heart to Pillow Cover Using a Feather Stitch

The feather stitch is a series of “V’s”. Each new stitch begins at the point of the previous stitch.
The first stitch come up through the fabric at point a and goes back down at point b leaving a small loop. The thread comes back up at point c and catches that loop. The thread goes down into the fabric at point d, leaving a loop which is caught by the thread coming up at point e.

I used a flat foam pillow to stuff my mermaid pillow form.
My chairs are not deep and I wanted to be comfortable with multiple cushions.
Of course it didn’t take long till the cats had to try out the new pillows.
Noir is hoping Mermaids taste like fish. She’s willing to wait all day for a nibble!

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Scrap On!
~Charity Hotrum~