Valentine Throw Pillow Tutorial

I wrote this tutorial last year for Ucreate, and decided this year to share the whole thing on my own blog for the first time. This throw pillow can be made any size or shape your heart desires and comes together very quickly.

Supplies needed: 

• WonderUnder or HeatNBond - enough to trace 5 hearts
• Scraps of fabric for the hearts
• Background fabric in the size you desire
• Needle and DMC floss for the 'string'
• Batting to stuff the pillow
• Backing fabric in the same size as your background fabric for the back of your pillow

First trace a heart template (or draw your own) on the paper side of the WonderUnder/HeatNBond.  I googled Heart Template and found dozens if you want a slightly different heart. I used this one, reducing the size a little. My hearts are about 3.5" long and 2" wide.

Iron the fusible side to the back of your fabric scraps.  You could use a variety of scraps, or if you're not like me with fabric scraps coming out of your ears, you could use all the same fabric.  Felt would be equally adorable. 

After the HeatNBond is fused on, cut out fabric hearts.  Cut a piece of backing fabric to the size you would like your finished pillow. I used a piece of linen-type fabric and cut mine 12" x 21" - but there's lots of room for flexibility here. Make it whatever size you want.

Using a water eraseable pen draw a line for the 'string' the hearts will hang on. I just eyeballed it. And if I wasn't happy with the drape of the string, I erased and changed. Don't stress about this part. You will stitch on this line after the hearts are attached.

Lay your hearts on the 'string' line to play with their placement. 

You could mark where you would like them to  stay permanently. 

Start with the center heart when you are ready to adhere the hearts to the backing fabric. Remove the paper backing of the WonderUnder and iron the first heart into place. Repeat with the hearts on the left and right of center, and then finish with the final two hearts.

After hearts are fused to the background fabric, sew around the edges with a sewing machine. Hand stitching would look great too.

After hearts are stitched down, it's time to stitch the 'string' the hearts are 'hanging from.' I used 2 strands of some dark gray DMC floss and backstitched along the line I'd drawn on the fabric.

When you get to the edge of the heart come up inside the heart about 3/4" from the edge, make a 1/2" stitch" and resume stitching on the other side of the heart, so it looks like the hearts are threaded onto a string, hanging like a banner.

When you're finished stitching, cut a backing fabric the same size as your front piece.  Sew right sides together, leaving an opening at the bottom for stuffing. Turn right-side out and stuff. That's it! Super easy. The same design could be used as a table runner or wall hanging, instead of a pillow.

I'm loving this with my Snoa Flinga throw pillows. Perfect for February.

And if you are looking for more valentine's inspiration you may want to check out Melissa's Simply Charmed Blog Hop during the first 2 weeks of February.  All kinds of projects made primarily from one charm pack.  (I've had a little sneak peak of some of them, and they are really great. Really.) And way cool prizes are involved as well! You probably don't want to miss out. Visit Melissa's blog for more details. I'll be participating with a new tutorial of my own, so keep your eyes peeled.