Book cushions for my grandsons

My younger grandson turned 7  a couple of weeks ago. I've already posted that I gave him a hoodie embroidered with an Infinity Gauntlet (embroidery as requested) plus a Gauntlet with lights for him to wear. The gauntlet is huge on his hand but my daughter and son-in-law thought it was great. In the meantime, Ben, probably forgetting that he had requested an embroidered tee, asked for Harry Potter merchandise when they were visiting earlier in the month. My daughter said she already had quite a lot of Harry Potter merchandise for Christmas. Needless to say, this wasn't in the boys’ hearing.

Then a number of things came together. I saw an Instagram of Harry Potter fabric sold by 1st for Fabrics which is local to me. I saw some postings of book pillows (I'd never heard of them) and found a good YouTube video showing me how to make them and a number of people in the embroidery groups I follow were embroidering fantastic ones. So - a Harry Potter themed, embroidered book pillow. One for each of my grandsons. 

No books in these.

 

Book cushions with books - notebook covers are the next post, in progress at the moment

I didn't want to use plain fabric (best for the embroidered panel; often quite complex embroideries and sayings but mine is a simple name) when I had bought specific Harry Potter fabric. Sadly the Gryffindor fabric was sold out so I bought newspaper print, the Daily Prophet, instead - that's the back of the cushion. I decided simply to embroider their names on the less densely printed fabric.

Front of one cushion and the back of the other

This led to a search for a Harry Potter font. I bought one following a search but sadly it was a pain to download and even worse to use. Following advice from my embroidery group, I found a fabulous and easy to use one which was actually free! This is a True Type font so I can actually use it on my computer too - so if I ever write to my grandsons I have the perfect font! I successfully embroidered the boys’ names onto the fabric which formed the front of the pocket. I used the first initial of their surname, T, as that gave the proper Harry Potter effect.

I love the effect on the T

I made paper templates of the sizes I needed. After that I followed the video instructions;

Briefly, make the interfaced and embroidered pocket front, join to pocket lining, creating a band of lining across the top of the pocket opening, join both to main front. Join overlapping backs to front right sides together. Turn cover to right side. Not difficult. Advice from the embroidery group also included using fleece behind the embroidery and quilting the two layers together but I had already moved past that point by the time I got that advice and I think it's okay.

I made the covers to fit a 16” cushion insert. I was making these in my first time at sewing bee for ages. Lyn said that the overlap at the back was very big and I'd struggle to get the cushion in, but would manage and the cushion would be plump. That was exactly what happened. I think the back fabric has slightly stretched too with the effort of getting the cushion in.

I think they look great. The only issue is that the pocket fabric has a pattern which runs in both directions and it looks as if I've got it upside down. I haven't but I think I could've placed the embroidery better - the Harry Potter name reads 'upside down' in the centre but 'right way up' at the lower sides.