How to Make a Dollhouse Pillow with Ruffle, Part 1

I have 2 tutorials for you this month.  The first one is making a ruffle for a dollhouse size pillow.  The second tutorial is making a harp for a dollhouse lamp that you are going to electrify.

I am going to review how I make a pillow before we go on to the ruffle.  This is for the newer followers.

First of all make a pattern for your pillow from card stock the size of the finished pillow.  Mine for the tutorial is 1 1/4" or 32 mm square.

Cut the card stock pattern out and trace around it onto the wrong side of your fabric.

Cut out the traced piece for your pillow, adding a seam allowance.  Cut out a second piece the same size.

With right sides together, pin them together.
Begin sewing on the line a little bit from the center on one side, not too close to the corner.  I use natural color cotton thread for all colors of pillows.

I sew in and out for about 2 stitches; then I will back stitch and begin again.
Sew around until you get to the side where you started, try to leave at least 1/2 to 5/8 inch (12-15 mm) open for stuffing.
Do not knot and cut the thread.  Bring the needle through between the two layers of fabric, pull the thread through.  Leave the needle and thread connected to the pillow.

Trim the seam allowances down to 1/8 inch (3mm) or less.   Do not trim the opening side, leave that at it is. Trim the corners.  Apply a little glue on the stitches at the corners, both sides.

Finger press the opening side.  Apply a little glue to the edge and finger press down to hold.

The opening has been glued down and we are ready to turn the pillow.

I use hemostats to turn the pillow.

After you have turned the pillow and poked out the corners you can use the needle to pull at the stitches in the corner to fully bring the corners out.  Don't pull at the fabric, only the stitches.

O.K., here's the secret to squishy pillows - I use tiny, tiny polystyrene balls.  I found them in a squishy life size pillow.  They were popular, they were covered in a knit, and were really squishy.  I saw Kohl's had them in the travel department for travel pillows, I found a couple at thrift stores, too.

Fill the pillow to just over half full.  You want some space to be able to squish the pillow into a corner of the sofa.

Use the ladder stitch to close the opening.  This stitch is almost invisible when finished.

Now you have a pillow ready for the ruffle or piping that we made in an earlier tutorial.

On to part 2.