Sweet Home Sweet Pillow For Extreme Comfort

Not so long ago, I was deep in the thickets of the Internet in search of me-I don’t know what anymore when I came across the fascinating idea of cross-stitching on crocheted fabric. I was totally motivated by the idea. I probably watched too many episodes of Little House on the Prairie, but the self-sufficiency of this project convinced me deeply.

Maybe I’m not quite ready to cultivate a flax field to harvest, comb, knock and spin flax, but I could take a small step towards satisfying my pioneer by creating my own cross-stitch fabric. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know how to cross stitch. Just another task in the life of a pregnant woman!

It was the page’s daughter, Coco, who unwittingly offered us the perfect set to decorate this pillow. She is now six years old, but when she was four, she came home to her front door and spoke with an exhausted sigh: “Oh, sweeter, at home, sweeter…”Coco’s Malapropism is particularly wonderful because it turns on its head a Phrase that is at the heart of the traditional needle. And so “Home Sweet Home” became “Sweet Home Sweet” and a pillow was born!

I was so excited by the idea of this pillow that I took great care to choose materials that fit my Mission of simple and robust beauty. So I resorted to the big guns: the magnificent Euroflax linen from Louet for the crochet, the KPM needlepoint thread from Koigu for the cross stitch and the magnificent hand-dyed wool felt from Mary Flanagan for the back. The result is a pillow with a lot of homemade Charm, just for life on the border! Okay, maybe just life in Brooklyn…

Material

2 skeins of Louet’s original Euro linen, 100% linen. This color is “natural”.
Thread, needle on KPM from Koigu, 100% merino wool. I used 3 skeins: 2 of the color #2229 and 1 of #2227. if you want to use only one color for your cross stitches, or if you want to use two colors more evenly than me, you only need 2 skeins.
A hook of size B.
2 Pieces Of Mary Flanagan Felted Wool, 100% Wool. This color is “Smokey Joe”.
A bamboo pillow shape, 14 x 14 inches.
Neutral cotton sewing thread, like Gutermann’s #3260.
Model
M
6 Single Hooks = 1 Inch

8 Rows Of Single Crochets = 1 Inch

Finished size
14 inches x 14 inches

Hook

With Eurolax Linen, 86-point Chain.

When inserting the crochet hook into the second chain of the crochet hook, make 1 sts in the next 85 chain stitches.

* Turn the work.

Rope 1, Do 1 ms in the following 85 stitches.

Repeat from * until the piece is 10 1/2 inches from the first row.

Turn the work, ch 1, and do 1 ms in the following 62 stitches. Place a removable marker (or a safety pin or a thread tip) on the leg of the 62nd stitch.

Do 1 sts in each stitch until the end of the row.

Continue to do 85 STS in each row until the piece measures 14 inches from the beginning.

Cut the thread and pull the tail through the last stitch. Weave the ends.

Cross stitch
Grid

The crocheted fabric will form the grid on which you will make the cross stitch. The corners of each “square” (rectangle in fact!) are located horizontally on each side of a single crochet and vertically on two rows of single crochet. In this photo, the red dots show the corners of the grid where you can work on your cross stitches.

Basics, Cross Stitch

The basic “x” of the cross stitch is made by first bringing the needle from the back of the work to the front, leaving a 2 or 3 inch tail at the back of the work. (You will work the first stitches on the tail and check it often so you don’t have to weave it in the end! You need to weave the final tail and carefully sew it under a few strands.)

Then, insert the needle into the diagonal hole of the starting hole and bring your needle to the back of the work.

Now put your needle back forward through the hole under (or above) the last hole.

Finally, place your needle on the back of the work through the Diagonal of the hole of the last hole and next to the second hole.

Do not pull the thread too hard or leave it too loose. Simply sew with a comfortable and relaxed hand so that your stitches do not degrade the fabric and remain flat.

You can start the “x” in any corner. The important thing is that they are consistent. In other words, the first leg of the “x” must always tip “/” this way or “” that way. And the second stage must always switch in the other direction.

Although some people work the Full “x” While walking, others work all the first legs in a row, and then come back by crossing the second legs. Most people end up using a combination of methods!

Part of the fun of cross-stitching is finding your own way as efficiently as possible. There is no one right way! For this project, I tended to edit the first part of the “x” on the top line of a letter, then rework the “x” on the line. Then I got out of a row and did the same. For example, here’s how I started the “s:

A few last notes: avoid twisting your thread too far back. I would say that the Maximum is about 3 or 4 points. If you need to go further, just cut the thread, weave the tail and start with a new piece of thread.

Also, I mainly used Thread #2229, but sometimes I switched to Thread #2227. I did this as a nod to the Tradition of starting cross stitch samplers where matching threads weren’t as important as learning the technique. Do not hesitate to do the same, go further in the Gesture or stick to a color. Whatever you decide, enjoy it!

To start this cross stitch pattern, bring your thread to the mark you left in the crocheted fabric. Modify the letters according to this diagram, starting with the orange square of the “S”. Each square of the graph represents a complete “x”.

Sewing

Cut each piece of felt into a 14 x 10 inch rectangle. Square the fabric on one of the 14-inch sides, cutting the other 3 sides, but leaving a 14-inch side uncut.

Place the crocheted fabric from the right side up and place one of the rectangles on top. Arrange the felt so that the cut sides are on the edges of the pillow and the 14-inch uncut side is in the center.

Place the second rectangle on top of the first so that they overlap. Again, make sure that the uncut edge is in the center of the pillow.

Sew all four sides of the pillowcase, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Turn the pillowcase inside out and press the corners with a blunt tool like the tip of a pen.