monogram tea towel pillow

by | Sep 1, 2011 | Sewing, Tutorials | 29 comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

Some of you may have spotted the new Martha Stewart line by Plaid available at Michael’s.  It’s been quite the buzz on the blogs lately.  Several bloggers, including myself, were asked to try out the new products and tools and boy, did we get a big box of goodies to try. Here’s what I made…

…a hand painted monogram pillow out of an antique linen tea towel.  (This towel was not in pristine condition, so don’t fret.) 
I used the fabric medium and mixed it with equal parts paint.  This hand sponge applicator is ideal for stenciling, so I put it to good use on this project. 
A tip when stenciling fabric – make sure to put something under the area you’re painting, so it doesn’t bleed through.  I usually use tin foil. 

I then selected my stencils and punched them out. 

These are from the Serif Stencil Set. 

Using a ruler to find the center point, I lined up the stencil. 

I held it tightly in place and gently pressed on the sponge to release the paint.  Don’t push too hard or you will get major bleeding under the stencil. 

I rotated the stencil to complete the frame.  Work carefully to prevent smudging. 
I then added the center monogram, a capitol “P”.
…and then a lower case “m” and “v”.  At this point, it looks a bit sloppy, but that is not uncommon with stencils, especially on fabric.  Since these stencils are made out of heavy paper, I think in the future I will trace the design with a pencil and paint it in by hand.  But, no worries, we’ll get this looking sharp.

I used a 1.0 liner brush to fill in the gaps and give it a sharp look. 

I also added a pop of apple green between the gray lines. 

Once the paint was dry, which only took about 15 minutes, I kept the tea towel folded in half with the right-sides-out, sewed each side closed and inserted an 18″ x 18″ feather pillow form. 

The bottom of the towel has this great crocheted details, so I just threaded three ribbons through to tie the bottom closed. 

Ta-da! 

Here’s a peek at some of the other brushes and tools available…

Awesome stuff. 
See you tonight for Furniture Feature Friday, posted at 10:00 pm EST.  I also have a special event going on tomorrow! 

Receive a Daily Dose of Encouragement and Inspiration!

Stay Inspired with Marian's Daily Blog Posts

Sign up to receive uplifting blog posts directly in your inbox! Join our community of like-minded individuals and start your day with a burst of creativity, motivation, and positivity. Whether you’re seeking decorating tips, DIY projects, or simply a dose of inspiration, Marian’s daily posts are sure to brighten your day and ignite your creativity. Don’t miss out on your daily dose of encouragement – subscribe now!

    29 Comments

    1. Katie
      Katie on September 1, 2011 at 11:05 am

      I love your monogramed pillow! It came out wonderful. I haven't used any of the Martha products on fabric yet… planning out some cool fabric projects, though!

    2. Nancy Elizabeth Carey
      Nancy Elizabeth Carey on September 1, 2011 at 11:10 am

      came out super cute! thinking totes for halloween! now to find some coupons! xoxo's nancy

    3. Steph
      Steph on September 1, 2011 at 11:31 am

      Such a sweet pillow! I love the hint of green you added, and how simply you tied it closed with the ribbon.

    6. Bette Baker
      Bette Baker on September 1, 2011 at 11:51 am

      Adore the pillow, wonderful surprises everyday!

    7. janet
      janet on September 1, 2011 at 11:53 am

      Hello Marian,
      I am seeing these new paints all over the blogoshere!

      Helpful hint:

      Back in the early 90's I worked for a stencil design artist and one of the first things she taught me was to barely load your brush and work with as little paint as possible. It looks like that applicator releases way too much paint and that's why so much bleed under occurred.

      I would stick with a stencil brush…here that Martha?

      Love that you managed to still get a pretty pillow out of it….but we already knew that ;->

      Janet xox
      http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/

    8. Sherri
      Sherri on September 1, 2011 at 11:58 am

      Thanks for telling us about the monogram kit! I love the results, I'll have to try it!!

    9. Nutbird
      Nutbird on September 1, 2011 at 12:01 pm

      thanks for inspiring me to get working on a special project! It is a gift for one of my favorite bloggers. I can hardly wait to get back to civilization to see this line at Michaels. Right now, the nearest Michaels is 120 miles away. Ann

    10. Mr. Goodwill Hunting
      Mr. Goodwill Hunting on September 1, 2011 at 12:45 pm

      I think this is a great idea for an upcoming party i am throwing. thanks so much for the inspiration.

      Rashon aka Mr. Goodwill Hunting

    11. Dentelline
      Dentelline on September 1, 2011 at 12:52 pm

      Bonne idée! Très sympa!
      Bises

    12. Deborah
      Deborah on September 1, 2011 at 1:06 pm

      Beautiful! Simply beautiful! I want one! LOL!!!!
      Must get busy!

    13. angelica jackson
      angelica jackson on September 1, 2011 at 1:17 pm

      I love your pillow! I also was thinking about this as a tote bag embellishment for teacher gifts for Christmas gifts…a teacher never has enough bags~
      🙂 great job!

    14. Jacqueline
      Jacqueline on September 1, 2011 at 1:23 pm

      I've already bought some of her new paint collection, but was wondering what you need to do the fabric painting because it didn't explain it well.

    16. Mrs. Scrimp
      Mrs. Scrimp on September 1, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      Love this. 🙂

    18. Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl
      Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl on September 1, 2011 at 2:36 pm

      Wonderful, as usual, Marian!!!…I love that you used a tea towel…I have a load of these from my great-grandmother – you've inspired me to actually do something with them…;) OH! And I just picked up the latest issue of Cottages & Bungalows…loved your dining room/farm table photo in there!!! Girl, you are behind amazing…

    19. Pamela Anne Designs
      Pamela Anne Designs on September 1, 2011 at 4:25 pm

      Thanks, great idea and it came out so cute. I am going to try it on some luggage tags I am making for a crew taking a missions trip to Zambia.

    22. Just Spiff It
      Just Spiff It on September 1, 2011 at 5:29 pm

      I love your pillow! I am a monogram freak and will be at Michaels tomorrow to try a new creation of some sort??? Hmmmm – need to ponder what it will be! Love your blog!
      Thanks for this post!

    23. Vanessa
      Vanessa on September 1, 2011 at 7:13 pm

      Cute pillow and love the Martha products.

      Vanessa

    24. Teri
      Teri on September 1, 2011 at 9:13 pm

      So cute! I am making a burlap runner for my dining room table and was just trying to figure out how to embellish it! This is perfect… I just have to run to Michael's now!!!

    25. Vicki K.
      Vicki K. on September 1, 2011 at 9:45 pm

      What does the "V" stand for?

    26. Anneke @ RustiChic
      Anneke @ RustiChic on September 2, 2011 at 1:11 am

      This turned out great! I think since I have basically ALL of these supplies…I should give it a try. Maybe monogrammed pillows for my girl's beds. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    27. SueAnn
      SueAnn on September 2, 2011 at 2:12 am

      Simply fabulous!! Love the stencil!!
      And that tea towel is gorgeous! Great pillow!
      Hugs
      SueAnn

    28. Mod Podge Amy
      Mod Podge Amy on September 4, 2011 at 6:59 pm

      I bow to you Marian – you are amazing! Can't wait to meet you! xo

    29. Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com
      Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com on September 4, 2011 at 9:46 pm

      So so pretty! I love how simple and classy it is. Wonderful job!

      xoxox
      Jen

    Pin It on Pinterest

    Share This