Gemma Sneddon (photo)
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Pillow Talk

The perfect pillow for your Lucha Libre boudoir, designed for those ladies who want to add a bit of mystery….

by Gemma Sneddon

Suggested Listening

"The Point of It All" Who Killed Amanda Palmer by Amanda Palmer

Difficulty

All Tied Up At the Moment
Click here for definitions of difficulty levels.

Finished Measurements

7.9"/20cm W x 10.6"/27cm H

Download

Pillow Talk Templates (PDF format)

Materials

• Soft craft felt, black, 2 sheets (each 9.8"/25cm W x 11.8"/30cm H)
• Soft craft felt, bottle green, 1 sheet
• Soft craft felt, red, 1 sheet
• Soft craft felt, brown, 1 sheet
• Soft craft felt, the skin-tone of your choosing, 1 sheet
• Soft craft felt, the color of your favorite Luchador's mask, 1 sheet
• 6-strand embroidery floss in non-metallic gold
• 6-strand embroidery floss in colors to match your felt
• 6-strand embroidery floss in any embellishment colors you wish to use
• Fiberfill
• Very pointy scissors
• Sewing needles
• Pins

Design Notes

Accurate cutting is important. Felt is a forgiving medium, but cut it accurately and it will be downright affectionate.

On the template pieces, straight lines are for cutting and dotted lines are guides for embroidery or placement.

For stitches that you want to be nearly invisible, use only three strands of floss. For decorative stitches, use all six strands of floss.

Don't know how to do a certain stitch? Check out the Glossary of Techniques.

Directions

Cut the Felt:

Using the template as a guide, cut out one chaise base in brown felt; one upholstery piece in green felt; one torso piece and one set of legs in skin-toned felt; one dress piece in red; and one mask piece in the color of your choice.

Add Details:

Gemma Sneddon (photo)
click image to enlarge

With non-metallic gold floss, embroider swirls on the chaise base in backstitch, using the template as a guide.

With skin-toned floss, according to the template, embroider the base of the top foot and the lines for the fingers and toes. With red floss and tiny backstitches, paint the toenails and fingernails red. With non-metallic gold floss, use chain stitch to embroider a necklace around the Luchadora's throat.

With red floss, embroider corsetry lines on the dress.

Take the mask piece and decorate the mask in the style of your favourite luchador, using as many exciting stitches as you like. Remember to cut eye and mouth holes to match the style of your mask.

Luchadora Assembly:

Gemma Sneddon (photo)
click image to enlarge

Position the mask on the face. Pin in place and sew using thread that matches the mask. With green floss, place a French knot in each eyehole of the mask. With red floss, embroider a pair of lips in the mouth hole.

Next, line up the dress to the torso, being as accurate as possible. The side of the bottom arm should line up with the side of the dress; the décolletage should match the dotted lines on the template. Pin in place. Sew up along the sides and décolletage, making sure that the bottom arm is not sewn down – it should sit on top of the dress. Now, pin the bottom arm down onto the dress and sew in place with skin-toned floss along edges.

Position the legs in the slit of the dress. To check placement, match up the side of the dress to the side of the upholstery, then wriggle the legs around until their bottom edge matches the top line of the upholstery. Check again, pin legs to dress and lift carefully off the upholstery.

Using red floss, sew from the top of the hip, up to the knee, along the slit – continuing the stitches through the gap – and then to the bottom of the lower thigh. Do not sew along the stomach edge.

Switching to skin-toned floss, secure the exposed legs to the dress. Only sew along the sides of the legs – sewing across the legs should be avoided.

Your Luchadora should now be beautifully clad and disguised.

Pillow Assembly:

Place a sheet of black felt in landscape orientation (wider than it is tall). Put the chaise together, lining up the edges. Put the Luchadora on the chaise, then place on the black felt, leaving a clearance of around 1.6"/4cm between the Luchadora's head and the top edge of the black felt. Pin the chaise pieces in place, lift the Luchadora off, and sew chaise and upholstery to the black felt, switching floss colours as necessary.

Now, put the Luchadora back on the chaise and carefully arrange her: the bottom leg and the side of the dress should fit into the upholstery piece; the top arm should hook over the swirly knob without any overlapping. Once the Luchadora is in just the right place, pin in place and sew on, switching floss colours as necessary.

Now, grab your other sheet of black felt and pin onto the embroidered sheet, wrong sides together. With non-metallic gold floss, blanket stitch the edges together, leaving the left edge open for stuffing.

Finishing:

Stuff with fiberfill until it is comfortably full. Note: this is always more than you think it will be. Just keep stuffing it in for a little while after you thought it was full [Editor's note: That's what SHE said], otherwise your pillow will be sadly flat.

Blanket stitch the edge closed. Tie off, then thread the floss inside the pillow to hide the end.

Arrange pillow artfully in your boudoir.

About

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