First Attempt at a Machine Embroidered Throw Pillow with Piping and Zipper

The end of July I started checking Craigslist for an embroidery machine and almost immediately found a posting for a Janome 350e, price pretty fair. I had no idea what I would make with an embroidery machine -- something embroidered seemed likely. So I did the practical thing and drove 50 miles west to the limits of Chicagoland and bought it cash without plugging it in to make sure it worked.

The cushion is 12"x 12." The front fabric is linen-cotton blend and the embroidery threads are Isacord polyester.

After a trial of the Sewart Software I went ahead and purchased Embird, with the Sfumato plug-in. I've been working on digitizing pictures for the past month, and finally figured it was time to make something more finished. The result is this throw cushion. The image I poached from the internet. I learned how to install the piping and zipper by watching a tutorial on Youtube. The only detail I haven't quite figured out is how to finish the ends of the opening for the zipper more securely. It needs some kind of tape or stabilizer I think.

The back fabric is a linen-rayon blend. From Hawthorne Threads.

These pictures are quick and poorly lit but probably you are getting the idea. The corners are too loose but otherwise the piping is tight and clean and the zipper closes neatly with no unsightly seams showing. Not too bad for three hours on a Wednesday afternoon and way more money spent than I care to specify.