How to Put a Fringe on a Pillow
Start as you would in putting a pillow together. Just before you begin to sew the backing to the needlepoint front, stitch the fringe to the backing. The steps involved are:
- Begin stitching the fringe on the backing.
- Place the fringe on the right side of the fabric, with the fringy ends pointing toward the middle of the fabric and the edge of the fringe even with the edge of the fabric. Start stitching in the middle of one side. This makes it easier to connect the beginning and ending stitches which will make the fringe lie more smoothly.
- Use masking tape and tape the fringy ends to the fabric to keep them from getting caught up in the stitches when you attach the back and front of the pillow together.
- Place the needlepoint top and the backing together, right sides facing, and the fringe safely tucked inside, and stitch three sides together.
- Use your fingers to press the edges in. Do the sides first and then the top and finally the bottom. Do the same thing to the backing fabric. Use an iron to finish off the creases by pressing along the finger-pressed creases.
- Place backing material and pillow square back sides together, wrong sides facing.
- Choose a matching floss and anchor it on the backing fabric and begin stitching.
- Attach the back to the front by overcasting the two pieces. Stitch into every hole in the canvas. At the corners, stitch twice in the same hole for extra strength. Leave the fourth side open.Or
Stitch together using a sewing machine and a basic stitch with standard thread. Place the backing fabric on the bottom as the needlepoint can get caught in the feeder teeth. While this method may appear to be faster, I find that over time, the hand-stitching is the best way to attach the material.
- To end, push the needle halfway through the last hole at the corner and wrap the thread around the tip of the needle twice, and pull it all the way through. This creates a French knot on the back of the pillow. Push the needle through to the inside and cut the end inside close to the fabric.
- Stuff the pillow with polyester filling. I recommend making a cotton case for the stuffing that is just a little smaller than the needlepoint piece. Maybe make it a quarter inch smaller all around. Stitch up three sides and stuff this case and then stitch the fourth side closed. You can do this stitching on a sewing machine.
- To hide the thread poke the needle into the backing by the knot and come up again on the back about 1/2″(1.3cm) away and then cut the thread close to the backing fabric. When you are finished with the third side, stuff the pillow with the stuffing already in the cotton pillowcase.
- Stitch up the fourth side.