Greetings pillow friends! How are your projects going?! I can't believe we are already on the third week and getting ready to seam these babies up. This is where the pillow really comes to life. This week, I'll give you some tips on how to block and seam your pillow.  Like before, I've highlighted key points after each video. Hopefully you were able to cast off the Sister yarn portion of your pillow this week. As always, feel free to get in touch if you need help at amy@knitcollage.com. Let's dive in!

Video 6: Blocking your finished pieces

Things to keep in mind:

* Tools you'll need: blocking boards (I like these) or a towel folded over double, T pins (see pic below), measuring tape, a spray bottle or cup full of water.



* When we block in knitting, we set our finished knit pieces into the correct shape the pattern calls for, so in this case either a 14"x14" or 16"x16" square, depending on which size pillow you chose to make.

* Use your measuring tape to pin your finished pieces into the correct size square on your blocking board or towel.

* I prefer lightly blocking (as shown in the video) with our bulky yarns. If you get your finished piece too wet, it will take days to dry. 

* Wait to seam your pieces until they are completely dry.

Here's what both of my pieces look like in blocking.

Both of these pieces were blocked into 16"x16" squares.

Video 7: Seaming your pieces together

Things to keep in mind:

* Weave in all of your ends using you darning needle for the Sister yarn and your fingers for the Pixie Dust before you start seaming.

* Lay your pieces out with the right sides facing in towards each other and lined up on top of each other. Since the pattern is reversible for each piece, the sides you think look best should face in.

* Use the Sister yarn to seam, not the Pixie Dust.

* The number of stitches in the Sister and Pixie Dust panels will not match up. Recall that you cast on fewer stitches in the Pixie Dust than the Sister. So,  you will not be seaming stitch for stitch, just do your best to make sure the corners all line up as you go. It doesn't have to be perfect! Use pins as a guide to make sure all your sides and corners match up.

* We'll seam up 3 sides like this and in the next video we'll turn the pillow case inside out, add the pillow insert and seam the fourth and final side.

* Below is a detailed pic of what seaming your overcast stitch will look like.

Video 8: Adding your pillow insert and seaming the last side

Things to keep in mind:

* After you've finished seaming 3 sides of your pillow, turn the whole piece inside out and stuff your pillow insert inside.

* I like my pillows not that puffy, I like them a little less perky, more cuddle-y...SO I actually took a little puff out of my insert to achieve this. Do what you like here.

* Seam up your final pillow edge in the same overcast method you used for the other 3 sides. I love the way the stitching looks like a handmade whip stitch edge.

That's it for this week guys! Next week I'll show you how to make and add tassels or pom poms to your pillow. The customization part is a total blast! Lastly, if you missed the prize info, click on last week's post here to find out more. 

XOXO Amy