I knew once I had a Silhouette machine, there would be endless creative possibilities. Now the Silhouette machine cuts fabric! Using scrap material, I made my daughter a doxie (Niski!) pillow.
Here’s how I did it.
I hope to make my own pattern but until I figure out how to do that, I purchased a doxie shape from the Silhouette online store and sized it. I did cut out some other shapes including an ear and some flowers for appliques as well.
My doxie was approx. 6 x 9 inches long so using a piece of cardstock as a pattern, I cut a 6×9 piece of the heat transfer fabric interfacing.
Iron on to fabric (rough side of heat transfer interfacing paper to back side of fabric).
Cut out the 6×9 heat transfer paper fabric interfacing once it’s ironed (cooled) to the fabric.
I used my Silhouette cutting mat. This will work best if your cutting mat isn’t very sticky (not new). The heat transfer fabric interfacing paper backing sticks to the mat so I had to clean that off/peeling bits and pieces. The other option would be to make sure your fabric is at least 8 inches wide going through the feed (so it doesn’t move around). Stick the paper side to the mat, fabric side up. I always stick to the right side.
Feed mat into the machine. (I always insert mat and vinyl on the third line from the left as the machine cuts closest to the right margin on projects shorter than 12″ unless you make adjustments in the software).
Change to the pink cutting tip.
Send the image to the Silhouette for cutting. My settings were 3 for speed and 33 (the highest) for thickness.
Cut image.
Unload and remove ‘negative’ fabric.
Lift up fabric doxie – instant iron on applique! How cool!
Iron fabric into place on 1 side of the right side of pillow to be sewn (or whatever you’re creating).
Once it’s ironed on, it’s temporarily in place and ready to sew. Sew close to the edge of the fabric applique. For rounding corners, make sure needle is down through fabric, lift foot and turn as needed. Lower foot and resume sewing.
The back side will look like this:
Add extra iron ons for texture and depth, a button for an eye.
I got caught up in my project and didn’t photograph the remaining steps but I made a pillow cover. Pin right sides together and sew three sides of the pillow cover. Snip corners of fabric up to the seam. Turn right-side-out. Insert pillow and hand or machine sew the opening shut.
Front Side:
Back Side:
So cute! I’m not crazy about the shape of the dog (it seems a little distorted to me), but for first time test…it’s cute and my daughter loves it.
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Now onto my Silhouette giveaway! (This was so much fun last time I did it and I hope to share a picture of the previous winners’ projects soon…if they’re willing to ‘show off’.) No machine giveaway this time…sorry! But I love sharing my Silhouette with you by helping you with your DIY project in the meantime!
Comment below what you’d want to make with a Silhouette machine.
Vinyl Art?
Labels?
Vinyl Lettering for a DIY sign?
Iron On?
Fabric Applique?
Scrapbook supplies?
A special card?
Here are the projects I’ve made using my Silhouette if you need some ideas:
1 comment/entry per person.
I will choose a handful of readers, based on my materials and ease of your project.
I will be purchasing some more vinyl and images for the purpose of this giveaway.
Giveaway is open to US DIY Show Off readers/subscribers only.
Comment now through Wed. 3/23 at midnight EST.
Winners must respond to winner announcement at the end of the week.
Good luck!
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March Promotion for DIY Show Off readers: Purchase a Silhouette SD, one of each fabric interfacing (clean cut & sewable) and a roll of white flocked heat transfer material for $229. Also, readers that already have a Silhouette can get 25% off fabric interfacing. The March promotion will run from the 21st through the 27th.
Use promo code “SHOWOFF”
Hi Roeshel, The pillow is adorable and how wonderful is the Silhouette! I would love a cut out of fabric to iron to a pillow. Maybe some type of sealife…crab, starfish, sand dollar ect.
Hugs,
Sherry
I would make layered cards. I'm making bridal shower invites and using the Silhouette makes it easier!
Oh my word I want to make it all!!!
would love to make some tags for all teh clothes, accessories and knit wear that I make
More than anything, I want to experiment with freezer paper in the Silhouette machine, using them for t-shirt stencils. I'm a little obsessed with wearable art right now. *blush*
I love the pillow and the fabric. I would make tons of vinyl artwork with the machine.
I'd love to make an applique onesie! scg00387 at yahoo dot com
That pillow is too cute! I'd use a silhouette to make home decor items! Iron ons, labels, decals! Love the Silhouette!
I'd do fabric applique projects. I want to make a superhero cape for my little nephew with his initial on it but I stink at creating letter appliques by hand 🙁
That's adorable. 🙂
I wish I could narrow it down to one thing, but with a Silhouette, I might just do them all. First, I would finish my son's quilt and scrapbook. Thanks for the great ideas!
I want to make appliques for baby onesies for my new niece.
Also my husband and his relay team are Track & Field 2011 National Champions in the DMR!!! So I promised the guys I would make vinyl commemorative t-shirts for each one of them. 🙂
That is sooo cute!!
I would think it would be cool to make a "family portrait" with the silhouette machine. You could just take the outlines of faces or bodies of the number of people in your family and replace them with a cool print.
I think it would be a funky piece of artwork! 🙂
I would like to make chair covers or pillows. I love the doxie! I have 5 of the little devils!
: )
I want to try it ALL! So many great ideas……….love your pillow!
I am really wanting a machine to help me cut out cute fabric shapes, just like you did for that pillow. My cutting skills leave much to be desired.
~Kimberlee
SpunkyDiva at Live.com
http://www.TheSpunkyDiva.com
that is adorable!!! i would love to try the heat transfer- haven't ventured there yet! and i love the niski pillow- so sweet!
I am trying to fix up my laundry room so maybe some beautiful labels.
I LOOOVE! your doggie pillow! Fantastic job!
I need vinyl lettering for 2 sign projects that have been floating around in my head. There are 2 quotes I would like to use. 1 is "i laughed so hard tears ran down my leg" and the other inspired by a cute sign I just saw by michael at inspired by charm…"ff you want to be happy…then be." pick meeee!
i would make tatoos with my kids. and then lots of sewing projects. i really getting into sewing. ver new still. i love the pillow you made.
are you sure you don't need my first or second born for an additional entry? jk! lol maybe.
I can't pick one project since there are so many that I want to do, glass etching, scrap booking, cards, appliques…. Thanks for the great give away!
I want to do it all – I have such Silhouette envy! But if I were to pick just one thing, I'd love some fabric tags for my sewing projects. I just reached 100 followers this weekend, and thought I should commemorate it with a bag giveaway or something. It'd be nice to be able to sew in a tag on the project. Thanks for hosting this terrific giveaway.
Okay, wow is what I have to say first! I have never heard of this and it looks incredible! I could think of a ton of ideas, would love to create cute appliance for my kids clothes. Or how cute would this be on hand towels for Christmas gifts! A cute christmas tree and use buttons or something shiny for ornaments! But I mostly would use for my kids clothes I think. WOW!
What a great giveaway! I know exactly what I would want. My 1920's home has a built-in corner cabinet in the DR with a blank open area at the top of the cabinet (about 10" high) that is crying out for a family monogram "D" in chocolate brown! This would be a show stopper in the room! Thanks for your generosity.
Wow i just love what you can do with fabric!!! This would be cool to make some shirts for my daughter!
The pillow was such a nice way to memorialize your sweet little pet. It turned out so cute too. I think if I had the machine I'd love to do projects mainly with fabric. a monogrammed pillow would probably be my first project.
I would love to do some of the glass etching projects. I would also like to make fabric cut outs to put in double sided glass frames!
I would love labels. looove them.
i would also make a lot of silhouette items
around my house. i'm obsessed.
I would love love to make some fun shirts for my kids with the iron on interfacing. And a vinyl growth chart. Then maybe do some glass etching…. so much fun stuff.
Kitty! That's what my daughter would say. I would kitty her…well…everything that isn't already kittied (namely clothing). I'd also love to cut out Yoda and Lego person sihlouettes to patch holes in my older boys' clothing.
The silhouette has so many great projects it's hard to pick just one.
I would love to try making stencils and etch some glassware!
I would organize my pantry with my Silhouette! Then move on to my utility closet! I would go CRAZY!!
I would love to do some projects for our wedding. Initials for napkins or table runners, gifts for bridesmaids, I could list 15 ideas!
There are so much to make with this little mean machine! I guess the top on my list is to get a nursery ready for the future baby… Fabric sihouette of members of the family as a family tree, fabric owl book stands, bird mobile, hot air balloon mobiles, tags of the closet (aka gentle reminders to husband where everything is supposed to go) – The possibilities are endless!
What an amazing giveaway! I had no idea this baby cut fabric until your post today! I'd love to cut iron-on fabric appliques. I do a lot of onesies that I've been embroidering on fabric shapes but it is so hard to find the right shape and cut it evenly. And I just found out two more friends are pregnant so there's going to be lots of baby clothes going on at my house! You can see some of my onesies here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmw715/sets/72157623900854296/
I would love a silhouette. Oh were to start on what i would use it for. Definatly vinyl art in my home and for friends and gifts. I would also use it to make cute decals for my sons shirts and add embelishments to his toys.
I would definitely cut out fabric for putting on little kids shirts, etc… LOVE THIS!
Your pillow is too cute,and doesn't look distorted to me! 🙂
I would love to have the words
~ Have The Day Of Your Choice ~
To put on the wall of my sewing room.
We just finished up our house renovation, so I am now in the planning stages for our photo wall. I would create a wall quote to incorporate with the project.
I've been dying to get a Silhouette to do some etched glass work! Maybe an apothecary jar or vase with an "M" for my last name??
Jen
Love the pillow! Super cute! I'd love it to make a lettered sign! PS- thanks for your suggestion on our Guest Room window treatments, totally love the idea of DIY Roman shades, and we have vintage grain sacks to make them with! Just wrote a post about them!
I would love to have one of these! I just ordered some canvas pillow covers and want to do a version of what you just did…but with an greyhound motif. I wasn't sure how I would accomplish it until I saw your post. The silhouette is the perfect answer!! And I have your awesome instructions to follow!
How cute!!! I did applique on my first quilt 🙂 WAY FUN! I would love to try Vinyl on DIY sign! 🙂 That'd be fun! There's so much I'd love to try!
ashj.allen(at)yahoo(dot)com
I would use this for scrapbooking and making pillows!!
This machine is awesome.
Julie Meyers
officiallyjewels@gmail.com
Thanks
I would love to make some spring flower shirts for my girls, ages 5 and 2. :)thanks!
I'm probably the only person without any vinyl so I guess I'd start with that!
super cute! I am now a follower
http://www.thepepperplace.blogspot.com
OH how cute.. I wonder if they have a Chihuahua.
Oh my my, what wouldn't I make would be an easier question! I would start with the vinyl tho..I think…
I would love a Silhouette. To narrow down what I would use it on is going to be impossible! I would love the rhinestone feature, the fabric transfer, vinyl, scrapbooking and soooo much more!!!
What wouldn't I make with the silhouette cutting machine? I actually have a list of projects for the if/when I get one. My most favorite project involve glass etching. Something tells me it would be so much easier with this machine.
🙂
I would make a custom sign for my dinning room.
I would use the Silhouette machine to make new pillow covers and monograms for some of my glass vases.
Debbie
I like the doggie! Ordering some fabric interfacing tonight!
I would love to make fabric garlands, and this Silhouette would make it so much faster and!! I love the range it has!
That pillow is so cute!
I would love to make some vinyl wall art, either a definition piece or subway art!
OH…I love that pillow!
I love to make some appliques art. I love to use fabric and paper in interesting ways. If I won this machine I wouldn't have to cut my shapes old school way with a pattern and my bad drawing skills!
I am an organizing kick lately and I would love to make labels. I love that you can cut fabric for appliques too!
I'd make bags, onesies, bibs, cards, pillows, all sorts of stuff!
Oops! I didn't read this right. Anyway, I'd love to make fabric appliques!
Wow! What to pick from…I think I would love to do some vintage graphics/lettering for some flour sack towels, definitely dome pillow decor and like the t-shirt transfer ideas.
I have been wanting an apron, so I think that would be a cool project. I lack creativity, so I'm not sure what I would put on it. Food? Kitchen utensils? See, crazy creative, right?
You want me to choose?! Ummm….ALL OF THE ABOVE!!! I want to make EVERYTHING!! I love crafting-of any kind and will try my hand at anything at least once. I am a single mom to three and a full time nursing student, so crafting is my supplemental income for the moment-when I have time to do it that is.
A Silhoutte would be so amazingly awesome- like a kid on Christmas morning!!
Love the blog! So many ideas and wonderful inspiration…I'll be checking back religiously!!