Pillow Created using Handwritten Note and Heat Transfer Vinyl

One of my childhood friends lost her oldest son in a car accident in April. We no longer live down the block the way we did when we were kids and could walk to each others houses, but thanks to social media, I still feel connected. I'm not able to be there in her time of grief the way that I would like to be. Our oldest sons were just a few weeks apart in age, and I could never imagine the kind of loss and heartbreak that she is enduring. My heart is broken with her for a life lost far too soon. In the week leading up to his birthday in August, she posted a sweet note from her son that she had received a few years earlier as a Christmas gift. I knew immediately that I wanted to create a lasting keepsake for her with his handwriting.  

Today, I'm sharing how you can create a keepsake using heat transfer vinyl and something as simple as a handwritten note so that you can create your own treasured memory.

I simply started by saving the image to my computer. The text is very light, and took up two pages. Someone mentioned to her that she should frame this, but she said that it was difficult because it wasn't just one page. Again, my thought was to consolidate the most meaningful parts and put it together in one place.

I used my photo editing software to darken the writing as much as possible. I just messed around with the highlights, shadows and color until I found that it was showing up as best as possible. Then, I took the newly saved darker image file and opened it in my Silhouette Studio file that came with my Silhouette Cameo. I used the trace function to trace around the parts that I wanted to copy. You can see more about how to use the trace feature here. There is no special formula, you just start playing with the high and low pass filters and the scale. 

Your goal is to make the letters stand out as much as possible in the yellow trace function so that when you select trace, you will be left with cut lines that are connected.

One of the lines I wanted to capture was much smaller from the other part of the letter. I simply traced that line and moved it to the general area I wanted and pulled at it in the corner to increase the font size so that it matched the other writing I was using.

Once I had all of the writing and phrases I wanted, I worked on the placement. I made sure the letters were all the around the same size and then I selected the whole thing and grouped it. After it was grouped I could make the image bigger based on the surface size of the pillow I was going to transfer it on to.

I cut my heat transfer vinyl {I used this HTV}, weeded it and ironed it on to the pillow form I created. 

{Want to know how to cut heat transfer vinyl like a pro? See this post.}

Because I was shipping this, I wanted to just send a pillow cover versus a whole pillow. I took fabric that I had and cut it to 19x42 so that it would fit an 18x18 pillow. You can purchase cheap blank pillow covers at IKEA. It's how I made these pillows as wedding gifts this summer. I didn't have time to run to IKEA, so I made my own.  I basically followed this tutorial from Melissa at Silhouette School.

I actually love how this pillow turned out and hope she will too. What a treasure!

This technique would be great for all sort of projects. Think about that handwritten recipe from your grandmother. Wouldn't that make a great tea towel. The sweet family picture your daughter drew when she was in pre-school could make a cute image on a plain make-up bag. You could create all kinds of one of a kind gifts for your friends and family members using the trace feature and some imagination!

I'm joining a few other bloggers this month in our September Silhouette creators challenge. This month the focus is on cloth projects {which I never seem to run short on since HTV is my favorite thing in the history of ever}. Come check out some of the other great projects.

 

Fall Pumpkin Spice Tea Towel - Dwell Beautiful

Today's Project Is Sponsored By Coffee T-Shirt - Pocketful of Posies

Silhouette Challenge: DIY Pillow Cover Using Heat Transfer Material - My Life From Home

DIY Bakery Tea Towels - Houseful of Handmade

Pumpkin Spice For Life Kitchen Towel - Simply {Darr}ling

Super Cute Soccer Mom Shirt - Morena's Corner

DIY Pillow with Heat Transfer Vinyl - Craft and Tell

 

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