Since I wanted my new pillow to be the centerpiece of my bed, I decided to make some neutral colored shams from some scraps of white printed toile linen and seersucker (back) that I had in my stash. The white printed toile linen is more traditional than my usual taste in textile prints, so I decided to embellish it with appliqued monograms for Tyler and me in khaki linen. Here is how I made the monograms.........
First, I chose a font for the letters from Word's font list. I used "agency" font and printed it at 650 point in 5% grayscale (to save ink). Then I used my scanner/copier to enlarge the letter by 200% and had to tape the oversized printout together to make my letter pattern.
I used double-sided tape to hold my letters in place and I zig-zag stitched slowly around each letter. Normally, I use this Steam-a-Seam product to adhere my applique piece to its background, and hold it in place during stitching. It is a really awesome product, I highly recommend it....I just did not have any on hand during this project. Here are some up close shots of my zig-zag applique.
After completing the front panels for my shams, I added the zipper and back. I made standard shams that measure 19" x 26"