Hi everyone!

Happy Tuesday! We hope you are all having an excellent day. We’ve been hearing that an ice storm is heading East, crossing our fingers that we are not affected, but to those who are – stay safe and stay warm!! :)

Love is in the air!! Valentine’s Day is officially in 10 days, and we are super inspired here in the office…hearts all around! Today we’ve got a How To’s Day for you that is perfect in time for the day of love ♥

Imagine you and your one true love singing along to “She Will Be Loved” in the car, swimming together in an aquarium fish tank, and finishing the blissful day by carving your initials into a big, oak tree together…how indescribably romantic would that be? And while we all can’t be living through a Nicholas Sparks book, we definitely know of some stories that come pretty close. We’ve also got a DIY tutorial that is almost just as romantic and everlasting as carving a real, oak tree. Today we are sharing with you our “Love Your Forever” Tree Trunk Plush Tutorial!

Our “Love You Forever” Tree Trunk Plush is the perfect gift for this upcoming Valentine’s Day, or for any day you want to show the one you love how much you love them. We used our Frolicking Forest Collection, mimicking that true wood feel that you can keep forever. Stitch the initials of you and your loved one, or anyone you love! We believe the simplest sentiments are always the most meaningful and special.

Click more to see the full DIY tutorial, with free pattern, here!

The “Love You Forever” Tree Trunk Plush Tutorial

Supplies

– 1/2 yard of Frolicking Forest quilting Cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 6140806 #1, Brown Wood- fat quarter yard of Frolicking Forest quilting Cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 6140806 #3, Green Wood
– 8” x 16” bolster pillow form
– 12” zipper
– Embroidery floss in beige/cream
– Embroidery needle & hoop
– Paper printer
– Basic sewing supplies:
– Sewing machine (with zipper foot)
– Iron & pressing surface
– Scissors & fabric shears
– Fabric marker
– Straight pins
– Coordinating thread

Notes
– Please wash, dry & iron your cotton before beginning.
– Unless otherwise noted, sew all seams with a 1/2” seam allowance.

Instructions:

1. Print the “Love You Forever” Tree Trunk Plush template at 100% size and cut out the pieces. Tape the two halves of the Log End circle together.

2. Cut out (2) Log End pieces from the Green Wood. Set these pieces aside.

3. Cut a 17” x 23 1/4” rectangle from the Brown Wood and trace the Heart template onto its Right Side as shown. Take care that the grain lines of the fabric’s pattern run parallel to the rectangle’s 17” sides. The exact placement of the Heart isn’t critical, as long as it’s roughly centered between the top & bottom of the piece, at least 3” from the edge.

4. Write a short love note or pair of initials inside the heart. Mount the Brown Wood rectangle in your embroidery hoop and embroider the Heart & words/initials using a chain stitch. We have a tutorial for that here.

5. Sew the short ends of your rectangle together, leaving a gap for the zipper (we have a tutorial for installing zippers here). Since your work is composed of a fairly small tube, it’ll be a bit tricky to maneuver at some points, so we have some handling tips for this process; apart from these tips, you’ll install your zipper as outlined in the tutorial.
First, sew down each side of the zipper with the open zipper laid over your sewing machine’s base, beginning and ending an inch or two from the zipper’s ends (seam #1).
Next, close your zipper and sew around either end with the open end of the tube laid over your machine’s base (seam #2).

6. Turn your work inside out and open your zipper all the way; you’ll need to turn your pillow Right Side out through this gap once you’ve sewn on the ends.

7. Pin & sew the Green Wood circles to the ends of the Brown Wood tube, Right Sides together. You’ll need to gather the fabric slightly, so use plenty of pins inserted perpendicular to the fabrics’ edges.

8. Turn the pillow Right Side out, insert the bolster form and zip the whole thing up.

9. Present your Love Note Log to a particularly worthy Valentine ♥

We hope you have enjoyed today’s DIY tutorial. Be sure to check out all of our free projects on our website. If you decide to try out any of our projects, be sure to send us pictures to info@camelotfabrics.com or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter. Have a fantastic rest of the day!

Happy Sewing!