Pollinator Pillows – Bee

Pattern Markings

Transfer all pattern markings to the fabric using a disappearing ink pen or tailors chalk.

Place one set of Wings right sides together, pin around outside edges.

Stitch around curved edges of Wing using a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving straight edge open.

Clip curves into the seam allowances, being careful not to cut into the stitching. Turn right side out, and press.

Stuff the Wing to your desired fullness.

TIP – Do not stuff the Wing too full, as if the Wing is stuffed too much it will be difficult to stitch the body pieces together in step 4.

Pin the straight edge.

Baste along the straight edge.

TIP – Basting is just like normal stitching except the stitches need to be long and loose so that they can be removed later, if needed. Stitch within the seam allowance, so that the basting stitches are not seen in the final garment, while keeping the stitches loose enough to pull out just in case they are visible. The purpose is to hold a piece of fabric in place until that section is properly sewn. Set the machine to a long loose stitch. Test it on a piece of fabric first to make sure that the stitches can easily be removed. Do not backstitch at either end. Leave the ends loose, with approximately 1 inch of thread tails at either end of the stitching.

Repeat steps 1.1 to 1.6 for the second Wing pieces.

Place the Stinger pieces right sides together, pin along angled edges.

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving unpinned edge open.

Backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam.

Turn right side out. Press.

Stuff Stinger with a small amount of stuffing

Pin straight edge.

Baste straight edge.

Place Piece A and Piece B right sides together, aligning at long straight edge. Pin in place.

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance

Press seam open

Place Piece C right sides together along opposite edge of Piece B. Pin in place.

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance

Press seam open.

Place Piece D right sides together along opposite edge of Piece C. Pin in place.

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Press seam open.

Place Piece E right sides together along opposite edge of Piece D. Pin in place.

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Press seam open.

Repeat steps 3.1 to 3.12 with all Bee Body pieces to create a second Bee Body.

You will now have two Bee Body pieces.

Place a Wing onto a Bee Body, aligning the raw edge with the pattern marking and raw edge of the Bee Body. Pin in place.

Baste the Wing in place.

Repeat steps 4.1 to 4.2 for the second Wing and Stinger.

OPTIONAL – Stitch on a button wherever you’d like for an Eye. Repeat for second side.

Lay a Bee Body right side up, then place the second Bee Body right sides facing down, on top of the first Bee Body. Pin in place, sandwiching basted Wings and Stinger in between the layers.

Stitch around Bee Body with a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving a 4 inch gap for turning.

Clip curves into the seam allowances, being careful not to cut into the stitching. Turn right side out, and press.

Add stuffing. Evenly distributing the stuffing throughout the pillow as desired to fill the entire pillow.

TIP – Use a chopstick or blunt knitting needle to help push the stuffing inside.

Use a slipstitch (also called a ‘ladder stitch’) to stitch the gap closed.

Fold your fabric under by ½ inch. You will be stitching along this folded edge.

Thread your needle, tying the two thread tail ends together in a knot. This will provide added strength to your finished seam.

Push the needle up and through one of the folded seams, from the inside of the lining to the outside, pulling the thread tail completely through.

The knotted end will now be nicely concealed within the seam on the inside.

Directly across from the starting point, push the needle down and then back up through the fold on the opposite seam fold to create a stitch that is between ⅛ to ¼ inch long. When the thread is pulled through, the stitch is concealed within the seam crease, and there will be a horizontal stitch connecting the left and right sides of the opening.

Repeat to the end of the opening. To tighten the stitches, gently pull the thread. This will conceal the stitches in between the seams.

To end, create a loop for your needle to pass through by picking up a tiny section of the opposite seam and passing the needle through the loop. Tighten to form a knot. Reinforce the stitching as needed by repeating this step.

Poke the needle back into the fabric next to your stitching and pull it all the way through to the other side.

Pull the thread taut and snip it close to the fabric. Allow the thread tail to slip back inside the Bee Body so that the tail is now hidden inside.

NOTE – The stitches have been left loose in this picture to show what the ladder stitch looks like. Pull the thread through and taut after each stitch.

NOTE – The pictures do not depict the Bee Pillow being sewn, however the construction is the same.

Your Bee Pillow is finished!