Knit, Embroider, and Felt a "Scribble" Pillow

This decorative “Scribble” Pillow will brighten up any decor. Designer Leigh Radford shares her inspired experimentation with knitting, embroidering, and then felting. The step-by-step instructions make the process innovative and fun. Download this free pattern from PieceWork and indulge your love of knitting, embroidering, and felting with one great project.

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I always have enjoyed experimenting with felting. After adding embroidered embellishment to my felted projects (see “Knit, Felt, and Embroider a Backpack,” PieceWork, January/February 2005), I began to wonder what would happen if I added the embroidery to the design before I felted the project.

Leigh Radford’s knitted, embroidered, and felted pillows in Sage and Pink. Photos by Joe Coca.

I really like the fact that embroidery allows for more control over the design. It’s much easier to create a nice curve with embroidery rather than having to adjust to the square grid of the knitted stitch. The embroidery also adds texture and dimension. Using several strands of wool for the embroidery results in stitching that remains somewhat raised after the felting process, and after experimenting with different weights of yarn and placement of the embroidery design, I have found that adding an embroidery pattern over the entire face of a project definitely reduces the amount of shrinkage when felting. These “scribble” pillows are the results of my early experimentations with knitting and embroidering and then felting fabric.

—Leigh Radford

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Make this fun “Scribble” Pillow pattern as Leigh designed it or use her ideas as a jumping off point for further exploration. Select your own colors and stitch pattern for a one-of-kind pillow. The pillow makes a wonderful gift, too! Share your creations with us by emailing a photo to piecework@longthreadmedia.com. We’d love to see your “Scribble” Pillow!

Download the instructions here: Scribble Pillow

Happy stitching!

Leigh Radford is the author of AlterKnits (New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 2005) and One Skein (Loveland, Colorado: Interweave Press, 2006). Visit her website, www.leighradford.com. Featured Image: Detail of the back of Leigh Radford’s knitted, embroidered, and felted pillows. Posted February 20, 2014. Updated May 7, 2019.