Sublimation appliqué cushion
Create a cute and colourful ‘Home Sweet Home’ cushion with a mix of sublimation printing and sewing.
I used the Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer to print out a repeat floral pattern, then cut out the words ‘Home Sweet Home’ from the templates.
The words are then stitched onto an upcycled cushion cover with a zigzag stitch using my Brother sewing machine.
This project is a beginner-friendly way to explore the world of sublimation and appliqué all in one!
Materials needed
- Sublimation paper
- Plain white 100% polyester fabric (for sublimating letters on to)
- Appliqué paper – double sided fusible type
- Cushion cover and cushion insert (or sew your own cushion covers!) – this is a great way to give an old or thrifted cushion cover a new lease of life
- Thread for appliqué
- Double sided fusible stabiliser or temporary glue stick (optional)
Equipment needed
- Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer with Brother sublimation ink
- Paper printer
- Heat press or household iron and heat proof mat
- Sewing machine
- ScanNCut (optional)
- Fabric and paper scissors
- Ruler
- Heat removable pen
- Basic sewing tools like pins and tape measure
Download the ‘Home Sweet Home’ text here
How to
Step 1
Choose a print design. I chose to use one from Canva, but you could use a design you have created yourself, purchased, or even something from the Artspira app. Choose something you can repeat easily or something ditsy enough to fit lots of flowers in a small space. I used a cute floral print.Step 2
Send your PDF to print using the Brother SP1 Sublimation Printer.All the printer settings are automatic so there is no fussy colour matching or anything like that. Just make sure to load the sublimation paper in correctly, face down with the cut corner at bottom right.
Print a few copies of your design to make sure you have plenty to work with.
Tip: if you’d like to watch a tutorial on how to set up your sublimation printer, head over to over to our YouTube channel. Make sure you click ‘Subscribe’ as we upload new videos every month.
Step 3
Press your white polyester fabric and lay it right side up on a heat-proof mat. Lay the sublimated image right side to the fabric and use heat-proof tape to secure the print in place.Sublimate the design onto the fabric using a heat press or iron.
Then, following the manufacturer’s instructions, iron the appliqué backing onto the back of your polyester fabric. Make sure you have all the wrinkles out.
Tip: I set my heat press to 190 degrees for 50 seconds. However, please check all fabric settings carefully. You may wish to do a test print first if you haven’t used this fabric before. If you are using an iron, I would recommend high heat, no steam, even pressure for 40-60 seconds. Again, I would recommend you do a practice press first.
Step 4
Print out the letter shapes. I chose the phrase ‘Home Sweet Home’ as I think it is simple and nice all year round.Cut out each letter and place it on the sublimated printed fabric. Trace around the letter templates with a heat-removable pen, then cut them all out. You can choose to cut the letters by hand for more rustic look, or use your ScanNCut’s built-in fonts to create and cut your letters.
Tip: if you don’t have a printer to print out the letters, you could trace around stencils, or even hand draw them for a truly cottagecore look! If you want to make your own design, choose a bold, chunky font so that the word design is easy to cut out.
Step 5
Unpick the stitching of the cushion to open it out so that you’re only pinning the appliqué letters to one side of the cushion. If the cushion has a zipper, unpick all the seams except for the one with the zipper.Use a ruler and mark the centre point of the cushion and use that marking as a starting point on where to place each letter so that there is even space around the letters and words.
Position the letters on your cushion front fabric. Once you're happy with the layout, peel the appliqué backing off and iron/heat press into place. If you don’t have appliqué paper, use basting glue to stick the letters into place while you sew.
Tip: if you are making your cushion cover from scratch, add your appliqué letters before you sew the cushion together.
Step 6
Set your sewing machine on zigzag stitch: stitch width on 2 and stitch length on 1.5 or 2. Stitch around the edges of each letter, making sure the stitches cover the edge of the appliqué shapes.
Step 7
Once all the letters are sewn in place, sew the cushion back together. Place right sides facing and edges aligned and close the seams you unpicked (or sew your handmade cushion cover together!). Then give it all a good press.
This project is a fresh and fun way to blend digital design and traditional sewing into a unique home accessory. This project is ideal if you’re new to sublimation or looking to expand your sewing skills with appliqué techniques. Using Canva and other digital tools to create beautiful sublimation projects is easy, and with the Brother SP1 Printer, the finished result is always so beautiful.
Remember to tag both me and Brother if you make this, we love to share your work to inspire others.
