When my girlfriend, Anne, and I moved in together, it was late summer 2012.  We were moving to Philadelphia from different cities for graduate school, and it was an exciting and hectic time to say the least!  We found a beautiful apartment amidst the hustle and bustle of Center City.  Hardwood floors.  Built-in bookshelves.  We were ecstatic!

I knew that I wanted to surprise her with a homemade housewarming gift – something that captured this important moment in our lives.  When I found this quote by Adrienne Rich, I knew that something had to be done!  I was inspired by a stencil pillow from Wit & Whistle.

Here is a list of some supplies & tips:

• As an Etsy advocate, I decided on this linen pillow cover.  I used a pillow insert that I already had, which saved a lot of money!
• I purchased a black Pebeo Setaskrib marker from Dick Blick, and stencil from Amazon.
• Before getting started, I mapped the project out on a piece of paper to get a sense of the layout that was needed.
• Keep a piece of cardboard inside of the pillow while you work in order to avoid any bleeding from the marker.

This stencil pillow was a big success, and it is something that Anne and I both look at every day.  It is a reminder that we are always learning.  Happy crafting!