Los Pillows
Madee saw an opportunity in a much-loved blanket to create the coziest pillow possible and bring a little extra happiness into customers' homes.
The Designer: Madee Losee
Madee Losee is a Seattle-based creative who dreamed of turning the iconic and cozy Mexican blanket into an oversized pillow to brighten up customers' homes. She sought the perfect loft to create a reliable pillow that customers would turn to through their sick days, sad days, and luxuriously lazy Sundays.
The Problem & Opportunity
Madee knew her idea of turning Mexican blankets into pillows was not an original one, but her version was unique. She wanted to create a giant, oversized pillow to use as much of the blanket as possible and show off each blanket's unique colours and stripes.
Her vision for the product also included a removable cover design that allowed regular washing. She dreamed of creating a pillow that customers used and enjoyed every day, not just as a decoration, which meant it needed to be fairly durable and easy to care for.
The Goal: Create an oversized, cozy pillow that customers love to use in their daily lives and looks great in any home.
The Obstacle
Madee's design concept was simple, but the blanket material was a loose weave and proved challenging to sew. She had to work closely with Heather to figure out the best method of sewing the pillow to ensure it looked good and held together.
The Project
Before working with Heather, Madee had already sourced her material and pillow form. Because the design was fairly simple, she moved right into the pattern-making stage.
Timeline
Madee's project took about two months, with the majority of that time dedicated to prototyping and iterating to find a suitable sewing method.
The Process
Pattern Review & Product Details
Heather was instrumental in finding the sewing solution for Madee's pillow design. It took several attempts to figure out the ideal way to finish the edges of the design to prevent the weave from falling apart. Heather tested several techniques before finding the strategy of double-folding the material, creating an attractive framed edge around the pillow and providing the necessary durability.
Testing the Product
Testing the product was straightforward. Madee needed to ensure the fabric wouldn't fall apart upon use. Thanks to Heather's pattern, the pillow was durable for everyday use.
Creating the Tech Pack
The simplicity of the pillow design meant that Madee could use an Express Tech Pack since it wasn't necessary to create a size range. Heather put together a simplified version of the Tech Pack, including the following:
Zipper length
Sewing instructions
Sequence of construction
Required materials
Preparing for Manufacture
Madee works with a local manufacturer, Satsuma Designs, to produce an initial product run of one hundred pillows. Heather's connection to the manufacturer and her experience working directly with manufacturers made it easy to pass on important information regarding the pillow design.
Due to the fabric's loose weave, a specific type of sewing machine foot was required. Heather shared her technique and customized sewing hack to help the manufacturer sew the pillows without complications. This level of detail is not necessary to include in a tech pack, but Heather was able to share the information based on her professional relationship with the manufacturer and her expertise.
Outcomes
Madee launched her product with 100 pillows right on schedule as she had planned.
Conclusion
Madee's great idea for turning Mexican blankets into oversized pillows has been a hit with her customers. She wouldn't have created such an attractive, durable design without the help of a professional pattern maker or industry expert like Heather.
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