Soneto XVII

Today’s project was another pillow for our bedroom redecoration. I used the same fabric as the paella pillow and sewed a simple square cover with an opening for the pillow (I might sew the opening closed later since the pillow insert is washable). For the lettering I used an excerpt from a sonnet by Pablo Neruda that was a reading in our wedding, and traced the letters with black sharpie markers using stencils (Helvetica and Brush fonts in varying sizes). The pillow form was a recycled throw pillow we weren’t currently using. The pens were both dying by the second side of the pillow (the beginning of the quote) but I kind of like it – it looks a little more distressed.

beginning of the quote

end of the quote

The sonnet excerpt reads:

. . . Te amo sin saber como, ni cuando, ni de donde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
asi te amo porque no se amar de otra manera,


sino asi de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mia,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueno.

 and in English:

. . . I love you without knowing now, or when or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride:
so I love you because I know no other way.


than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.