Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Pillowcase Tutorial


This tutorial is for a standard pillowcase. Larger sizes options are at the end of this post. All of your fabrics should be a minimum of 42" wide. Be sure to remove selvage edges. To make this pillowcase you need cut the following sizes of fabric:

Main Body: 27" (3/4 yard) x 42"
Piping/Trim: 1-5/8" x 42"
Cuff: 12" x 42"

Fold piping in half wrong sides together. Iron. You should now have a narrow strip of trim.







Layer fabrics on flat surface so that the raw edges meet:
12" Cuff fabric right side up
trim folded and pressed
27" Main body right side down
-Pin in place along the 42" width and stitch along the 4 raw edges to join the 3 pieces of fabric together with a seam 3/8" of an inch wide.
-Now roll up the main body fabric so it will fit inside the cuff.










-Wrap the 12" wide cuff fabric around the rolled up main body fabric so the right side faces in and the wrong side faces out.
- Pin raw edges together.
-Stitch raw edges together using a 1/4" seam allowance.
Now for the fun part. Reach inside the cuff and pull out the main body fabric. As you do this it will turn the cuff so that all your stitches are now hidden inside the cuff. Press cuff flat.












- To assemble the rest of the pillowcase you will be using a french seam. Fold your pillowcase in half WRONG SIDES together.
- Press and pin starting where raw edges of the cuff join together then all along the raw edges.
- Stitch together with a 1/4" seam that continues around the 90 degree turn.
- Your pillowcase should now be closed on 3 sides.
- Clip inside corners of the main fabric to avoid excess bulk.









- Turn pillowcase inside out so that the right sides are now facing together. Press
-Sew a 1/2" seam along the same sides you just stitched closed again starting at the cuff. This 1/2" seam will enclose your last seam so that no raw edges show.


















Turn the pillowcase right side out to reveal completed pillow case.
































To make a king or queen pillowcase substitute the 3/4 yard fabric as follows:
Queen: 32"x 42"
King: 41"x 42"

8 comments:

Carmen Rose said...

These are great, I'm going to try this!

knitsewjo said...

Chris,
Now I get it! How easy!!
Thanks a bjillion... All quilts will now have matching pillowcases.
:-) M

Susan Elliott said...

YEA!!!!!! I don't have time to make them right now but I'm saving the link and will definitely make a few in the future. It would make a great valentine present but I don't have time for that...Stay tuned and thanks A TON for doing a tutorial!!!

Greenmare said...

that is my favorite way to make pillowcases too! they come out so nice and it's really quick! great stuff in the mail!!!!

Sydney said...

so subtle and pretty. I can't sew for shyte, though my mother was a fiber artist, a designer, an expert tailor and even made her own hats. I ended up being a costumer and stylist in the entertainment industry -- close but not with a needle.

Reedsburg Area Quilt Guild said...

Hi Chris,

Wonderful tutorial. I put a link to it on the guild's blog page. You are amazing. We have been making pillowcases for charity recently. The French seam is a new twist for us. Thank you so much for posting this. I find myself coming here more and more.

Debbie

Anonymous said...

Chris--what a great tutorial! I felt like you were over my shoulder helping me do it right. I made a pillowcase with the hunky firemen fabric for my daughter who is going off to college. I think I'll make more as gifts for her friends.

Thanks--Kelly

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Thanks for this, can't wait to try.