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"