Pillowcase

Have you ever seen fabric that made you think, 'Boy, I just want to sleep on that!'?  Well, here's your solution!

Materials:

            1 yard of a patterned (or solid, if you desire) fabric

            5 inches of a solid-colored fabric that goes with your patterned fabric

**This pattern is for a traditional-sized pillow.**

Instructions:

            1: Trim the edges of your fabric so that you have square corners and get rid of uneven edges.  A good way to do this is to fold the fabric in half, matching up the two selvage edges of the fabric.  Flatten the fabric.  You may need to fold the fabric again.  In this case, line the folded edge with the selvage edges.  Then, cut the non-selvage edges so that they form a 90-degree angle with the selvage edges.

            2: Cut the patterned fabric to be 30-inces wide.

            3: Cut the solid fabric to be 30-inches wide and 4-inches thick.  This will end up adding about 3 inches of solid-colored fabric to your pillowcase.

            4: Sew the solid-colored fabric to the top of the patterned fabric.  You are sewing the 30-inch edges together.

            HINT: Before you sew the pieces together, be sure to pin them together.  This will keep them from moving when you start sewing. 

            HINT: This is how I like to sew my edges so that they don’t fray:

                        4.1: Put the fabric backs together and pin at the edge you will be sewing.  The front of each fabric should be facing out.

Here, the good edges of the fabric are showing.  I begin by sewing along the pinned edge of this.

                        4.2: Sew together using a small seam allowance, no larger than ¼ of an inch is needed.  I usually use one slightly smaller, and use the edge of the sewing-machine foot as my guide.

                        4.3: Flip the fabric so that the fabric backs are showing.  You can iron the seam if you want.  Pin the fabric again.

                        4.4: Sew together using a larger seam allowance.  When you unfold the fabric, the seam will be along the wrong side of the fabric, and the fabric edges will be tucked into the seam so that it won’t fray.

Here, you can see that the wrong edge of the fabric is showing.  I sew along this edge next to create my finished seam.

            5: Fold the fabric in half lengthwise.  Line up the bottom edge and the side edge.  Pin and sew together.  Again, see the above hint about sewing edges together.  Make sure that you don’t sew the top together.

            6: Finish the top edge of the fabric.  To finish edges, I fold the edge once and then fold it under itself once more, pin, and sew.

           

 7: Place pillowcase on pillow and enjoy!