Pillow cases with no raw seams
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Do you have lots of pillows on your bed? If so, you might find it annoying that most sheet sets only come with two pillow cases. Fortunately, it’s really easy to make your own. Did you know that we sell 90″ sheeting fabric by the yard? Yep, we offer it in lots of colors. |
Supplies
(Click fabrics for direct links for purchase at Warehouse Fabrics Inc.)
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| I used 2.25 yards of ribbon and 1.25 yards of this 90″ sheeting fabric to make two standard pillowcases. The ribbon may seem wide, but after all of the seams are sewn, only a little will peek out. I chose a contrasting ribbon that would match the rest of my bedding. | |||
The pattern
| This pattern is for a standard pillowcase. You may use one fabric for the whole thing or use a different fabric for the ends of the pillow (at the opening). For each pillowcase, cut a rectangle 28″ x 40″ and an end piece 10″ by 40″. Cut 40″ of ribbon. Keep in mind that the top of the pillowcase is the shorter side, so if you have a patterned fabric, orient it correctly. The long side will be folded in half. As for the end piece, how you orient your fabric depends on how you want it. If your pillow case is solid and you have a patterned end piece, really, the pattern could face either direction and look nice. How you do it is up to you. |
The process
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We are going to use French seams for this project. That means that you will be sewing your WRONG sides together, weird as that seems. Just trust me. Feel free to check out our French seam tutorial.
My fabric is the same on either side. If yours has a print, your print/RIGHT side should be facing up in this step. Along one LONG side, pin the ribbon to the right side of the fabric with the “pretty” side of the ribbon face-up. |
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Next, fold your small piece lengthwise with WRONG sides together. |
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Baste the raw edges. |
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Place this strip along the edge of your pillowcase that has the ribbon, raw edges together. The ribbon and right side of your fabric are facing up and the small piece is underneath, as shown. |
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Sew a 3/8″ seam allowance. Yes, your right sides are facing OUT and your wrong sides are together. |
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Trim the seam allowance very close to the stitching. |
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This is the RIGHT side of your pillowcase. And, yes, there is an ugly raw seam in the middle of it. Never fear! French seams are here! |
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Fold the fabric over onto itself so that the right sides are together now. Ahhh. I know, that feels more like it, right? (Of course, your pillowcase band is really a right side on both sides, because of how we folded it.) |
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Stitch a 1/4″ seam allowance along that folded edge, which was at the top of the last picture. You should have trimmed your seam close enough that all of the raw part will be caught within this 1/4″ seam. |
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Open it up and you have just a sliver of ribbon sticking out and no ugly seam! From the WRONG side, you have a nicely encased seam allowance. No uglies!
From the other side (the WRONG side), it looks like it does in the picture above. |
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Now fold your pillow case in half so that the short edges are together WRONG sides together. We are doing another French seam. Your ribbon should be showing. Repeat the steps above so that when you are done, you get what’s in the photo to the left when viewing it from the WRONG side (inside out). |
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Turn it right-side out and stuff a pillow in there. |
Other views
(Click for bigger views)
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