A person cannot do without bed linen. For pillowcases, sheets, and duvet covers, do not make patterns on paper. The drawing is made directly on the fabric. And questions about how to sew a pillowcase from a single piece of fabric or make it from scraps in a patchwork style rarely arise. Any, even the most inexperienced needlewoman can cope with this task - no complicated work with creating a pattern is required! Cutting squares/rectangles from fabric is easy.
This type of bed linen can be made of any type: with buttons, zippers, or wraparound. You can verify the above and try sewing a pillowcase yourself by using the instructions in this article.
A pillowcase is easy to sew; even a novice needlewoman can handle this job.
Necessary materials
Before sewing a pillowcase, you need to prepare the following materials.
- Fabrics. Satin and calico are more suitable for this purpose; you can use silk, chintz, etc., which are selected, selected scraps.
- Sewing machine.
- Threads matching color and texture.
- Tape measure.
- Pencil, chalk for drawing lines.
- Scissors and pins used to secure pieces of fabric.
- Other accessories, if needed.
- Calculation of fabric consumption for the simplest type of pillowcase.
You need to take the calculated amount of consumables plus 5%. For a pillow 50 x 50 cm, you need 1 m plus 5 cm. If the pillowcase is sewn with a wrap, then you need to add fabric for the wrap.
When calculating the required cut of fabric, we take into account the dimensions of the pillowcase itself, the scent and seam allowances
It should be remembered that when selling in stores, the material is cut unevenly or even torn, which sometimes bends it. Therefore, experienced craftswomen take about 10-20 cm more than the planned amount.
Now you should understand the instructions for sewing this element of bed linen.
Rectangular wrap pillowcases
How to sew a pillowcase for a pillow? You can sew such bedding in different ways. Here's one of them.
- The extreme ends are turned up.
There are usually two of them. We bend the sections and stitch them - The product is folded right side out as it should be when finished.
Place the fabric right side up, measure 70 cm on the left side and fold this edge over. - The sides are secured with pins.
Draw a straight line with chalk or pencil where the seam will be made. We bend the flap of the pillowcase to the right, grind down the edges, and sew the seam allowances with a zigzag stitch. - After this, the item is turned inside out and stitched again so that the edge of the front seam is inside. With this processing there is no need to overcast the edges. They will all be hidden inside. Such a scar is good because when sewing, a so-called roll is formed, which does not allow the product to deform during washing and ironing.
Rectangular pillowcases with floral pattern
How to sew a pillowcase with your own hands. Linen seam
The seams of the pillowcase can be processed using an overlocker, if you have one, but not with a zigzag on a Chaika sewing machine. Or you can sew it with a special linen stitch. Then, during washing, the cut seam of the bed linen will not fray and you can safely wash and spin it in any washing machine. Such a seam is a little rougher than processing with an overlock stitch and is more labor-intensive and, in addition, requires considerable skill. An experienced seamstress “packs” the pillowcase with a linen stitch without basting and even without a special foot, using exactly one seam, the needle passing strictly along the edge. But it is better for an inexperienced seamstress to make this seam in two operations. First stitch the halves together, leaving 1.5 cm allowances, and then fold them over and secure with a stitch, as shown in the picture.
Sewing threads should be strong, but not too thick. The main thing is that they do not collapse from moisture, and that “holes” do not appear in the seams over time. Set the stitch pitch on your sewing machine to medium size. A stitch that is too small will not make the seam stronger, but quite the opposite. A needle, often piercing the fabric, can simply destroy its fibers.
The pillowcase is sewn with the right sides facing inward and the fold should be on top, not on the inside, much like a pocket flap covering the entry line. Before stitching, the edges of the pillowcase should already be hemmed 0.7 - 1 cm. Depending on your preference (overlock or linen stitch), sew the side seams of the pillowcase. After this, turn the pillowcase onto your face and be sure to iron the seams with a steam iron to make them softer.
How to make a pattern and sew a zippered sofa cushion cover.
Pillowcase with “ears”, master class
Pillowcases with “ears”
It would be more correct to call these beautiful covers Oxford (“with borders”). The rules for sewing them are no more complicated than usual, with a smell. In this case, the material consumption is a little more.
We cut out the details for our double-sided pillow with ears
We process the cuts of the back parts, turn the side by 2.5 cm and iron
Usually a product is sewn for a double set, where fabric with a width of at least 220 cm is used. Before sewing, the necessary rectangles are cut out.
Fold in another 2.5 cm, iron and pin
We sew the folded parts on the machine, retreating 3 mm from the edge
First, the short edges are processed with a double hem. The edge is folded in about 1 cm and smoothed. Fold up about 2 cm more and iron.
We place one of the front parts wrong side down, and place the back parts face down on top, aligning the cuts.
We cut along the perimeter and stitch, retreating 1 cm
The product is stitched along the edge. If desired, you can leave the edge where the zipper will be. Then a double seam is made, the width of which is 5 cm.
We cut the corners and turn the pillowcase inside out, straighten it and iron it
To avoid displacement when sewing “ears”, we chop off the layers of fabric with pins
The cover is turned inside out and ironed over the scar. Take a ruler, draw straight lines with chalk, spaced 5 cm from the edge along the perimeter of the canvas, and stitch it. The pillowcase with “ears” is ready.
Using a disappearing fabric marker, draw the borders of the pillowcase, and sew it on the machine.
Ready-made double-sided pillowcase with zipper and “ears”
If there is not enough fabric, you can sew a cover with a zipper. In this case, a running machine stitch is made where the fastener will be. Then the fabric is unrolled and smoothed so that the material lies evenly along the scars. The zipper is placed on top of the hem with the zipper down, half open. The line of teeth should lie strictly along the running seam. A zipper foot is installed on the machine and carefully stitched. Then, through the half-open clasp, the product is turned inside out.
Sewing a pillowcase with a zipper
If there is very little fabric and it is not enough to sew a regular wrap product, you can always sew a zipper to the pillowcase. To sew a pillowcase like this:
- calculate the size of the product;
- choose high-quality dense fabric;
- determined by the shape of the pillowcase;
- make (on the fabric using a ruler and pencil) a drawing of the future pillowcase (determine the boundaries of the right and left edges along the length, width, leave seam allowances);
- cut out the resulting rectangle;
- fold in half (necessary to ensure that the product is of the desired shape);
- a machine running stitch is made on the side of the fastener;
- the fabric is unfolded and ironed (this is necessary to align the fabric with the scars, everything is done on the wrong side);
- Place the zipper on top of the scar with the lock down (it should be half open, the teeth should run exactly along the running seam);
- install a zipper foot on the machine and attach it to the fabric using a straight seam, not an overlocker;
- Through the open clasp, the pillowcase is turned out to the correct front side.
You might be interested in: Patterns and sewing of flounces on skirts and dresses
Zipper attachment method
The pillowcase is put on the pillow and fastened. The fabric savings are quite large, approximately 20-30 cm.
Pillowcase with zipper
Pillowcases for round sofa cushions
In addition to pillows that are used for sleeping, there are often decorative sofas in the apartment. They come in a variety of shapes: round, square, flower-shaped, etc.
Cutting fabric for a round pillow
Sewing a cover for a round pillow is no more difficult than for a square one. It needs a pattern. To make such a pillowcase, measure the diameter of the pillow and add approximately 1.5 cm for seam allowance. The pattern is pinned to the canvas, and part of the front side of the cover is cut out.
Place the pieces right sides together and machine sew a seam along the basting line.
A line is drawn across the pattern for the zipper. Then, for the backing piece, the pattern is cut into two parts. A line is drawn for the zipper along the canvas. Parts of the pattern are moved apart, parts are cut out taking into account seam allowances, including on the straight edge.
We cut the seam allowances around the circumference, turn the cover inside out, insert the pillow through the unstitched area
The back seam is pinched and sewn, leaving a hole for the zipper. Next, the pillowcase is finished in the same way as in the case of a square pillow.
Sewing the open area of the pillow with hidden stitches
A ready-made round pillow will decorate your interior
How to sew a beautiful pillowcase with ruffles?
These pillows are most often used to decorate cribs. Therefore, natural fabrics are chosen. Often, ruffles are sewn onto decorative pillows for sofas. They are often used to complement chairs. This is a great way to hide upholstery.
Instructions:
- The operating procedure is standard. A pattern is being prepared for a regular flat pillowcase. Before stitching, the frill is cut out.
- After this, a fold is made on one side of the frill strip, and the other is gathered onto a thread and pulled together.
- By tightening, you can adjust the splendor of the ruffles. The ruffle is sewn in and machine stitched.
- Moreover, such pillows are most often sewn with hidden zippers so that the fabric fits the fabric.
How to sew a beautiful pillowcase with ruffles?
Decoration
There are many ways to decorate pillowcases. Decorating product canvases with appliqués is considered the simplest. They can be sewn on in advance, before final sewing.
Decorating a sofa cushion with a voluminous appliqué “Butterflies”
The same should be done when making covers using the patchwork technique. The scraps are cut out, placed on the fabric of the future pillowcase/paper pattern, and secured. You can even sew them by hand later. Depends on the style of the patchwork. When the patches are sewn, the fabric is ready, the fabric is sewn in the manner described.
Decorative pillow decorated using patchwork technique
If the pillow is decorated with satin stitch/ribbon embroidery, this can be done with the fabric already fully sewn, marking the pattern on the outside.
Volumetric applique of ribbons and buttons for decorating a sofa cushion
Such patterns on pillows look very cute, original and do not require much experience. The main thing is patience, because decorating is a very painstaking job that often takes a long time to do.
