Sew a Pillowcase - Standard, Queen, King or Travel Pillow

By Debbie Colgrove, About.com Guide

Sew your own pillowcase to have the color or print you want and to save money. Consider making pillowcases as a gift. Kids and teens love having things with themes or their favorite topic. Consider sports and space print fabrics for the guys. Girls love flowers and cartoon heroes. Make your favorite collage student a pillowcase that follows a theme of their course of study. Consider embroidering a name across the hem of the pillowcase for travel pillows... no more arguing about who owns which pillow.
Many people like a satin pillow case because it helps preserve their hairstyle. Finding a satin pillow case and finding an affordable satin pillowcase is not a problem when you are sewing your own pillowcases.
Since sewing a pillowcase is all straight sewing, this is an excellent sewing project for a beginner or for teaching someone to sew.

What you need:

• Fabric - see below for the size pillowcase you want to make
• Matching thread - How to Choose the Correct Color Sewing Thread to Match Your Fabric
• Measuring tools - Rotary cutting tools help to keep your fabric square How to Use Rotary Rulers and Cutters
• Scissors
• A sewing machine (or hand sewing)
• An iron and pressing surface

Fabric Needs: All listings mean preshrunk fabric. Always preshrink washable fabric. The direction of the fabric is only dictated by a one way print. An allover design is the best use of the fabric. Cut your fabric to the size needed, cutting excess from the selvedge edge of the fabric. Square your fabric to start.

• Travel Size (12" by 16") Pillowcase - 24" X 25" (3/4 yard of 45" wide fabric makes 2)
• Standard Size (20" X 26") Pillowcase - 40" by 40" (1 yard of 45" wide fabric)
• Queen Size (20" x 30") Pillowcase - 40" by 44" (1 yard of 45" wide fabric)
• King Size (20" x 36") Pillowcase - 40" by 50" (1 1/2 yard of 45" wide fabric)

Previous

• What you Need to Make a Pillowcase
• Sew the Seams
• Hemming the Pillowcase
• Ideas to Embellishing a Pillowcase for Decorative Pillowcases

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