How to sew a pillowcase for a pillow: tips on choosing the size, fabric and a collection of step by step master classes

Bed linen is always in demand. No home can do without it. Any novice seamstress can sew linens yourself. Although seemingly difficult, the skills in sewing do not require much.

The pillowcase is the smallest item in a set of bed linens. It is worth starting with its sewing.

Only pillowcases with standard sizes are available for sale. If your pillows are non-standard, you will have to sew the pillowcases yourself or to order.

Variety of pillowcases: choose the right size

The pillowcase protects the pillow from dirt, gives the bed a tidy appearance. At the same time, pillows in decorative pillowcases are part of the decoration of the interior.

Pillow cases differ:

• in size;
• the fabric;
• the way the inner seams are processed;
• the fastener: the smell, buttons, zipper;
• The presence or absence of decorative elements.

The most common sizes of pillowcases are 50*50 cm and 50*70 cm.

Cushion cover with the size 50*70 cm

In a pillowcase of this size, 50 cm is width and 70 cm is length. The clasp or smell is on the smaller side of the pillowcase. The pattern for the pillowcase is not made, it is constructed directly on the fabric on the wrong side.

The cushion cover is made up of two pieces of 70 cm + 25 cm for the scent + 2.5 cm on both edges for edging. On the smaller side on both sides need to put on 1.5 cm seam allowances. Altogether you get a rectangle with a length of 1.7 m and a width of 53 cm.

Cushion cover size 70 * 70 cm

By analogy with the construction of the pattern 50*70 cm, you can build a pattern for a 70*70 cm pillowcase.

You need to put two pillowcase widths, 140 cm + 25 cm for the smell and 2.5 cm on each side for edging.

On the remaining sides of the cushion cover, an allowance of 1.5 cm is added. We obtain a rectangle of 170 cm x 73 cm.

Fabric selection

When choosing a fabric for sewing bed linen, the following criteria should be taken into account:

1. The composition of the fabric. Fabric can be made from natural fibers (linen, cotton, viscose), synthetic or mixed (contain both natural and synthetic fibers).
2. The fabric color or pattern. Fabrics can be monochrome, with a chaotic pattern on the surface, the pattern can be located coupons (when the fabric depicts a composition (picture) or repeated on the entire cloth. The disadvantage of coupon fabric is that, you need to select so that the coupons were intact, in addition to the pillowcases large compositions will be cut and it does not look aesthetically pleasing. Bright fabrics with an abundance of colors can fade. It is better to choose a fabric with a small ornament that will look good on the pillowcase. After all, the fabric will have to be cut and the pattern that looks good on the roll, cut can quite lose its appeal.
3. The width of the fabric. Fabrics for bedding come in widths of 1.45 m, 2.2 m and 2.4 m. On the width of the fabric depends on how the patterns will be located on the fabric and whether there will be waste from sewing (dropouts).
4. The thickness of the fabric.

The most suitable fabrics for sewing bedding, in particular pillowcases: cottons, calico, poplin, sateen, linen, eco-cotton, microfiber, silk, percale.

Their composition can be either 100% natural or contain an admixture of synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers increase the durability of fabric, resistance to shedding, such fabric shrinks less (decreases in size after washing or heat treatment:

1. Chintz - a thin cotton fabric, inexpensive, on sale there are many color options. The width of chintz - 0.8 m, 1.45m. The fabric has a low wear resistance. Products made of this fabric will not last more than 5 years. Already after 2-3 washings the fabric will look significantly worse than when purchased. The colors will become paler, the fabric itself will look "shabby".
2. Calico is a natural cotton fabric, slightly thicker and more expensive than chintz. The width of calico is 1.4 m, 2.2 m or 2.4 m. Sold in calico with a large variety of colors and ornaments. It lasts a little longer than chintz.
3. Poplin is a denser and thicker cotton fabric than chintz and calico. Long retains its appearance. Poplin fabrics can last up to 10 years, but such fabrics are more expensive.
4. Sateen is a more expensive cotton fabric. It has a dense weave of threads. The fabric looks glossy, smooth to the touch. This effect is achieved due to the satin weave threads in the fabric. The service life is more than 10 years. The appearance of fabric is preserved for a long time.
5. Linen is a natural fabric made of linen fiber. The thickness of linen fabrics may be different. Linen fabric is stiff, but with each wash becomes softer. The fabric is expensive. In use, it creases quickly, and to smooth it out you will have to put a lot of effort. Service life is 8-10 years, but high quality linen can last more than a decade.

Important! Satin and silk are difficult fabrics to work with. Beginners should not choose such fabrics. The fabric slips and makes it difficult to make nice, even seams. The product may be skewed.

Pillowcase Types

Pillowcases can be perfectly ordinary: in the form of a rectangle or a square. Such pillowcases have the function of protecting the pillows from dirt.

These pillowcases can also have a decorative function; such products may have decorative elements, may be made of textured fabric or have embroidery on the front side.

Pillowcase with a zipper

A very common type of pillowcase. The zipper acts as a clasp. The pillow from such a pillowcase does not fall out. The product is easy to remove or put on. A lap is a strip of fabric, usually 22-30 cm wide, which is folded inside the pillowcase.

Pillowcase with a clasp

In more expensive bedding sets, instead of a placket, pillowcases have a clasp. It can be a zipper or buttons.

Buttons on the bed linen are sewn on solid color, small, without decorative elements, so they will not be as inconspicuous and do not interfere with sleep.

The consumption of fabric for sewing such a pillowcase will be less, because the smell does not need to be made.

Pillowcase with ears

The correct name for the "ears" in such pillowcases is borders. Pillowcases with a border are also called oxford.

Around the functional part of the product there is a border around the whole perimeter of the pillowcase, 2,5-3 cm wide.

The technology of sewing such a product is a bit more complicated than a usual pillowcase with a scoop, and the consumption of tissue will be higher.

Decorative pillowcases

Decorative pillowcases are sewn to decorate the house. They can be not only square or rectangular, but also round or roll-shaped.

On the front side of such products can be:

• various decorative elements (bows, pockets, buttons, fringe, ruffles, braid, lace);
• embroidery: threads, ribbons, beads,
• appliqué of different materials;
• drawing with paints.

Ruffles, fringes or lace can be sewn into the perimeter of the product. Decorative pillowcases are often made in patchwork technique. For decorative items more expensive, textured fabrics are used, often unnatural, because their main purpose is to be beautiful.

How to sew a pillowcase on the pillow step by step

Above it was told how to build a pillowcase pattern and calculate the consumption of fabric. Given this information, you need to buy fabric.

With a fabric width of 1.45 cm horizontally on the fabric, a pillowcase with an overhang will not fit. Therefore you either need to buy a wider fabric, or cut the piece vertically with the pattern, or cut the scent separately and then sew it onto a large piece of the pillowcase.

Important: Before cutting the fabric must pass dekatirovaniya. It should be washed or steamed with an iron to shrink the fabric. Different fabrics give different shrinkage. To ensure that the finished product after washing is not small on the pillow, it is very important to make a decant.

In addition to the fabric, to make a pillowcase with a scent, you will need:

• tailor's chalk;
• scissors;
• tape measure or a large ruler;
• thread, the same color as the fabric;
• sewing machine;
• pins.

After cutting out the detail of the pillowcase, you can start sewing. On the smaller sides laid on 2.5 cm allowance for processing the edge. You need to fold the seam allowance twice, fix it with pins and sew a fixing stitch on the machine.

Lay the cut out piece with the wrong side facing down. From the edge measure 70 cm and fold the fabric at this mark up, hand iron the fold.

From the second edge measure 25 cm and fold the fabric up. Iron the hand fold.

Fix the sides with the open seams with pins.

Stitch along these sides, 1.5 cm from the edge, fixing all layers of fabric.

Remove the pins. Finish the edges with a zigzag stitch or overlock.

Turn out the pillowcase, straightening all corners. Align the scent and secure the fold with pins. Iron the pillowcase. Without removing the pins, 0.6-0.75 cm from the edge, stitch to fix the scent. This will make the cushion look neater.

Sewing a cushion cover is easy and will take very little time. Once you have mastered sewing a simple pillowcase with a scoop, you will probably want to take on more complex models.

The pattern and sewing technique described above will allow you to model your own models.

Sewn pillowcases photos