Quick Pillowcase Tutorial - Again!

Need a quick but lovely gift or want new pillowcases for your own home? It's quick, fun and easy to make pillowcases. Here's a fast tutorial that I did a few years ago that people have been asking me to do again. I hope you find it useful. Excuse the photos because it is late.

First, find two fabrics you love that look good together. I have found making pillowcases a great way to use fabrics in my stash so that I can justify buying more fabrics for my stash! The following measurements make a standard size pillowcase. You can adjust the measurements for any size pillow. For the standard pillowcase I made for this tutorial, you will need 3/4 yard for the body of the pillowcase and 1/4 yard for the cuff. I chose the red dot for the cuff to coordinate with the fabric with the big red roses. These fabrics are from the Sweet line by Moda.


You will need a strip 8.5" by 44" (selvage to selvage) for the cuff of the pillowcase and a strip 26.5" by 44" (selvage to selvage) for the body of the pillowcase. Cut those two strips and iron.


Now fold the cuff (red dot) in half and iron. You will have a doubled strip 4.25" by 44" wide.


With the raw edges of the cuff on the raw edge of the pillowcase body, sew with a 1/4" seam.

Those of you lucky enough to have a serger can serge these together. I just sewed mine. If you are sewing it, go back now and zig-zag the edges, inside the seam line, to give you a finished edge. Be sure and do this with all the seams in your pillowcase. I've made a ton of these and they wash like a dream and wear forever because of this step.

Now iron the seam toward the body of the pillowcase and topstitch it down with a coordinating thread.
This is how it will look.


Next, sew (again with a 1/4" seam) the long edge of the pillowcase. At the point where the cuff meets (raw edge to raw edge) is where I pin to make sure the seams turn out even. This is actually the only place I pin. Be sure to sew forward and back a few times at the beginning to lock the stitches in place.

Don't forget to zig-zag or serge the edges. After stitching the long side of the pillowcase, stitch the end of the pillowcase (the one without the cuff) closed with a 1/4" seam and finish the edges with a zig-zag stitch.

You have finished your pillowcase! Just iron and use or wrap as a gift! Children really love these pillowcases made in holiday or theme fabric. I've made them from dinosaur fabric, Disney fabric, fabric with trucks, fabric with fairies, puppies and more. I also like to make 3 pair, tie them with a ribbon and give them as wedding gifts. Nobody can ever have too many pillowcases! I hope you enjoy this little tutorial.