Creative articles about sewing

Personalized pillowcase

I recently moved in to small Studio and am really enjoying creating my own personal space.

It is so special to fill your own place with unique pieces.
My furniture is second hand, a lot of which are gifted or inherited vintage items.
I think the only non second hand item are the purple shelves which come from a bunk bed my dad built me when I was younger.

I’ve noticed that a great way to add a bit of my personality to my room is through home textiles.

I decided to make myself some embroidered pillowcases for my bed using colours that would bring together some of the more prominent colours in my room.

A custom pillowcase or cushion cover would make a great gift.
It can be a sweet keepsake or an easy personal gift for any age.
I still have a pillowcase with my name painted on my gran gave me when I was little.

What will be needed:

  • Sewing machine
  • Embroidery Module
  • Overlocker
  • Lightweight Fabric, I suggest Cotton
    (amount dependent on the size of your pillow)
  • Envelope Pillowcase Pattern Guide
  • Embroidery Foot #26
  • Embroidery Thread
  • Large Embroidery Hoop
  • Tear-away stabilizer
  • 3-4 Threads to match fabric

Steps

Pattern

Something to keep in mind:
There are different sized pillow inners such as Standard, King, Queen… There are also small scatter cushions.
I would suggest trying to check the size of the intended pillow if you are gifting a pillowcase.
While I don’t recommend sneaking into someone’s room to measure their pillow, maybe ask someone who lives with them if they know.
If all else fails, go with the most common size or gift a pillow with your pillowcase.

If you don’t have a Pillowcase to measure and make a pattern from, follow the steps provided in this downloadable document: Envelope Pillowcase Pattern Guide

Embroidery

I used the Oval Hoop as that is the largest size hoop I currently have.
Use whichever size is best for the size of your chosen embroidery design.

  1. Using the Front Pillowcase Piece, fold along the fold line (15cm + 2cm hem allowance)
    Press along this fold.
    The fold line will be your reference point for embroidery

  1. Choose your embroidery design
    I chose to use the words “Coffee, Create, Sleep, Repeat” in the built-in cursive font.
    You could embroider someone’s name, a meaningful word or image.

  1. Adjust the size of your design to fit the hoop.
    Place the design in the middle of the hoop.
    Rotate if necessary.
    I rotated my design so that the base of the words would run long the fold line.

  1. Place your fabric in to the hoop with a piece of stabilizer beneath.
    Remember to have the right-side of the fabric facing up.
    Keep in mind the placement of the fold line.
    I placed my fabric it in such a way that my machine embroidered close to the fold line and adjusted the placement of the embroidery on my machine’s screen where necessary.
  2. Put the hoop in the embroidery machine, thread the machine with the the embroidery thread and press start.
    I like to use this time to enjoy a coffee while keeping an eye on my machine in case the thread breaks or needs to be changed.

  1. Once the embroidery is finished, remove the fabric from the hoop and carefully tear away the stabiliser.
    I added to my finished embroidery design by sewing a row of narrow zigzags stitches at the beginning & end of the design so that it took up the full width of the pillowcase.

Sewing

  1. Lay the Front Pillowcase piece on a flat surface with the wrong-side up.
    Using the embroidered short side of the pillowcase, fold the fabric in 1cm and press.
    Then fold the end over again 1cm and press.

  1. Pin and sew along the inner fold line.

  1. Repeat steps 7 & 8 for the Back Pillowcase piece.
    Choose just one of the short sides.

  1. Lay the Front piece on a flat surface with the right-side up.
    Place the Back piece on top (wrong-side up).      

  2. Line up and pin together along the 3 raw edges.
    The hem of the Back piece should line up with the Fold line on the Front piece.  
  3. Fold the extended fabric of the Front piece over the Back piece, encasing it.

  1. Sew and overlock around the 3 raw edges with a 1cm seam allowance.

  1. Turn the pillow right-side out and press along the seams to finish.

Please excuse the fact that my mattress is currently on the floor…
Moving my vintage metal bed frame has proved trickier than expected. 
There is still a lot to do to my studio, including some renovations in the new year, but it is starting to feel like home.

If you would like to know more about my me-made PJs and maybe make your own, check out these blog posts:
Camisole
Shorts


Tips

  • You can use the same technique to make covers for scatter cushions.
  • You can of course make your own pillow inner with your choice of stuffing.

I would love to see what you make, please feel free to share with me!
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Happy Holidays✨?

-Hannah-Rose

Free sewing pattern & instructions: Personalized pillowcase

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