Released September 18, 2009
by MaryCatherine McCoy
Embroidered pillowcases are a great way to enjoy your hobby and make personalized gifts. The “Magic Pillowcase ” can be stitched in about 30 minutes, so it’s a quick and easy present. Depending upon your choice of embroidery designs, it only takes a few more minutes to make a one-of-a-kind pillowcase – and the back of the embroidery is completely hidden. That’s the magic!
Supplies for a standard size bed pillow:
- ¾ yard of main fabric (for the body of the pillowcase), approximately
- ¼ yard of accent fabric (for the hem of the pillowcase), approximately
- Sewing thread for the construction
- Embroidery thread for the design
- Stabilizer
- Embroidery machine
- Sewing machine (or serger)
Step 1
Select a design with an appropriate stabilizer.
Mark your preferred placement, hoop, and then embroider.
By embroidering before sewing construction, the embroidery’s back will not show.
In the example, we used the Clown design of the Baby Bibs Things collection from Designs By SiCK.
You can view the entire collection here:
http://www.designsbysick.com/details/babybibsthings
For this pillowcase, we centered this design horizontally about halfway between the cut edge and the fold, and vertically about 11” from the selvage, as shown.
Step 2
Place the accent fabric on your worktable with the right side UP and the embroidery near the top edge.
Then, place the main fabric with the right side DOWN, aligning the cut edges, as shown.
(Note: Main fabric is turned back in photo for illustration purposes only.)
Pin together, temporarily, if desired.
Step 3
Roll up the main fabric from the other cut edge.
Stop rolling the fabric about 4” from the end, as shown.
(Note: Corner of main fabric is turned back in photo for illustration purposes only.)
Step 4
Fold accent fabric up and over the rolled-up main fabric and pin.
Pin all 3 layers of fabric, as shown, to form a long tube:
A - accent fabric with right side UP,
B - main fabric with right side DOWN, and
C - accent fabric with right side DOWN.
Do not pin the loose fabric inside the roll.
(Note: Corners of main fabric and accent fabric are turned back in photo for illustration purposes only.)
Step 5
Sew (or serge) the entire seam.
Be sure to remove pins as you sew to avoid damaging your machine’s timing.
Seam allowance is approximately 5/8”.
After sewing the first seam, reach inside and gently pull out the loose end of the main fabric roll, as shown.
Step 6
Continue easing the fabric roll from the tube, as shown.
Step 7
After pulling all of the main fabric out of the tube, press the seam.
After pressing, lay the entire project right-side UP to double-check your embroidery placement.
The embroidery should appear as shown – on the outside of the hem.
(Fold back the pillowcase hem, as shown, and note the fully enclosed seam and the covered embroidery back.)
Note: If your embroidery is on the same side as the WRONG side of the main fabric, then rip out the seam.
Review the directions in Step 2 carefully.
Then, repeat Steps 2 through 6, carefully aligning the accent fabric and main fabric in Step 2.
Step 8
Trim the selvage edges.
Then, with right sides together, pin the side seam by aligning the hem (accent fabric) and body (main fabric).
Stitch (or serge) the side seam with a seam allowance of approximately 5/8”, as shown.
Repeat for last seam, at the end of the pillowcase.
Step 9
Turn your pillowcase right-side out.
Peek inside at your hem – nice and neat, isn’t it?
Press, then fold. Enjoy!
Bonus tip:
If you do not have a serger, consider French seams on the 2nd and 3rd seams for a clean finish.
Wow, all kinds of ideas are running through my head for Christmas presents using this method. I love the “magic” part!!! Thanks for the inspiration.
Comment by Beth — September 18, 2009 @ 9:26 am
CUTE! I have this same fabric and can’t wait to use it on this!! Your pillowcase looks so much nicer than my past efforts.
Comment by Angela — September 18, 2009 @ 11:22 am
wow that is pretty nifty! Thank you so much
Comment by Grandma Shari — September 18, 2009 @ 11:57 am
I love these! Now to decide on fabric and embroidery designs!
Comment by Mandie — September 18, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
Thanks for this well written project. I think I can follow it easly.I love how you match the fabric with the embroidery.You make it look easy and fun.I definely would make this, thanks sew much,Sandra
Comment by sandra — September 18, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
Excellent!
Comment by Pat — September 18, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
Wow. While I’ve made decorative pillows and pillowcases, this is the best I have ever seen..and, it sounds like a quick project. Thanks for sharing it!
Comment by wissewer — September 18, 2009 @ 4:13 pm
I definitely will have to try this some time. I make a lot of pillowcases for our grandchildren, but have never seen this done before. Thanks for sharing. Cheers Shirley
Comment by ossie — September 18, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
This is so funny to me. Yesterday I was looking at the Connecting Threads catalog and I had decided to order the instructions for making this pillowcase! Thank you very much. Your tutorial will stand me in good stead.
Betty
Comment by Betty — September 18, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
Love this project! Will definitely try it. Thanks so much.
Comment by Diana — September 18, 2009 @ 7:17 pm
Thank you for the instructions. It is always interesting to see new and different approaches to the same tasks. I will give your idea a try.
Comment by Anonymous — September 18, 2009 @ 8:01 pm
Thanks for the tutorial. I make heaps of pillowcases but could never remember which way to do the embroidery. Thanks now I will be able to do names that wont end up upside down.
Comment by dietcoke — September 18, 2009 @ 9:48 pm
My sewing club did this pattern 2 yrs. ago. The nice part is, you can pick all different fabric to match the holidays. A few of us went on a sewing retreat, and we had our pillow cases on our pillows. I’m so glad you brought this pattern up. After a few years, we forget what we made.
I can get started to make some for the new great granchildren. Yours is darling
Comment by Mary — September 18, 2009 @ 11:31 pm
That is so clever. Have wanted to do that type of finish for ages but didnt know how. Now I do. Thank you.
Comment by flora — September 18, 2009 @ 11:37 pm
Love this method! Sometimes I will add an extra strip of contrasting fabric b/t the main and accent fabrics…sort of a faux-piping, so to speak. About 1″ wide, folded in half, wrong sides together, using a 1/4 inch seam to stitch the pieces together (if using a 5/8″ seam, then use a strip of fabric that is about 3 1/4″ wide, again folded in 1/2 WSTog). Is this clear as mud? LOL
Comment by Granny Bryant — September 19, 2009 @ 5:08 am
MARY CATHRINE, THANK YOU SEW MUCH FOR THE GREAT ILLISTRATIONS,.YOU HAVE MY BRAIN GOING CRAZY NOW.LOVE IT , LOVE IT, FRANCES
Comment by Frances — September 20, 2009 @ 3:33 pm
I will certainly give this a try!!! Thanks, Doris
Comment by Doris Marsley Oldenburg — September 20, 2009 @ 7:27 pm
It is said we should have a new pillow each year. So for Xmas each year I give each of my 15 great grandkids a new pillow. Tis is great, Thank you
Comment by Audrey — September 22, 2009 @ 2:32 am
thanks for the great idea, just got my embroidery machine, everything seem overwhelming. love everyones comments.
Comment by Darlene Russell — September 24, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
What a wonderfully precise, well written tutorial complete with pictorial support! Great idea, you have helped me considerably on my Christmas gifting this year. I am new to sewing and embroidery, and this project is PERFECT - easy AND special.Thank you for taking the time to share!
Comment by Whitney Brown Wadsworth — October 6, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
I want to say - thank you for this!,
Comment by Caremma — October 10, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
Will definitely give this a go, good idea!!
Comment by Margie — October 12, 2009 @ 2:42 am
Very cute :-)))),
Comment by Taecien — October 12, 2009 @ 7:44 am
Can someone PLEASE tell me what measurements the two pieces of fabric are to be cut to make this Magic Pillowcase?
[editor's note: The instructions read: # ¾ yard of main fabric (for the body of the pillowcase), approximately
# ¼ yard of accent fabric (for the hem of the pillowcase), approximately]
Comment by Sheri — November 18, 2009 @ 11:04 am