In case making children’s quilts is too overwhelming for some because of time limitations, please share with your group that sometimes just a colorful pillowcase in juvenile prints with a contrasting 4″ border goes a long way to brighten a child’s life. It can also be fun to use a few pieces together to go with a binky.

YOU WILL NEED:
  • 1 yard of fabric
  • matching thread for the top and the bobbin
  • cutting tools: scissors, rotary cutter, acrylic ruler, and cutting mat
  • a sewing machine
  • sewing pins
  • an ironing board and iron

Fold your yard of fabric the way it came off the bolt. Cut off the selvages. Trim the ends if they are uneven or fraying.

Can you believe that’s all the cutting? If you are in a sewing pinch, you could skip the cutting altogether. In that case, use an extra wide seam allowance so that the selvages don’t show.

If you have a serger, it will cut off the selvages for you. Just skip the cutting and let the serger knife cut off the selvages in the first sewing step below.

Step 1: Fold the Fabric Right Sides Together and Sew

1. Fold the fabric right sides together to make a rectangle that is approximately 21” x 36”.

Pin along the top long edge and one of the side edges.

2. Start sewing at the long edge near the opening of the pillowcase. Sew with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. You can most likely use the edge of your presser foot as a guide.

When you reach the corner, stop with your needle down. Lift the foot so you can pivot the fabric, and then continue sewing the short end of the pillowcase.

3. Trim away the extra fabric at the corner to reduce bulk, If desired, you can finish the raw edges of the seam with a zig zag stitch or a serger. French seams are also an option, but I wanted to show you how to sew a pillowcase in the fastest and easiest way possible! No one is really going to care about the inside anyway.

Step 2: Turn and Press the Simple Pillowcase Cuff

1. Don’t turn the pillowcase right side out yet. Put the pillowcase over the end of your ironing board.

Fold the top edge down by 5” and press all the way around

2. Then fold the cuff to the inside by 5” one more time.

3. To make this ‘magic’ cuff with an accent detail, we only need to sew 3/8” from the top edge with the pillowcase still inside out. If we were hemming the normal way, we’d sew at the bottom edge of the 5” hem – but don’t be tempted to do that here.

Sew all the way around the top folded edge, again using the edge of your presser foot as a guide.

Get the rest of the instructions, including a video here on SewCanShe.com