If you are looking for a simple way to update your bedroom in just a couple of hours, I’ve got just the project for you! Quick AND easy king pillowcases! Exciting, right? I know. But I’m realizing a global truth these days – the older I get, the more excited I am about basic stuff. The two main reasons for me to learn how to make king pillowcases are:
- I really wanted a quick and easy project to refresh our master bedroom; and
- My husband was getting a full sleeve tattoo and I didn’t want the colour leaching into my white bedding!
What You’ll Need
These cases are quick and easy to put together and the supplies list is short and sweet! When making my pillowcases, I decided to use three fabrics for each – the case, border and trim. You don’t have to use three different fabrics – you can use one or two, depending on the look you are going for. Imagine how cute coordinating seasonal prints would look! Here’s what I used for these:
Fabric – one, two or three prints – see the measurements on the chart below
Rotary Fabric Cutter
or Fabric Scissors
Rotary Mat
Pins
Sewing Machine
Iron
& Ironing Board – be sure that your iron is a steam iron, as this gives you much cleaner lines
That’s it!
Getting Started
As always, pre-wash your fabric. In this case, I’m using black and white fabric, so it’s especially important to avoid the bleed. I chose black because our bedroom is already black and white, and the black will mask any ink that comes off my husband’s arm.
Pre-washing is also important for shrinkage. Because I’m working with cotton, there’s a very good chance it’s shrinking right now, in the dryer, and I want these cases to actually fit our king pillows!
While the fabric is making its way through the washer and dryer, gather up your tools, and get set up. Once your fabric is ready, you want to cut it as follows:
Keep in mind that when cutting the main case portion, the 36″ is your length. If you are working with a pattern, this may be important!
Putting It Together
It’s actually shocking how easy these are to put together! And you can even do a fancy french seam, which is what I did. If you are in a really big hurry, you can just stitch them with a single stitch or if you are lucky enough to have a serger, finish them that way. I used 1/4″ seams for all stitching.
Here are the steps:
- Fold your edge piece in half along the length, wrong sides together, and iron. Do the same for your contrast piece. Lay the edge piece open flat, right side up. Place the contrast piece along the edge.
- Place the main case piece on top of the edge, right sides together, with the contrast sandwiched in the middle.
- Roll the main piece up, not super tight, but enough that you are able to wrap the edge piece around it.
- Fold the edge over the roll, encasing it, and line up the edges. Pin in place.
- Stitch the edge, case and contrast together.
- Pull the main case to turn the whole thing right side out.
- Fold the pillowcase in half with the wrong sides together and stitch. This will be the start of your French seam. Clip the fabric to 1/8″ seam allowance and cut the corner.
- Turn the pillowcase inside out, so that the right sides are together. Stitch and turn right side out.
That’s it! You’ve made yourself a new pillowcase in less time than it would take to go to the store! Unless, of course, you need fabric, in which case, carry on!
Pillow Cases for Everyone, Everywhere, All the Time!
I absolutely love how these pillowcases turned out – you can bet that I’ll be making ALL new pillowcases, on a regular basis! What a great, inexpensive way to refresh the look of the bedroom! Just think of the possibilities – seasonal, holidays, you name it!! Woo Hoo! Yep, getting excited about pillowcases.
If you are interested in another fantastic sewing project that you’ll want multiples of, check out my post on How to Make a Quilt in One Day Using a Layer Cake. You can also follow my post on How to Make Pillow Covers in 15 Minutes!
I hope you enjoy your new pillowcases as much as I do! Check back for some new quick and easy projects!
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