Fun Pillowcase Tutorial

This is another of the projects I made for the Bernina Master Craftsters campaign I was involved in on Craftster.  I started making pillowcases last year for my daughter (she loves them and can't get enough!)  They are fairly quick and easy to make, so I'm always on the lookout for fabrics she might like.  I made this one with her in mind--she is an art student, so the colored pencils and paint boxes were perfect for her!  I actually used it as a gift bag for her other birthday gifts this year:

Here's the tutorial--enjoy!!

Fun Pillowcase using the BERNINA 380

    
A pillowcase made of special fabrics can be a great gift, especially for kids and teenagers. Who cares if it doesn't match the sheets? Pillowcases are fun!

I made this pillowcase with French seams and a double layer of the blue fabric, so all the seams are enclosed, and it has a nice substantial feel.

     

Here's how to make it: start by washing and ironing your fabric. Then, cut two pieces of the main fabric 24" x 21", and two pieces of the contrast fabric 13" x 21". Using a 1/4" seam, sew one piece of contrast fabric onto one end of each of the main fabric pieces, as in the picture above.

     

Next, iron under about 1/4" of the contrast fabric, then fold it down to cover the seam, as in the picture above. Pin the fabric in place over the seam, and iron the top edge of the contrast fabric.

     

At this point you could just sew a straight stitch near the lower edge of the contrast fabric to hold it in place, but I wanted to try out a decorative stitch on my BERNINA 380. I had 115 stitches to choose from!! After much deliberation, I finally decided on number 79, a row of hearts; I entered the stitch into the machine, and you can see the number on the display in the picture above.

     

Once the number was displayed on the screen, all I had to do was step on the pedal and guide the fabric. Easy!

     

The row of hearts looks equally good on the front and the back of the fabric (that's the front on the left, and the back on the right.) Next time I will use a different thread color so there is more contrast.

     

Now, to sew the French seams, layer the two pieces of the pillowcase WRONG sides together. (It seems so wrong, but it is so right!!) Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew around the three raw edges of the pillowcase.

     

Then turn the pillowcase inside out and press the seams flat. Using a 3/8" seam, sew along the three sides you just sewed. This will enclose your seams.

     

Turn the pillowcase right-side out and press. Ta-da! It looks so professional! It's ready for gift-giving!