DIY Pillow Case for Small Pillow

 Last week I made an adorable pillow case with a tutorial from A Spoonful of Sugar.

This week I’ve changed it up a bit.  I’ve been making a series of “Name” pillowcases for our grandkids.  Last year I made them for Riley, Piper and Jack.

I decided to adapt the pillow created by A Spoonful of Sugar to the 12″ x 16″ size for two of our granddaughters.  I also wanted the seams to be “clean”.  I don’t have a serger so even though I zigzag the raw edges, the seams still look raggedy and get worse with each washing.   

This is what I made:

And this is how I did it! 

Directions for a pillowcase for a 12” x 16” pillow with finished seams.  

I used three different fabrics.  The mermaid and pink dotted are from Timeless Treasures and the white name piece is Kaufman Essex Linen Blend.   

CUT

Name Piece: one 3″ x 13 ½” white fabric 

Cuff: one 8 ½” x 13 ½” pink dot fabric 

Front:  one 13 ½” x 14 ½” mermaid fabric

Back:  one 13 ½” x 23 ½” pink dot fabric 

NAME PIECE 

Fold strip of white fabric in half lengthwise and press.

I had planned to hand embroider the name but it’s not one of my better skills so I went with the letters on my sewing machine.  I put the fold of the strip against the 5/8″ seam mark. Every model will be different.

CUFF

With right sides together, take the pink cuff fabric and stitch it to the name piece on the top and bottom using a ¼” seam.

Turn right side out. Press so there is one inch of pink above name. The cuff should be 4 ½”.

Embellish with zigzag stitching and top stitch bottom edge.  

FRONT

Take front piece of mermaid fabric. Hem one 13 ½” end by pressing under ½” then another ½” and then stitch.

Put wrong side of cuff against wrong side of hemmed edge of front.

Stitch together with ¼” seam.

Turn to the right side.

 Press. Top Stitch.

BACK

Hem one 13 ½” end by pressing under ½” then another ½” and then stitch. 

Attach back to front by putting wrong side of front to wrong side of back.  The front piece short end will be lined up with the back piece unhemmed short end.

 Stitch ¼” around two sides and bottom.

Clip corners

Turn wrong side out.  Now the fabric is right sides together.

 Poke the corners out and press.

Press under ¼” on sides of the flap.

 Fold the flap over the cuff. 

Stitch ½” on the two sides and bottom.  Leave the top end open.

DO NOT TRIM CORNERS!

Turn right side out. Press.

 

Stick the pillow form inside.

And the gratuitous Maggie shot…

Three more pillows to make.  Hmmmm, Adley is only 6 months old, wonder if she’d mind a cute pillow with pink pigs?