Pillowcases for Every Bed
The first machine-sewing project I ever attempted was a pillowcase. The seams were a bit wonky and the hems were slightly uneven, but when I turned the whole thing right side out and slipped it on the pillow, you know what? It worked! Even with all its imperfections, it looked great, and so began my love affair with the humble pillowcase… and with sewing.
Since then, pillowcases have been my go-to project whenever I’m fond of a fabric, need a last minute gift (Mother’s Day!) or just want to spruce things up around the house. The seams are a bit straighter now and the hems are more precise, but no matter how many other projects I have under my belt, I come back to this simple and rewarding design time and time again.
Sized for Standard, Queen, and King pillows, these really are Pillowcases for Every Bed. And although the pattern is so straight-forward that even a sewing novice can feel confident taking it on, the French seam details and envelope fold cuff add a challenge and polish that more experienced sewists will appreciate.
With two styles (one plain, one with a contrast edging) and ten colorful fabrics, I had so much fun mixing and matching the cases for this giant pile of pillows. So, choose a few favorite fabrics and spend an hour to make a pair for yourself, or an afternoon to refit every bed in the house, or a weekend to make a set for everyone you know. I’m not kidding. They’re that easy and that addictive! – Corinne
Materials
- For Standard (20 by 26 inches) or Queen (20 by 30 inches) pillows: 2 yards of a light to mid-weight cotton fabric
- For King (20 by 36 inches) pillows: 2 ¼ yards of fabric
The fabrics I used are shown and numbered above.
- Kiyohara Fabrics Fine Solids in Grey
- Kiyohara Fabrics Large Gingham in Grey
- Kiyohara Fabrics Small Gingham in Grey
- Kiyohara Fabrics Fine Solids Beige
- Kiyohara Fabrics Large Gingham in Beige
- Kiyohara Fabrics Small Gingham in Beige
- Rowan Fabrics Shot Cotton in Shell
- Rowan Fabrics Shot Cotton in Apricot
- Kiyohara Fabrics Fine Solids Brown
- Rowan Fabrics Shot Cotton in Squash
- 100% cotton thread in a coordinating color.
To make two Edged Pillowcases you will need ¼ yard of a Contrasting Color, in addition to the materials listed above.
Sizes
Standard Pillowcase: 19 by 27 ½ inches
Queen Pillowcase: 19 by 31 ½ inches
King Pillowcase: 19 by 37 ½ inches
Notes
Prewash all fabrics before starting.
The fabrics used here have no clear right or wrong side. If you are working with these or similar fabrics, you may choose either side as the right side for the first hem, but be sure to follow this precedent for all subsequent steps.
Edged Pillowcase Pattern
Cut
From the Main Color, cut two 21 by 57 ½ (21 by 65 ½, 21 by 73 ½)–inch rectangles. From the Contrasting Color, cut two 21 by 7 ½ inch rectangles.
Note: When cutting simple rectangular shapes for patterns such as this, straight, clean cuts are key. The best way to make these cuts is with a rotary cutter and a non-slip quilting ruler on a self-healing cutting mat. If you have limited experience using a rotary cutter, I recommend visiting our Rotary Cutting Tutorial.
Hem
Fold one short side of one of the Main Color rectangles ¼ inch towards the wrong side and press. Fold this same edge ½ inch towards the wrong side again, press and pin. Sew the hem down with an edgestitch. This is Hemmed Side A.
Fold one long side of one of the Contrasting Color rectangles ¼ inch towards the wrong side and press. Fold this same edge ½ inch towards the wrong side again, press and pin. Sew the hem down with an edgestitch. This is Hemmed Side B.
Piece
Lay the Main Color rectangle out flat with the wrong side facing up.
With the right side facing up, line up the long raw edge of the Contrasting Color rectangle with the short raw edge of the Main Color rectangle (the wrong sides of the two pieces will be facing each other). Pin in place along this edge. Sew along the pinned edge with a ¼-inch seam allowance.
Fold along the seam so that the right sides of the two pieces are now facing each other. Press flat and pin.
Sew along the pinned edge with a ½-inch seam allowance.
Press the seam towards the darker of the two fabrics.
Sew Sides
Lay the prepared fabric flat with the wrong side facing up.
Fold Hemmed Side B over to meet the pressed edge of the 6-inch fold. Make sure that the edge of Hemmed Side B is perfectly in line with the pressed fold.
Pin along the two long raw edges. Sew along the pinned edge with a ¼-inch seam allowance.
Fold the pillowcase inside out, making sure the 6-inch flap wraps around the Hemmed Side B and the wrong side of the flap seam faces up.
Press the long side seams flat and pin.
Sew along the pinned edges with a ½-inch seam allowance.
Turn right side out and press flat.
Repeat with the other two rectangles for the matching case.
Solid Pillowcase Pattern
Cut
Hem
Fold one short side of one of the rectangles ¼ inch towards the wrong side and press. Fold this same edge ½ inch towards the wrong side again, press and pin. Sew the hem down with an edgestitch.
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
that wonderful blog!
ciao
Benedetta
OK….Kokka fabric…the solid brown….I need to make me some of those…perfect!
Or…maybe the entire stack! Great post…thank you.
The banded ones would be perfect for embroidery. It's always so hard finding a pillowcase with a wide enough band for the vintage patterns. This way you could custom make your width if it needed to be wider. Thank you so much!
Wow! I'm so thankful you included the tutorial! I am going to add it to The Pillowcase Project I have going this year– pillowcases to distribute at Christmastime to the pediatric patients at National Children's Hospital, a charity hospital in Manila, Philippines where I live. Pillowcases are being contributed from all over the world. :o)
This is so easy!
Thanks again,
Kelley~
http://www.kelleyhighway.blogspot.com/
Does Kokka make plain white fabric for those of us who want to match our existing sheets?
Hello,
I love your pillowcases, they are brillant!
My first project was also a pillowcase… and it was what made me love sewing.
I can't wait to sew more,
Thanks for this tutorial,
Crafty Albumine
Envelope fold cuffs are on every pillowcase sold here in Australia and I love that as I'm originally from the States and hadn't seen that before! I'm even more excited to have this tutorial so that I can now make my own with this added feature. Thanks so much!
Hi Connie-
Kokka doesn't make a plain white fabric instead we would recommend using Moda Muslin 200 Count in White. It's very soft and smooth, like a nice pair of white sheets.
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6178-Moda-Moda-Muslin-45-200-count
Good luck with the project and thanks for writing in!
Molly
I love these pillowcases. They are so beautiful. I have never made pillowcases before because I did not know what fabric would be suitable. I have seen the Kokka gingham described as smooth and almost silky. So, that seems like a good option.
It looks like your solid cases were made with the Rowan Shot Cloth. Is that a smooth cloth?
I guess my phobias come from growing up with percale pillowcases as acceptable and muslin not acceptable.
Would you address the issues of suitable fabrics, please. I'm in need of some education in this area.
Thank you for this great tutorial.
Pam
I actually accomplished this very task this AM.. as simple as it sounds, I used a queen top sheet. We dont use the top sheet from the sheet set in my house except for dropcloths etc 🙂 BUT we also have 3 pillows on the bed and it just KILLS me to spend all that money for another set of pillow cases when I only need one! So this AM I took that top sheet, using the already there 4" hem, I cut a piece 46"x32" folded it in half, RS together so I had 23"x32" and sewed the one side and bottom at 3/8" with a straight stitch, then again with an overcast stitch to keep the freying down.. Now I have enough fabric left to make 3 more at least to donate! woohooo!!
Hello Pam –
Thank you for writing in!
The Kokka Gingham and Fine Solids are soft and silky and would be a great option. The Rowan Shot Cottons are also soft and lightweight, come in a great selection of colors and will get softer with wash and wear.
Also, the Moda Muslin 200 Count that Molly recommends above is very crisp, soft and smooth. Don't let the name scare you off!
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6178-Moda-Moda-Muslin-45-200-count
Finally, if you're not afraid of prints, Liberty of London Tana Lawn is extremely silky and fine.
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/1695-Liberty-of-London-Tana-Lawn-Classics
I hope this helps!
-Corinne
Thank you, Corrine. That is very helpful.
This is a beautifully written tutorial, Corrine. It's well thought out with just enough detail to ensure a satisfying result. Thanks!
Hi! I would like to make these from linen, but I have never sewed with linen before-is it difficult? I have done a little sewing, so I’m not a complete novice. Thanks for your advice!
Hi Cheryl-
These aren’t actually made from linen, they are all made from 100% cotton. But both lightweight linen and cotton are very easy to sew with and this is a great project for a beginner!
Thanks for your question
Molly
Hello, I submitted a comment last week, but somehow it never got posted.
I would like to know how much fabric and what fabric measurements I would need to make these pillowcases for a travel-size pillow. My two travel pillows measure 11 by 16 inches and 12 by 16 inches.
This would be my first sewing project, so your help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
-Peggy
Hi Peggy –
Thank you for writing in. I’m sorry your original comment was lost. We are glad to hear from you again!
For either pillow you would need to buy 1 1/4 yard of fabric. You will get two pillowcases (possibly three, depending on shrinkage) from 44-inch wide fabric, or three pillowcases from 54-inch wide fabric.
For a solid pillowcase for the 11 by 16-inch pillow, cut one 13 by 41-inch rectangle.
For a solid pillowcase for the 12 by 16-inch pillow, cut one 14 by 41-inch rectangle.
I hope this helps!
Please let us know if you have any other questions as you’re working on this project!
-Corinne
Hi Melynda –
I’m glad you were able to work it out. What a lucky pup you have!
Please let us know if you have any other questions for this project, or for anything else you tackle in the future!
-Corinne
Just what I was searching For! THANK YOU!!
I have had a bit of trouble signing in each time I try. I guess I am signed in if I get this far correct? When pattern is free it is printable? Some do print, most do not. Yes my printer works all other times. Am I missing something at the sign in mark? you have many patterns I would love to sew, knit, crochet for the upcoming Holidays, birthdays and such but I’m getting a bit frustrated with trying to get things figured out.
Patty
Hi Patty –
Thanks for writing in! These are all great questions.
You should not need to “sign in” to get to our site or any of its content! When you first get to the page, a box may appear that asks if you would like to sign up for our newsletter. If you do, great, if not, feel free to click the “X” in the top right hand corner of the box and it will disappear, allowing you full access to the site.
All of our free patterns can be printed or saved as a pdf. Have you tried the “print” feature available on the site? If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the date and tags. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. Hopefully by printing this way you will have success every time!
I hope this helps!
Please let me know if you have any more questions!
-Corinne
Thanks for the thorough, detailed tutorial. Made my first pillow cases and they turned out great!
I’m teaching myself how to sew again after 30 years, and I admit I’m not the brightest star on the planet concerning sewing. However, I can’t figure this pattern out. You lost me at: “Fold along the seam so that the right sides of the two pieces are now facing each other. Press flat and pin. Sew along the pinned edge with a ½-inch seam allowance.”
Hi Kim –
I am so glad that our Pillowcase project has inspired you to pick up sewing again after all these years! Welcome back!
All of the seams on these Pillowcases are sewn using French seams, which is a seaming method that encases all of the raw edges into the seam allowance. When using this type of seam, you end up sewing along the seam line twice, first with a short (1/4-inch) seam allowance with the wrong sides of the fabric together, and then with a slightly larger seam allowance (1/2-inch) with the right sides together. The bit of text that you have pulled out describes folding back the fabric after the first seam and preparing to sew the second.
Does that help? Please let me know if I can offer any more clarification!
-Corinne
I want to use directional fabric and have it lay horizontal. Could you provide what my measured length would be if I was to piece the 57 ½ ” length? I can’t wrap my head around it. Thanks!
Hi Katie,
Are you cutting the pattern on the cross grain instead of the length grain? You might not be able to cut on the cross grain if your fabric isn’t wide enough. However, if you didn’t mind a bottom edge seam to your pillow, you would simply cut one panel to about an inch greater than the length of your pillow plus seam allowances. Your next panel’s seams will have to match up with the previous one, so you’ll want to make sure you are accounting for seam allowances when cutting both the main fabric and contrast color.
-Adam