Easy Pillowcase Instructions

[Sue-Pillowcase lady]

 Whole Pillowcase - 1  piece of fabric:

1. Wash and iron all your fabric before cutting the material.  Do not use scented fabric softener.  Many people can't tolerate the smells.  I personally use vinegar as asoftener and you can use washing soda also to softener in a natural way.
2. Fold fabric in half length wise and press a crease ( this will give you approx a 22 in wide
   piece)
3. Cut your pillowcase to 30-31 in long. Sew together and run a zig-zag or a serged
   stitch around the edges to keep them from fraying.
4. Fold and press ¼ in down on the top of your pillow case
5. Then go back and fold and press 2in down on the top
6. Sew it down with a ¼-1/2 in straight stitch.  Can add a zig zag or decorative stitch.
7. Then turn pillowcase inside out and stitch the 2 open sides with a 90% turn at the
   bottom.
8. Turn right side out making sure you push the corners out so they look like corners.
9. Press again and you are done.
10.  This will give you a pillowcase that is 28-29 in long and 21 & ½ in wide
11.  The finished  pillowcase should be 28 ½ in long by 21 ½ in wide
12.  Make sure all Seams are finished so there is no fraying.

Banded Pillowcases- 2 pieces of fabric:

     13.  Wash and iron all your fabric before cutting  the material.

     14.  FoldfFabric in half length wise and press a crease ( this will give you approx a 22" wide piece)

      15.  Cut your pillowcase to 24-26 in long. .

      16.  Make your band either 2 or 4 in wide when folded in half so that would 4-8 in unfolded.

              Make sure it is the same width as the body of the pillowcase.

      17.  Attach the band to the top of the pillowcase with a 1/4 or1/2"seam. Press                .

             the seam towards the top and top stitch or zig zag it down. 
      18.  Stitch the 2 open sides with a 90% turn at the bottom.

      19.  Fold and press ¼ in down on the top of your pillow case

      20.  Then go back and fold and press 2 in down on the top

      21.  Sew it down with a ¼-1/2 in straight stitch.  Can add a zig zag or decorative stitch.

      22.  Press again and you are done.

      23.   This will give you a pillowcase that is 28-29 in long and 21 & ½ in wide

      24.  The finished pillowcase should be 28in long by 21 ½ in wide.

      25.  Make sure all seams are finished so there is no fraying.

 

The bands can be bigger if you have a shorter piece of fabricl. But please try not

to make them more that 8 in wide unless you are making a special one for a special reason. This will help to keep the uniform and will help save on material.

[Sue-Pillowcase lady]

Pillowcase instruction history:

There are 3 sets of instructions on this group.  I wrote the one called "Pillowcase instructions" in January 2009, very quickly for people who never made a pc before.  They made sense to me, but not to others haha.  I often talk in

"short hand".

In the fall of 2009, Dori very kindly re-wrote them with more detail.  She gives much information on fabric selection and types.  It is all valuable information.  Those are called the "updated pillowcase instructions".

Then Maryellen (ME) re-wrote them alittle simpler.  She has been emailing those to people.  So I tweaked those a bit because I didn't see where to hem a banded pc and have now added them to the group discussion which I call threads.

 

But let me say this about pillowcases.  There really isn't a wrong way to make them with 2 exceptions.:

1.  Too long (36" of fabric or more), too short (less than 27" long), too wide (more than 23" wide folded), too

narrow (less than 20" wide folded).

2.   Very pieced on BOTH sides.  I love to make pieced pillowcases, but when I do, I make 1 side an entire piece of fabric OR have at least 24" of solid fabric for a sleeping area.  Please think of seams when you sew. 

I know many of the troops sleep in rough conditions so any pillowcase would seem wonderful.  But I personally would not want to sleep on a seam.

 

If you have a pillowcase method that you are comfortable sewing, by all means use it.  Just keep in mind, that if you make them very long, with double cuffs, flanges (the decorative piece between the band and body), that all takes more fabric.  AND they will take more room in the box to pack. 

 

I like to get the most "bang" for my buck and I personally prefer pcs made in this manner.  I have packed thousands and thousands of pillowcases myself in the 3 years that I have been doing Heads at Ease and believe me, I can get a whole lot more into a box when made in this way.

 

We want you to be comfortable with the sewing though.  So please do what works for you.  We always need help with pcs and don't want to lose anyone because the instructions seem overwhelming.

 

I have some groups I am working on, so please continue to sew and stash.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

Ok, this is one dumb question & I know it is!  But, my brain must be having a problem calculating!  Just how much yardage of fabric of the 44/45" wide type cotton do you need to make a pillowcase.  Well, really 2 questions... the yardage for a pc with a matching band & the yardage for a pillowcase where you will use another color for the band plus the yardage for a band.

Sorry -- I really do know how to sew!!  But the more I looked at the directions the more confused I got in my calculations.  Maybe it is the weather?

[DC - G'mother of My Fav Sailor]

Proud Navy/NYPD Mom, there are no dumb questions, only questions to which you do not know the answer.  Please ask as many questions as you need.

 

I purchase one yard each of two coordinating patterns of fabric.  This allows me to have the body and a band.  I then mix and match.  If you are going to make a pillowcase without a coordinating band, you need a piece that is 30 inches long after trimming the edges.  If after trimming you have a yard, then you can get one pillowcase without a band and a six-inch band for another pillowcase with a single cuff.

 

I use the "hot dog" method (you may want to watch the video), so from my one yard, I cut out 25 inches for the body of one pillowcase.  I then have enough to use nine inches for the band of another pillowcase.  The band is what Sue calls a double cuff.  You can also purchase 3/4 yards of a special fabric and match it with a plain cotton band.

 

I can get 33 in the box.  She gets an additional five pillowcases in her boxes without the double band.  Since I can't make that many pillowcases in a month, this works for me.  If I make the single cuff, I have room left over and feel "compelled" to fill the rest of the box with something, e.g., toothpaste donated by the dentist.

 

BTW, I used to purchase several yards of one pattern but found I became bored with the fabric.  With one yard at a time, I use it and it is gone.  It is also easier to wash and iron.  This is a personal preference.  

 

I do think it is important to do something to the edges to keep them from fraying.  You can sew and then zig-zag the edges.  You can use a serger if you have one.  That trims, sews and finishes the edges on one pass.  You can use French seams.  They look great but take more time and effort, I think.  

 

Hope this helps.

[DC - G'mother of My Fav Sailor]

Here is a video for using the zig-zag on your machine to finish the edges.  YouTube is a great place to find videos showing how to do all sorts of things.  Some are good and some don't provide much information.  I have found them interesting to watch.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

Thanks DC (which BTW are my initials too!)!!  I think I've got it now.  Next and last step is to get my husband checking out my machine (again).  It was in storage while I went back to college, but now I have time to sew again and I'm set for making pillowcases!!

[D~W~G]

I like this one! I am sorry I used fabric softner, I did not know. I just thought it was a nice homey smell. good Point though!

[Sue-Pillowcase lady]

thanks for answering Proud NY Dori!  You always give such great descriptions.

 

Sometimes I get pcs in that smell so strongly that I washed them again.  With the fabric softener known to have a link to cancer, I don't use it.  No worries.

[Proud Navy/NYPD Mom (Donna)]

I love these easy directions!!  I can start right away w/out needing a "class".

Just an FYI, I live in Plainville, MA.  A quilt shop not far from me is planning a charity pillowcase sewing event to benefit MA Navy Moms and help us send pc's in our packages too.  If anyone in this group is nearby, get in touch with me.  I'm just waiting on the owner to set a date.  I am trying to be sure we have a fairly good turn-out of Navy Moms to go along with the community people who will come.  Don't think it looks good if we don't support an event done to benefit us, know what I mean?  So MA, RI, even east CT, let me know if you are interested and I'll keep you in the loop as plans develop.

PS  Unfortunately, the owner moves slowly.  This has been in the "planning" stages since March!!  Oh, well, can't push a GIFT.

[D~W~G]

I had to draw instructions out for my mother :( and her group at the senior citizens home because they were getting confused..tee hee.

[D~W~G]

[D~W~G]

[Sue-Pillowcase lady]

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