justpepperminty: DIY Pillow Cover

Hey everyone, my name is Sophie, and I run the sewing and interior design blog, iDesigns by Sophie! I love Just Pepperminty and I'm so excited to be doing a guest post here! The first thing I sewed by myself was a pillow cover, so that's what I'll be sharing with you today.

Here's what you'll need:

Pillow insert (for this tutorial, I used a 12 x 16 inch insert)
1/4-1/2 yard of fabric, depending on your pillow size
Thread
Sewing scissors
Rotary cutter (optional)
Thread snips (optional)
Pins
Needle

(note from Juli) If you guys are looking for a place to buy a pillow insert then you should check out PillowCubes! They're currently offering a discount for Just Pepperminty readers, so go find something you like and check out with the code: 10JustPepperminty and you'll receive 10% off your order!

Step 1: Wash and iron the fabric. It's important to wash the fabric because it softens it a little but, and also rinses off whatever weird coating or chemicals that could be on it from the manufacturer. I would recommend running a quick zig-zag stitch around the edges before doing this so that the fabric doesn't fray.

Step 2: Cut the fabric to size, taking a 5/8 seam allowance into consideration on every side. So, since I was using a 12 inch x 16 inch pillow insert, I cut the fabric into two 13.25 inch x 17.25 inch pieces.

Step 3: Lay the fabric pieces on top of each other with the right sides touching each other in the middle. Then pin 3 of the 4 sides. I don't usually use too many pins; just use as many as you need!

Step 4: You've probably thinking, what about the 4th side? Since we have to insert the pillow into the cover, we can't sew all the way around. First, find the center (for this size, it was at 8.625 inches) and mark it with a pin or light pencil mark. Then, measure 5 or 6 inches out on either side of that mark, and mark those with two pins right next to each other. This is to remind you when to stop sewing!

Step 5: Sew around the cover using your sewing machine! Make sure not to use a basting stitch, it won't hold together well. When you're finished, use the thread snips to cut off the excess thread. If you don't have thread snips, scissors will work too!

Step 6: Snip the corners so that they will be sharper when you turn the cover it right side out. Then, go ahead and turn it right side out! Next, carefully insert the pillow form into the cover.

Step 7: The last step is to hand-stitch the open end using thread that matches your fabric. For this fabric, I chose white, so it wouldn't stand out. Tie it off and use the thread snips or scissors to cut off the excess thread.