I LOVE how this pillowcase turned out. It was super easy and quick to make. A welcome change to the unfinished, and never to be finished, blouse project that I worked on over the weekend. One of those ‘what was I thinking’ fabric choice things. The good news is that I got this pillowcase pattern for free from Esther’s. The great news is that Jenn has it posted on the Esther’s website so everyone can have it free.
Here’s a close-up of the edge:
A couple of things I’d do next time:
I will finish the first seam (the one that joins the trim and the band to the main fabric) with a zig zag or serger edge before sewing the outer seams. I didn’t think about it being a raw edge until after I joined the outer seams.
I won’t choose a directional print for the main fabric. These dogs were running in the wrong direction to cut the fabric according to the instructions. I had to cut my fabric 42 inches and then trim off one side of the selvedge so the width was 27 inches. Sort of defeated the whole ease of cutting the fabric per the instructions. If that doesn’t make any sense please leave a comment and I’ll try to explain it better.
The fabric requirements at the top of the pattern are for two pillowcases.
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Thanks for all the thoughtful comments on my last post. What a wonderfully supportive group of women that live here on the internet. It reminds me of why I enjoy having this blog so much.
Other fun things:
Amy’s scraps and I got a mention over on Quilter’s Buzz yesterday. Yoohoo! OK, those 15 seconds are over.
Isabelle sent me an e-mail letting me know she made a water bottle carrier. It’s fabulous! Check it out here. I love her addition of the coin purse, too cute.
A disclaimer on the pictures above: I had to make Leil’s bed to take this picture. The beds in my house only get made when we have guests.
I’ll mention that angel now since I intentionally captured it in the picture and I’m assuming you’ll think it’s as cool as I do. There was an artist in New Mexico that made them with found wood and rusted tin. She sold them at the Tesuque Flea Market (a must go if you visit Santa Fe). The angel’s left wing has a bullet hole in it. She sold these guardians of children for $25. Had I been thinking I would have bought a case. I have one for each of the girls.
I love pillow case projects! Such an easy way to dress up a bed. I’ve made lots of fun ones for my kids. I love this one. You picked some great fabrics.
Ohh I am so excited esther’s has a site now too cool. And I think I will try making a pillow case. Thank you for sharing. Love you angel by the way. Clarice
How fabulous are you?!
I am planning on making a pillowcase for my son’s birthday – he loves anything to do with native NZ birds and ecology in general, so have some motif fabric to use for that. I do have a couple of patterns I can use but will check this one out also, because I love how yours has turned out.
PS – Am seriously loving that angel.
The pillowcase is adorable! I made a pillowcase a few weeks ago and had the same problem with directional fabric. Also, I wanted to say congratulations on the whiplash win. I’m still planning to make a water bottle carrier. I love the angel too. We’ll be in Santa Fe in September so I’ll have to look for that shop.
oh,
i love your tutorial for the water bottle carrier…
i one of my favourites
I love the fabric you used for the pillowcase. It was your mention over on Quiltersbuzz that made me come and look at your blog – I love the water bottle holder I have added one to my growing wip list. And I too want to congratulate you on your whiplash win – very well deserved.
I know you said you would rethink the directional fabric, but it is soooo cute! I love the pillow case and the angel.
Make your own pillow case, eh? Brilliant! I’m sure she loves it. I can see a whale pillowcase in Bea’s near future. Our beds are always unmade until I change the sheets.
omg, i am in love w/the doggie print! i want!!! fabulous
Very cute fabric! The end result makes the directional fabric worth it.
Oh, I love that dog fabric! Love it! Love to make the pillow cases too, my boys love picking out the fabric for them.
Those fabrics look lovely together. The bed looks great it was worth the effort of making it before the photo shoot.
The fabrics are perfect together!
The dog fabric is the Bomb Diggity. I want it.
Love, love, love the pillowcase! Thanks for sharing. Another one to add to the pipeline…
I see that I am not the only person who is drooling over the dog fabric. Even my 4-year-old was saying how cute it is!
You go girl,
You do great stuff…QuiltersBuzz loves you and the doggy pillowcase as well as your oven mitts.
Congrats on your Whiplash win!! HOOOO-RAY!
all I can say it I WANT ONE. Taht is the cutest thing … love the fabric choices!
I love that fabric! and the bed! and the angel!
i fell in love with your pencil roll a few weeks ago, and your work continues to be delightful thank you for sharing it all, and congratulations on yur whiplash win!
this pillowcase is adorable, and that last post brought tears to my eyes.
Hi friend,
A new colorway from Denyse’s Flea Maket Fancy is on the way…she emailed me the drawings…as soon as I upload photos I will post…Oh yeah it is a PINK colorway!
Gina
http://www.QuiltersBuzz.com
congratulations on the whiplash win – very well deserved!
Love the angel! … and the pillow case
I love your fabric choice! The combination of adorable flowers with the charming doggie print is perfect. It inspires me to buy that fabric I always see at the store that I think “love it, but what to do with it?”
Very cute pillowcase!!!love the doggies- I can teach you a way to make one in about 10 minutes with no seams showing! Quick and easy!
email me………
Love the fabics you chose for this pillowcase. The whole picture is really great with the angel and all-
I want to make wedding pillowcases for my son’s wedding. The fabric is a wedding print with directional print. Could you explain it a little better to me, please, on how to cut it?
Thanks
Pat Keene
Wisconsin
I’ll give it a try Pat! I even confuse myself trying to think how to best explain it.
The instructions call for cutting a 27″ piece of fabric (1 1/2 yards for two pillowcases). The result is a 27″ by 44″ rectangle of fabric. The 44″ length is the selvedge to selvedge width of the fabric.
The best way to describe this is as follows:
If you pick up your rectangle and hold it so the 27″ side of the rectangle is at the top between your fingers holding the edges you are looking at the orientation of the pattern as the pillow will lay on the bed. For non-directional prints you would actually have the same orientation of pattern whether you looked at it with the 27″ side up or the 44″ side up. For directional prints you may or may not end up with the correct orientation by cutting your fabric this way.
In general, I would say you won’t end up with the correct orientation for a directional print. Most fabrics are printed with the orientation running parallel with the selvedge. This makes sense because for sewing clothes that is how you would lay down a pattern for a pair of long pants or a skirt. It wouldn’t make sense to have the direction of the print run from selvedge to selvedge (you’d be limited to a 44″ pattern piece).
To use these types of prints for the pillowcase I had to do the following:
Lay out the fabric and cut a 44″ length (this would require 1 yard and 8″ of fabric for only one pillowcase, you would need 2 yards and 16″ for two). Refold the fabric with cut ends even and cut the fabric again. This time you’ll cut off one side (one of the selvedge edges) and then measure 27″ and make another cut. You’ll still have a 27″ x 44″ rectangle but the orientation of your directional print will meet the specification I described above. You end up with a ‘waste’ piece of fabric that measures 44″ x 17″ (the 17″ is 44″ width minus the 27″ you used).
Using a directional print definitely uses up a lot more fabric and cancels out the ease of cutting that makes the pattern so cool. Of course, both sets of these pillowcases that I’ve made I’ve used directional prints so go figure.
That’s such a great choice of fabrics! I love how they contrast but look so good with each other without clashing. You have a good eye for patterns. I am thinking what cute wedding favors those could make– tiny pillowcases like that. You got me started thinking because my wedding colors are brown and orange (don’t ask.. long story) and I have been scouring http://www.gatheringguide.com/ec/party_favors_decorations.html trying to find something like that and you gave me ideas! Thanks.
I have a quick question, as I want to make a pillowcase also using a directional print. I have already made a pillowcase out of this fabric, but it is not the correct direction. Above you stated, “I won’t choose a directional print for the main fabric. These dogs were running in the wrong direction to cut the fabric according to the instructions. I had to cut my fabric 42 inches and then trim off one side of the selvedge so the width was 27 inches.” Then in your directions further down, you instruct us to cut the fabric 44″. Why is this? I measured the pattern that I used for my first pillowcase, and if I were to go with those measurements, I would only need 41″ of fabric. Did you find that the 42″ was enough fabric, or could you have used more? Thank you in advance.
Jenn: yes, the 42″ was enough fabric for the pillow case. Generally speaking, the width of any quilting cotton will be 42″ to 44″ depending on the manufacture and how much shrinkage occurs. Also, once you cut the selvages off the remaining usable width is almost always less than 44″.