how to sew a pillow case | bedding set ep. 2

Hi everyone! Bonjour à tous! This is Romy. Today I would like to show you how to make a quick and easy bedding set. Let's get to it! In the last episode, we have learned how to sew different sizes and shapes of duvet covers and in today's video we'll work on creating a matching pillowcase. Now, if the demand is high enough, I'll show you how to sew a fitted sheet as well. This way, you'll have everything nice and matching at a fraction of the retail price. Let's trace the pattern of the square pillowcase for instance. I trace the width and the length of my pillow. Then I create my square. Now I add 1.5 cm for our seam allowance all around, but feel free of course to choose whatever you are used to. And that was the front. Easy, right? The first back piece is identical, but we need an additional piece for the back to maintain the pillow inside its cover. For this piece, the width is the same, but the length is 3 times shorter. So this is a third of that. And of course, let's not forget to add our seam allowance. So here's the front of the pillowcase. This is the back number 1 and the back number 2. So for a 60 by 60 cm pillow, we have 60 here plus 2 times 1.5, that is 63. 63 here, the same there. And here we have the third of 60, that is 20 plus 2 times 1.5 cm, 23, and still 63 here. I have already washed and ironed my fabric, that's important, and then I have cut my 3 pieces. We'll start with hemming these 2 sides. So place the fabric wrong side facing you, fold it at about 7 to 8 mm and fold it again. When our hems are pinned in place, we will make a row of straight stitches at about 1 to 2 mm from the fold. Surely you have recognized my favorite presser foot for topstitching. If that's the first time you watch a video of mine, don't worry, you can do without, it just takes a little bit more focus and precision. The first piece is done, go ahead with the other one and don't be scared to use the threads to pull the fabric. That will prevent the whole fabric has been eaten by the machine situation. And voilà, I highly recommend pressing your fabric before we start the proper construction of the pillowcase. So to do that, I place the front piece with right side facing me and then the 2 backs with their wrong side facing me. Everything is therefore placed right sides together. Now we pin, pin and pin and sew using a straight stitch all around at about 1 cm from the edge. We have left a 1.5 cm seam allowance, but I like the pillowcase to have some ease and with time, that is with a lot of washing and drying, the fabric may shrink ever so slightly. When you are at the corner, lift the foot up, pivot the fabric, replace the foot down and go on. And where the back pieces overlay, do a few back and forth additional stitches to make the sewing stronger. This is where the pillowcase will open to accommodate its pillow in. Same thing on the opposite side, and when you have gone all around, go over the beginning for about 1 cm back and forth stitches and cut. Cut the corners as well. Be careful not to catch the stitches. And now, to present the fabric to fray, we just have to finish the edges off. A small zigzag stitch on your sewing machine will do the trick nicely. Have a look at the way I tackle the cut corners. So here we have it, a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch to finish the edge off. Now, here is what it would look like if you have a serger. It's really fast, the serger cuts the layers of the fabric, sew them together and finish them off all at once. In any case, our pillowcase is done, the edges are done, we just need to turn it inside out. And obviously, a good pressing is needed, nobody could deny that. Oh, isn't that better? Now, I don't have any tiny pillow to insert in and to demonstrate, but of course, you know how it works. So we have made a pillowcase using the straight stitch and the zigzag stitch of your sewing machine. Or using a serger if you had the opportunity. And I will very quickly show you now how to make, using a sewing machine only, this furred finish that I find stronger and more beautiful. It is called a French seam. All right, our pieces are already cut and hemmed. This time, let's place the front, wrong side facing us, and the backs, right sides facing us. Also, the shorter piece is the first to be placed. So basically, our pieces are placed right sides together. Pin and sew all around at about 5 to 6 mm from the edge. Trim the fabric at 2 to 3 mm from the stitches as well as the corner. Now, turn the pillowcase wrong sides out. And sew again, all around, at about 5 mm from the edge. Voilà! Don't forget to go back and forth a few times where the pieces overlay. Finally, turn the pillowcase inside out and... Ta-da! Congratulations, you've made it! This tutorial is over and I really hope that you found it useful. Have a look at the previous one to learn how to create a matching duvet cover. Also, don't forget to leave me a comment if you wish to see a tutorial on a matching fitted sheet as well. Please subscribe to my channel and share with me and with everyone your own bedding set using my Instagram account. Bye bye! A bientot!