Sewing Stylish Pillows Simplified! Created exclusively for Craftsy by Christine Haynes, Linda Reynolds and Julia Garza

Transcription

1 Sewing Stylish Pillows Simplified! Created exclusively for Craftsy by Christine Haynes, Linda Reynolds and Julia Garza

2 Special Offer You ve unlocked savings! As an added bonus for downloading this eguide, please enjoy special savings of up to 33% off your next online accessories or home decor sewing class from Craftsy! From sewing custom bedding to curtains, slipcovers, pillows and more, you ll master all the skills you need to sew accessories and home decorations that reflect your creative vision and enhance your home! Simply click on the button below to access your savings today! Get My Savings >> TABLE OF CONTENTS How to Sew An Easy Envelope Pillow How to Make Your Own Piping How to Sew Piping Into a Pillow

3 HOW TO SEW An Easy Envelope Pillow By Julia Garza Did you know that something as simple as a pillow can instantly dress up a couch, chair, bed or even an adorable corner-nook on the floor? It s true! And, lucky for you, sewing pillows is both fun and easy with this step-by-step sewing tutorial. Plus, once you find out how to sew a pillow, you can whip up new ones in no time to give your home a seasonal facelift. Here, we ll guide you through sewing an envelope pillow case. I find this style of pillow case to be super simple and easy to customize, so I m sure you re going to love it! To get started all you need is some fabulous fabric and a pillow form in your favorite size. 3

4 Here s How to Sew Your Pillow: STEP 1: PREP YOUR FABRIC If your fabric is machine-washable, you ll definitely want to wash and dry it before beginning to work out any possible shrinkage issues. Be aware that many home decor fabrics are dry-clean only, so be sure to check the care instructions when purchasing your fabric. If your fabric is not machine-washable, you might want to consider treating the fabric with Scotchgard before you begin sewing to help protect against stains. STEP 2: CUT YOUR FABRIC The measurements for your fabric will depend on the size of the pillow form you are using. For the front of the pillow, cut a piece equal to the size of your pillow, plus an inch on each side. My pillow form was 24", so I cut a 25" square. For the back of the pillow, you ll want two pieces of fabric that will overlap. My usual method is to subtract 6" from the length measurement to allow plenty of overlap. You can play around with this measurement if you need to, just don t forget to take into account seam allowances and hemming the raw edge where the pillow opens. My measurements for the two back pieces were 25" by 19". 4

5 STEP 3: PRESS AND SEW On each of the pieces for the pillow back, turn up ½" on one of the long sides. Press. Turn up ½" and press again. Sew, using a 3 /8" seam allowance. STEP 4: ASSEMBLE THE PILLOW To assemble the pillow, lay the front of your pillow right side up. With right sides together, match the edges of the pillow backs to the front. The backs should overlap by about 10". Pin in place, making sure that the hemmed edges of the back pieces face the middle of the pillow. STEP 5: SEW ALL THE WAY AROUND THE PILLOW Next, sew all the way around the pillow using a ½" seam allowance. If your fabric is particularly thick, you might need to clip the corners before turning the pillow to give it a crisper edge. STEP 6: TURN THE PILLOW RIGHT SIDE OUT AND PRESS Insert your pillow form, and your pillow is finished! Now that you know the basics of how to sew a pillow, you can get creative and mix it up a bit. For instance, try making your own piping and sewing it into your pillow we ll cover how to do that next! 5

6 HOW TO MAKE Your Own Piping By Linda Reynolds Nothing finishes off a pillow like piping. It can take a homemade pillow to a professional level. Piping, also referred to as cording or welting, is made from bias cut strips of fabric that is folded over a length of rope-like filler and sewn together. It s a wonderful way to add contrast, strength and texture to your handmade pillows, plus, it can help accentuate seam lines, adding a huge boost of style to any design. 6

7 Piping vs. Cording The difference between piping and cording is the thickness of the cord itself. Anything less than ¼" to ½" in diameter is typically considered piping, while those of the thicker variety are most often called cording or welting. What retailers commonly refer to as piping can be purchased ready-made, either in packages or by the yard and is usually of the thinner variety. All the sewer has to do with these products is simply add it to a project. The chief disadvantage is they come in a limited variety of colors and fabric. But, why limit yourself to pre-made piping when it is so surprisingly easy to make from scratch? Custom-made piping allows you to customize color, pattern and fabric, giving any project a unique and personalized look. All one needs is some cording or "filler," bias cut strips of fabric, a zipper foot and a bit of time and patience. Cording Size and Type The soft clothesline-looking cording that is used to make piping comes in a wide variety of widths and fiber content. The most commonly available cording is made of 100% cotton or cotton-covered polyester, but many other types of cording materials are available. The size of the cording is measured by the width, or diameter of the cording itself, stated in fractions, such as 3 /16", or ½" widths. It is best to select a cording width that is most compatible with the project in mind. For garment construction, the cording width should be quite small, while for home decor items like pillows, the wider varieties look best. How Much Cording Do I Need? To determine the length of piping that will be needed, simply measure where you plan to apply it, and divide that number by 36 to determine the cording length requirement in yards. How to Make the Bias Fabric Strips Once the needed length of cording is measured, the width of the fabric strips to be cut must be determined. Wrap a measuring tape around the cording to determine its circumference and add to that number double the seam allowance measurement (for 5 /8" seam allowances add 1 ¼"), plus 1 /8" for fabric ease. As an example, for cording that is 5 /8" in circumference and using 5 /8" seam allowances, the fabric strips need to be 2" in width. 7

8 The fabric strips that cover the cording filler must be cut on the bias (a 45-degree angle) to fit snugly and smoothly over the filler; and so it can turn corners or curves without any gaping or puckers. As a result, a sizable amount of yardage will be needed. To cut the strips use a good ruler and a rotary cutter. Together they make for clean, straight cuts, not to mention it makes the process super fast. The length of the fabric strip needed to cover the filler is equal to the length of cording needed, plus say 5 inches for insurance and if any joining will be necessary. Let s pretend the project needs a strip that is 80 inches long. Depending on the project, the length of fabric strip will most likely exceed the width of the fabric it is cut from, as is the case in this instance. Therefore, multiple numbers of fabric strips will need to be pieced together. But how many strips do you need and how much fabric yardage is required? To figure that out follow these simple calculations: Measure the width of the fabric minus the unusable selvage edges. Let s say the width nets out at 43". Divide the total length of the fabric strip needed by the usable width of the fabric. In this example, 80" 43" = 1.86 strips. Round up to the next whole number, which is 2. This means to make the required length of piping 2 bias strips of fabric must be cut. To determine the amount of fabric yardage needed divide the number of strips needed by the strip width measurement. In this case 2 strips 2" width = 1 yard. While that may seem like a lot of fabric, this creates a strip with the fewest number of seams. With a shorter length of fabric more seams in the fabric strip will be required. 8

9 How to Make the Piping Now for the fun part. Let s make the piping! STEP 1: First, you need to join all the bias cut strips of fabric together to make one long fabric strip. The strips must be sewn together along the bias grain of the strip, so align them as shown in the photo. Using ¼" seam allowances, sew the strips together and press the seams open. 9

10 STEP 2: Lay the cording along the center of the fabric strip. Fold the fabric over the cording so the fabric edges come together. Pin in place for the first 3-4 inches. It is not necessary to pin the entire cording length. Extend the cording just slightly beyond the fabric end to allow for any shrinkage while sewing. STEP 3: Attach a standard zipper foot to the sewing machine and set it to the left alignment. Place the pinned cording under the presser foot. Lower the presser foot so it rests comfortably next to the cording but not tightly against it, and begin to sew. After the first 3-4 inches use your hands as you sew to match the fabric edges together. Make sure the zipper foot sits next to, but not too tightly against the cording. Your piping is now ready to use. 10

11 HOW TO SEW Piping Into a Pillow By Christine Haynes Now that you know how to sew your own piping, let s cover how to sew it into your pillow. Putting piping into any seam, pillow or otherwise, is a pretty straightforward task. The trickiest part of sewing piping into a pillow is that there is no end to the seam, and many people struggle with the spot where the two ends meet. There are some tricks to know, so follow the steps below for perfect piping every time! 11

12 STEP 1: Prepare your pillow pieces first, cutting them to size and installing a zipper if desired. Take the piping and pin it to the outer edge of one pillow cover piece. Place the piping so that the stitching on the piping is in line with the project s seam allowance. Leave a couple of extra inches at the start of the piping and leave that section unpinned. If you inserted a zipper into one of the pillow pieces, I find it s easier to sew the piping to the other side, without the zipper. STEP 2: It s rather impossible to get 90-degree corners with piping, so this method will give you a slightly rounded corner. Pin the piping to the pillow cover and make a smooth but tight corner. With your scissors, cut some slits into the seam allowance of the piping, being careful not to trim into the stitching that is holding the piping together. Cut enough slits so the corner sits flat and smooth. STEP 3: Once the corner is clipped, pin the piping in place along the corner. It s okay if the piping is a little bunched up, as that will soon be flipped to the outside of the seam. 12

13 STEP 4: Once you ve reached the starting point, leave the remaining piping a few inches long and unpinned. It s best to plan for this overlap to be at the bottom of the pillow. STEP 5: The two ends of the piping will overlap with the first edge coming up onto the fabric and the second edge veering off the fabric on top of the first layer of piping. Keep the end out of the way when you start and begin sewing the piping to the pillow with the piping hanging off the fabric. Keep it as a smooth slope that gently glides onto the fabric. To sew the piping on, use a regular zipper foot and stitch on top of the stitching on the piping so you are right up against the rounded part of the piping. Some machines have optional piping presser feet, so check with your machine dealer to see if that is an option for you. 13

14 STEP 6: When you reach the corner, very slowly and carefully, keep your stitching in line with the stitching of the piping. Keep the piping in place for a nice smooth and slightly rounded corner. Reduce your stitch length if possible, as shorter stitches make for more accurate curves. STEP 7: When you reach the end, take the unpinned extra piping at the end and overlap it on top of the first piping. A small little "v" where the two meet is the desired effect. STEP 8: Trim off the extra piping from both the start and finish so that the ends are in line with the edge of the fabric. STEP 9: Place the second layer of fabric on top of the first, right sides together. Line up the outer edges and pin in place all around the pillow. STEP 10: If you have a zipper in the layer that is being pinned to the layer with piping, be sure to open the zipper a little bit so you can get into the pillow after sewing. Also be sure to pin the two layers of the zipper together well so they do not separate during sewing. 14

15 STEP 11: Using the same zipper foot, stitch the pillow pieces together on the project s seam allowance. This should keep you right in line with the edge of the cord in the piping and in line with the stitching on the piping. When you go over the overlap at the start and finish of the piping, simply sew right over it as if it were flat. STEP 12: Like when sewing the piping on, when you reach the corner, be careful to keep the stitching smooth and right against the piping. I usually feel along with my fingers to keep the foot firmly against the piping as I m sewing around the corner. STEP 13: Once the layers are sewn together, trim down the corners so that they can be turned right side out with ease and not too much bulk. 15

16 STEP 14: If you had a zipper in the top layer, trim the extra bit of zipper down on both ends of the zipper tape. Be careful not to cut with your nice scissors if there are metal bits to be trimmed down. STEP 15: Turn the pillow right side out. The finished piping overlap will look like the image above. Nice and neat! STEP 16: Poke out the corners with a point turner or another firm, but not sharp, tool to get a really nice rounded corner. Isn t that professional looking? I hope this shows you that it isn t too hard to sew piping into a pillow or into anything else for that matter! Piping is a really fun touch that can be sewn into any seam, so give it a try on your next pillow, or dress, or pajamas! 16

17 Ready to learn more? Now that you know the basics, take your pillow sewing skills up a notch with the online Craftsy class Sew Luxury Fabrics: Pillows, taught by Linda Lee, owner of The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection. You ll learn how to confidently sew luxury fabrics while creating four custom pillows with elegant flanges, perfect piping, smoked velvet and more! Click the button below to enjoy special savings when you sign up today! Sign Me Up! 17