Easy Matching Pillowcases for Your Quilts

I have made dozens of pillowcases using quilter's cottons and, to tell you the truth, it's EXPENSIVE! More than a yard of fabric to make a standard sized case. And at $10 - 13 a yard, that is pricey.

10 years ago I made a set of cases to match my Good Luck quilt and I used a set of purple cases I bought at Walmart for about $5.00. Let me show you what I did by using pics I took the other day making some for my two little grandsons.

First, the Good Luck quilt (a VERY popular workshop for a few years). It is a vintage pattern that I tweaked to eliminate funky templates and everything is done with strips and your rotary cutter and ruler with NO waste. This is a good sized quilt at 79" x 79". Take a good look at my border fabric!

The Good Luck Quilt (pattern available at my Craftsy store)

Here it is with the pillowcases:

Good Luck quilt with matching pillowcases

 Inside, to show there are no raw edges! (Tutorial below, so don't go away!)

Inside the pillow case

 I used the quilt's border print for the pillowcase hems.

Pillow case with matching fabric

Now, let me show you what I did (oh, clever person that I am). This only uses 6" x wof fabric for each case. A real bargain. Oh, and you do need two purchased standard sized pillowcases! I bought two sets at Marshall's for $5.99 each. (I also made some cases for my daughter).

Cut 6" x wof of contrasting fabric. Seam short ends so that the width is exactly the width of the pillowcase (about 40"). This part is important. You don't want any pleats or "ruffles" where they come together. The right side of dinosaur print is placed against the wrong side/inside of the pillowcase.

Yes, you are covering the hem of the purchased pillowcase.

Pillow case outside; right side of contrasting fabric against the INSIDE of the pillowcase

Seam the raw edge of the print with the finished edge of the pillowcase, using 1/4" seam. Press as shown, toward the 6" strip. Now you see the WRONG side of print and the RIGHT side (outside) of the pillowcase.

Seam with 1/4". Press as shown.

 Now fold the contrasting fabric over to the outside of the pillowcase. Press.

Press to outside as shown

This is what it looks like on the inside - a little 1/4" finished edge. No raw edges!

Now turn under the raw edges of the dinosaur fabrics and pin.

Pin turned under edges, ready to stitch.

 I used my serpentine, curvy stitch on my trusty Bernina 1230. A straight stitch will do.

Two pillowcases ready to gift to my grandsons!

Both fabrics (6" quilter's cottons and pillowcases) have NOT been pre-washed. I will now prewash these cases and probably throw in a Color Catcher for any renegade dyes.

These do not take a long time and are wonderful gifts for just about anyone on your holiday list.