Hey everyone. Today you will learn how to sew a bright pair of pillow covers in a fun red star print.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This fabric is 8-Bit Stars Red Pop Stars QC Cotton, from Cloud9 Fabrics.
It comes from the Marsh Havens collection. Amy MacCready is the designer.
It is a quilting cotton. We call that QC cotton around here.
It measures 44"/45" wide. It is sold by the yard.
And oh my goodness, look at that name. 8-Bit Stars. Pop Stars. You know exactly what you get.
The ground is red. That is right there in the name.
Red is a happy pick for a pillow. It wakes up a couch fast. It wakes up a plain chair, too.
Quilting cotton is smooth and easy to sew. It presses crisp. It holds a neat edge. That matters a lot on a pillow cover, where every edge shows.
The project: a pair of envelope pillow covers
We are not reinventing the wheel here. These are simple envelope covers.
No zipper. No buttons. Just two back panels that overlap.
Finished size fits an 18-inch pillow form. Each cover finishes at 18 by 18 inches.
That is a good, useful size, y'all. Big enough to lean on. Small enough to sew in an afternoon.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? A pillow is a flat, open canvas. The star print gets to show off. And the red ground does the decorating work for you.
Make two that match. Or make one red star cover and one in a solid. Completely up to you.
Materials list
- 1 1/2 yards of 8-Bit Stars Red Pop Stars QC Cotton, 44"/45" wide, for two covers
- Two 18-inch pillow forms
- All-purpose sewing thread in red or a soft neutral
- A size 80/12 needle for the quilting cotton
- Pins or clips, a rotary cutter, a ruler, and a mat
- An iron and a pressing surface
- A point turner or a chopstick for the corners
Here is the cutting math, per cover. Cut one front at 19 by 19 inches.
Cut two back panels at 19 by 14 inches each. Those two will overlap at the back.
For two covers, that is two fronts and four back panels. Your 1 1/2 yards covers it, with a little room to spare.
Brief steps to make them
Step one. Press your fabric well. Cut your fronts and back panels square. Check those corners with your ruler.
Step two. Hem each back panel. On one long 19-inch edge, fold under 1/4 inch and press. Fold under another 1/4 inch. Stitch close to the fold.
Step three. Lay the front right side up. Lay one back panel on top, right side down. Match its raw edges to the top and sides. The hemmed edge runs across the middle.
Step four. Lay the second back panel on top, right side down. Match it to the bottom and sides. The two hemmed edges should overlap by about 4 inches.
Step five. Pin all the way around. Sew around all four sides with a 1/2-inch seam. Backstitch at the start and the end.
Step six. Clip the corners at an angle. Do not clip into your stitching. Just lose that extra bulk.
Step seven. Turn the cover right side out through the envelope opening. Push the corners out gently with your point turner. Just like that.
Step eight. Press the cover flat. Slip in the pillow form. Fluff it and you are done.
Practical tips from my table
Check your stitch length. I like about 2.5 millimeters for construction. That is roughly 10 stitches per inch. It holds well and still looks neat.
Watch the star direction before you cut. Keep the print facing the same way on both fronts, unless you want them mixed. Completely up to you.
Slow down at the overlap. That spot has extra layers where the back panels cross. Slow down or the needle can deflect, and nobody needs a wobbly seam today.
Press that hem before you stitch it. I skipped that once. My hem wandered all over the place. I unpicked it, pressed it, and it sewed straight. Lesson learned.
That is your permission beat, folks. It does not have to be perfect. You are your own worst critic. A slightly soft corner still holds a pillow just fine. Take your time. It is not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. This one is super duper easy, and it is super duper fun, too.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 8-Bit Stars Red Pop Stars QC Cotton 44”/45” Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
