Hey everyone! Today we're making a pair of envelope pillow covers, and I'll show you how one rich, dark purple cotton can refresh a whole couch in a single afternoon.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the Aubergine Glisten 43"/44" Cotton Fabric Per Yard from Northcott.
It's cotton quilting fabric. The width is 43"/44". That's a touch narrower than some quilting cottons, so we plan our cuts to fit it.
It was designed by Patrick Lose. It's made by Northcott.
The colors listed for this one are aubergine, dark purple, and purple.
So picture a deep, moody purple. Not bright. Not flashy. Rich and calm.
That matters for pillow covers. You see them every day, up close. A strong, single color like this anchors a sofa without shouting over everything else on it. Just like that.
The project: a pair of envelope pillow covers
We're making two envelope-back covers. Each one fits an 18" square pillow form and finishes right at 18".
No zipper. No buttonholes. The back panels simply overlap, and the form slips in and out for washing. Super duper easy.
Why does this fabric suit it? Quilting cotton is smooth, stable, and easy to press. It holds a crisp edge, and that crisp edge is what makes a simple cover look store-bought instead of homemade-in-a-hurry.
The dark purple helps too. Couch pillows take daily wear — hands, heads, and the occasional snack. A deep color is forgiving between washings.
Now, a little honesty from me. My first envelope cover had an overlap so shallow the pillow kept escaping out the back. I blamed the pillow. It was not the pillow. Give that overlap a full 5", folks, and the form stays put.
Materials
- 1 1/2 yards of Aubergine Glisten — that covers both fronts and all four back panels, with a little breathing room for squaring up
- Two 18" square pillow forms
- Thread in a deep purple to blend
- Rotary cutter, ruler, and mat, or good fabric scissors
- Pins or clips, a marking tool, and an iron — pressing is half this project
Brief steps
One. Cut two front panels, each 19" wide by 19" tall. That gives you a 1/2" seam allowance on every side of your 18" form.
Two. Cut four back panels, each 19" wide by 13" tall. Two panels go on each cover, and they will overlap by about 5" once hemmed.
Three. Hem one long edge of each back panel. Fold it under 1/2", press, fold under another 1/2", and press again. Topstitch close to the fold. Those hemmed edges are the opening you'll see, so take your time here.
Four. Lay one front panel right side up. Place both back panels on top, right sides down, with their hemmed edges overlapping in the middle. The raw edges of the backs should line up with the raw edges of the front.
Five. Pin all the way around. Sew around all four sides with a 1/2" seam allowance and a 2.5 mm stitch length. Use a size 80/12 needle — that's about 10 stitches per inch, good and sturdy for seams that get tugged every time a form goes in or out.
Six. Clip the corners at a diagonal, close to the stitching but not through it. Turn the cover right side out through the envelope opening. Push the corners out gently with a chopstick or a point turner — never the tip of your scissors. Slow down there, or you'll poke straight through the corner. Ask me how I know.
Seven. Press the cover flat, slip in the 18" form, and fluff it into the corners. Then repeat for cover number two. Alrighty — you have a pair.
Practical tips
Prewash if you plan to wash the covers later. Cotton can shrink a little, and you'd rather meet that shrinkage before the cover fits the form, not after.
Want a fancier finish? Add a topstitched flange. Cut your fronts at 21" square, then sew a line 1" in from each finished edge. Completely up to you.
Prefer a zipper or buttons on the back? Those work fine too. I reach for the envelope style first because it's fast, washable, and there's nothing hard to lie back against. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
And here's your permission beat, friends. If an overlap sits a little uneven, it's fine. It's the back of a pillow. Nobody flips your couch pillows over to grade them. You're your own worst critic — take your time, it's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Aubergine Glisten 43"/44" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
