Wedding Pillow Cover Tutorial

I came up with this pillow cover last year when I needed to make a wedding gift for my husband's co-worker. Recently I had a request to make another one to give as a gift to an upcoming wedding. I didn't write down my math the first time so I had to figure it out all over again. So I decided this time to write a blog post on how to make it so I could refer back to it later and also share with others in case they want to make a unique wedding gift. The embroidery design can also be changed to make a pillow for any occasion.

Materials needed: Makes a cover for a 16" pillow form

~ 1/2 yard of a non-directional print or 3/4 yard of a directional print. I used Black Damask from Riley Blake in the pillow cover shown

~ White or other solid color fabric for the middle panel at least 10.5" x 8.5"

~ Embroidery or applique design of your choice. The embroidery designs I used was from Embroitique. I used the Ryan font frame and the font is the Jacob font.  I used the font frame with the finished size of  8.49" x 5.61".  I did have to add the period with my embird software because this font does not come with one.   I used the 1" size and slightly shrank the est. 2014

Step 1: Embroider your design on the solid fabric. Your finished size will be 10.5" wide by 8.5" tall. You can either cut it to size before you embroider or after. I like to hoop a larger piece so that I can hoop the fabric instead of floating it on the top of the hoop and cut it to size when I am done.

Step 2: Cut your pieces. You will need the following:

~ (1) 10.5" wide by 8.5" tall of the solid color fabric you embroidered on

~ (2) 11.5" wide by 17" tall pieces of your patterned fabric for the back of the pillow

~ (2) 4.25" wide by 8.5" tall pieces of your patterned fabric

~ (2) 17" wide by 5.25" tall pieces of your patterned fabric

If you want to change the size of the piece in the middle you just have to redo the math so that your final size will end up to be 17" x 17".  Don't forget to account for seam allowances.  I am using 1/2" seam allowances.

Step 3: USE 1/2" SEAM ALLOWANCES

With right sides together sew the 4.25" x 8.5" pieces to each side of your embroidered piece. Finish your seam (serge or zig zig)and press the seam away from the center towards your patterned fabric.

Step 4: With right sides together sew the 17" x 5.25" pieces to the top and the bottom of your embroidered piece now with sides. Finish your seam and press away from the center.

Step 5: Take your back pieces and fold in and press one long side of each back piece to the wrong side 1/2", then 1/2" again. (If you’re using a directional fabric, fold and press the left side of one back piece and the right side of the other.) Hem.

Step 6: With right sides together pin your back pieces onto your front piece, overlapping them in the middle. Sew with 1/2" seam allowance all around the square. Finish your seam, turn right side out and you are done!