A person who owns a sewing machine can employ it more or less on any occasion that calls for stitching. A sewing machine makes life a lot easier when it comes to mending things by sewing.
Also, we are always in need of replacing decorative home supplies and discovering a tear or hole in things all the time.
Closing a pillow could be a little difficult to get done with. It requires you to be substantially experienced with your sewing machine, or you may end up doing it imperfectly.
We don’t mean to discourage you; this is just a heads up. You surely can try if you wish, and our guide will serve you well. Make sure you are not skipping any of the stages. Let’s start closing a pillow.
Supplies
You need fabrics of your own choice, chain/ laces- whatever you would like on your pillow, cotton to stuff the pillow, fabric scissors, flexible measurement tape, and pins.
First Step
You need to select a fabric to make your desired pillow. Experts recommend selecting from silk or cotton. Because the materials don’t irritate your skin, and they make nice and comfortable pillows. Select wisely, or you can just take some old fabric and transform that into a pillow.
Second Step
Measure the fabric with tape. Here also, you make your own choice. If it’s a throw pillow, then you should be keeping the same measurements throughout the whole circumference. If it’s not a throw pillow or cushion, that should have different measurements in width and length.
You can cut the pillowcase separately if you want. Also, if you wish, you can cut one entire piece.
If it’s just one piece, then you will be closing three sides altogether. On the other hand, if you have decided on cutting both sides separately, then you will have a total of four sides to close or stitch in. Pin the edges so the case doesn’t deform in the way of stitching.
Sewists always suggest pinning a fabric by keeping the heads of the pins on the right side. Because it is easier and safer to take them out while stitching.
Also, in terms of pillow cover/ case making, you will need quite a lot of pins. So, it’s safe to keep the pinheads by the right side, particularly when you are trying to stitch a piece of fabric that carries many pins.
Third Step
Now, prepare your machine. Attach the regular pressure foot; select the straight line stitching style.
Take the fabric piece by its wrong side. Bring the pillowcase under the needle and carefully start stitching. Make sure you aren’t stitching in any wrinkles, which are going to mess up the size and proportion of the pillow. You are more likely to make an asymmetrical pillow if there are wrinkles. Do you want a pillow like that?
If you don’t want that, then finish stitching the pillowcase nice and slow. Leave a little opening in the case on one side. As you will be stuffing it in the next step, keep the case fairly open so you can stuff it conveniently with cotton.
Fourth Step
Bring out the right side of the pillowcase now. You have bought cotton to stuff the pillow, that’s great. Go ahead and stuff the pillowcase with cotton.
Or, you can recycle any old pillow you want. Just make sure you are not overstuffing it. If you do that, the pillow will be too tight; also, it will tear anyway if it is too tight. Moreover, tight pillows are not comfortable, either.
Fifth Step
When you are done with the stuffing, next, you need to close the opening. You can’t close the opening with the sewing machine. You should be doing that with your hand. It’s pretty commonsensical because you can’t put that big pillowcase under the needle, can you?
Seventh Step
Now, you need a pillow cover for your new pillow. Don’t you? Let’s make your new pillow a nice cover.
Select a fabric that you like to use as a pillow cover. Now measure the pillow that you have just made. While measuring, you don’t need to take it by a little extra in the tape; because, in terms of the pillow, a tight cover suits best. Experts don’t recommend making the loose covers. So, there is no need for seam allowance.
Once the measurement is done, cut the cover accordingly and pin-up all the sides.
Eight Step
Now, you need to stitch the pillow cover. You should stitch all the sides except one side to add ties or chains there. Also, if you don’t keep one side open of the case, how will you put the pillow in or how will that make you a pillow cover at all. That will be quite a hilarious blunder while stitching!
If you want ties, then you need to make some laces separately. And, if you want a chain on your pillowcase, then cut the chain measuring the opening of the pillow and stitch it properly, so it doesn’t come off the cover. Also, you should stitch all of it by the wrong side of the fabric piece.
Once it’s done, put on the cover on the pillowcase and admire what you have created.
To Wrap-up
You can basically use any fabric or old pillow in your home and modify them to make a pillow. Don’t forget about little embellishments on the pillow. If you wish, you can embroider a few designs with a free foot on your pillow or maybe some patches.
Customizing a pillow can be fun! Some people don’t bother to make a pillow by hand. They rather by one and make some covers of their own choice at home. You can explore so many ways when you have a sewing machine.
If you want a fancy pillow with various shapes and curves, you can try making some of those too. The only thing that is important here is making the pillow proportionate. Otherwise, it won’t look as nice as you expect it. But there’s no harm in exploring if you have got a sewing machine at home.