Christmasing Week 2

My Christmasing has continued and seems to have picked up speed as well. Since my last post I've managed to make Cinnamon Ornaments, build a gingerbread house, make fudge, pecan sandies and ugly sweater sugar cookies and I sewed Christmas pillow cases to match my couch. 

Since the various recipes I mentioned are easily accessible and the gingerbread construction is a skill I'm still honing, I'll tell you a bit about those pillow cases. Being the lucky little girl that I am, I have a mother who is endlessly talented. This includes her ability to sew basically anything. When I decorated my first apartment for Christmas, she and I made sparkly red throw pillows together. They were fun and fantastic and matched all of my decor at the time. 

As you may have guessed from the cinnamon ornaments that I've made for the past few years, my decorations are more subtle than sparkly these days. As such, I haven't seen those Christmas throw pillows in some time. However, I recently found the pillow forms that used to fill them and was inspired to make some new ones. Luckily this adorable fabric was on sale the weekend after Thanksgiving:

I made 3 pillows that are each 16 x 16. If you plan to try this yourself, I recommend about 1 1/2 yards of fabric. And, much though I love plaid and stripes, it requires absolute accuracy in your ability to get the fabric straight--hence my choosing the above mentioned pattern. The pillow I made has an opening in the back where the fabric overlaps so there is no need for hand stitching or button holes and it's easy to change the cover with the seasons. 

Here's a quick step by step instruction. 

1. Cut your pieces. You'll need three pieces for each pillow. The front should be the full dimensions for your pillow (in my case 16 x 16). The two back pieces should be the same height and a few inches more than half the width (mine were 16 x 11).  

2. Once you've cut out all your pieces, you'll need to finish the exposed sides of what will become your flap. To determine which ends to sew, start by laying out your pillow. 

Lay out the large front side piece face up. Then, lay each back side piece on top of it face down. The edges that overlap are the ones that should be finished. 

Use a hem gauge to fold this edge under about 1/4 of an inch and press it in place. Then, lining the edge of your fabric with the edge of the presser foot, finish the edge. Be sure to back stitch at either end so your stitches stay in place. 

3. Once you've finished your flap edges, lay the back pieces in the same place (face down on top of the front piece). Pin around the edges and sew with a 5/8 seam all the way around your square. When you reach the end, continue sewing over the beginning to secure the stitches. 

4. Clip any hanging threads. You'll also want to trim the fabric around the corners being sure not to clip your stitches. Now when you turn your pillow case right side out, you'll have nice, sharp corners. 

5. Insert your pillow form and admire your work. 

If you're new to sewing and looking for more guidance on this project, please add a comment. I'd love to share what I've learned through my own trial and error and my mother's infinite wisdom. And check back next week for some more holiday spirit.