How To Sew Pillow

By Leeanne Utiger
Sewing is a very beneficial task to learn how to do. You can save money and you can sew and make yourself all kinds of interesting and unique things that you can then call your very own. Sewing does not have to be boring, sewing can be lots of fun. You can let your imagination flow and end creating something exciting.

In this article I am going to go into some detail on how you can learn to sew for yourself a pillow. Sewing a pillow is probably one of the easiest things you could ever learn to sew. Not only is it a quick sewing task, but once finished a sewn pillow can take a proud place on any persons bed, or even on your lounge furniture for all to see and comment on and give compliment to.

Before you can learn to sew, you will need to be sure you have all of the requirements on hand to successfully be able to sew a pillow. You will need to have use of a sewing machine to start with. Without a sewing machine, you cannot possibly make a pillow. You will also need fabric scissors, cotton, pillow stuffing (something like Dacron would be suitable), pins and an overlocker to make sewing the pillow easier. (however, if you do not have the use of an overlocker, do not be concerned, I will give details on how to sew a pillow without the use of an overlocker also).

Obviously to be able to sew a pillow you will need to have some fabric. Visit a local fabric or craft store in your local area and decide on which fabric you would like to use to sew your pillow. Once you have chosen the fabric you wish to use for your pillow that you are going to learn how to sew, also purchase a reel of cotton matching the shade of your chosen fabric.

Once you have all of the required things to sew a pillow you can begin. On the floor, lay out your fabric making sure the grain of the fabric is laying the correct way. Never cut across the grain when you are going to sew a pillow. You can either cut out two pieces of fabric the same, or cut out one piece on the fold. If I was to sew a pillow, I would opt to cut out two pieces not on the fold. Pin the two pieces right side to right side (this means the wrong sides of the fabric are facing you before you sew them together). Once the two pieces of fabric are pinned in place you can now sew them together. If you have the use of an overlocker, you can overlock the two pieces of fabric together down both the sides and across the bottom. When you overlock the top of the fabric pieces, make sure you do not overlock them together. Overlock the top of the fabric panels separately. If you overlock them together you will find you cannot turn the pillow cover in the right way. You will simply have a completely sewn up cover which will be of no use to you. If you do not have the use of an overlocker, it is suggested to use the zigzag stitch and do as I mentioned above with the overlocker, instead with the zigzag stitch on your sewing machine. This will prevent the edges of the fabric from fraying.

Once you have either overlocked or zigzagged the two sides and the bottom together and the top of the fabric panels separately, you can now seam stitch with the use of your sewing machine. All you have to do is sew a straight line seam down both sides of the joined fabric panels and across the bottom. When you get to the two top edges of the fabric pieces, you will need to fold the edges over separately to the outside (that means towards you), and then straight stitch across. Do this to both of the top edges separately. Sew these straight stitch seams approximately 1.5cm in from the edge you either overlocked or zigzagged together. Before you stuff your pillow cover you will have to decide how you want to secure your pillow once you have managed to sew it together and stuffed it. Maybe you would like to secure it with fancy buttons. If so, you will also have to measure and place markings on one side of a top edge to sew buttonholes into. You may choose to simply hand stitch the pillow together once you have finished stuffing it with the Dacron I have suggested to be used when you make a pillow. Or you may choose to put a zip in along the top. It is really an individual choice as to the look you want on you final finished pillow that you have learned how to sew. I am going to go for the hand stitching, as for a beginner learning how to sew a pillow, it is much less complicated for them to do.

Once you have your pillow cover complete, you can flip it in the right way, so that the correct side of the fabric is now facing you, and the sewn seams are on the inside where they can now not be seen.

Quite simply stuff your pillow cover with the Dacron filling. Once you feel you have enough Dacron filling in the pillow you have learned how to sew, pin the top edge together without folding and using a needle and thread, topstitch the opening together securely so the Dacron has no chance of coming out. You may opt to sew another seam across the top of the opening instead. This will hold better more often than not. Simply pin the two top edges together and sew straight across keeping them in line with each other while you sew and join them.

You have now successfully learned how to sew a pillow.

See Also:
Pillow ideas

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