Featured Project by Tula Pink: Color Bars Body Pillowcase
Sometimes a giant pillow is all that stands between me and the jarring experience of falling out of bed; it's like water wings for the bedroom. Just because a pillow can function as a safety precaution doesn't mean it has to be ugly.
Materials
- Color bar fabrics: 10 fabrics, 1 8 yard (0.1m) each
- Background: 1-3 4 yards (1.6m)
Cutting
From each color bar fabric, cut (3) 2-1 2" x 12-1 2" (6.4cm x 31.8cm) rectangles. You will only need 28 rectangles; you will have two left over.
From the background fabric, cut:
- (1) 59" x 20" (149.9cm x 50.8cm) rectangle (cut across the length of the fabric to make one long piece for the back)
- (28) 2-1 2" x 8-1 2" (6.4cm x 21.6cm) rectangles
- (2) 5" x 20" (12.7cm x 50.8cm) rectangles
Building the Pillowcase
- With right sides together, sew each color bar to one 2-1 2" x 8-1 2" (6.4cm x 21.6cm) cream background rectangle by stitching down both short sides to create a tube.
- Make a straight cut through only the background fabric at random intervals.
- Sew twenty-eight color bars together along the long sides to form a long column. You will have two extra color bars to use in another project.
- Fold the two 5" x 20" (12.7cm x 50.8cm) cream rectangles in half lengthwise and press to make two cuffs.
- Line up the raw edges of one cuff with the opening end of the color bar rectangle.
- Sew together using a 1 2" (13mm) seam.
- Fold the cuff back over the seam toward the open end of the pillowcase and press.
- Topstitch on the cuff 1 4" (6mm) away from the seam.
- Repeat steps 7-8 to attach the second cuff to the pillow back.
- Place the pillow top and the pillow back right sides together. Stitch a 1 2" (13mm) seam around three sides of the pillowcase, leaving the cuff end open. Backstitch at each end.
- Stuff with a body pillow and you're done.