TUTORIAL: Simple, Inexpensive Gift!! DIY Pillowcases - Guest Poster - Glenda Embree

We hope you are enjoying our Sew Crafty Christmas event! So far have 6 Giveaways going on right now! Have you entered? See below so you can WIN!
************************************************************************************************************

Today's Guest Poster is Glenda from Busy-at-Home blog and I cannot wait to show you this Sew Crafty Christmas gift she made! I think I need to make my kiddos and nieces and nephew one TODAY! Glenda makes it look so easy!

Also stop by her blog to check out recipes such as this Quick Cooking Chicken Soup (using a pressure cooker - looks amazing!)

She also teaches you how to make your own Christmas stockings, embellised and all!

Take it away, Glenda...

Hi! My name is Glenda Embree and I write the blog, Busy-at-Home. I'm so grateful to Jenny and Laurie for inviting me to participate in Sew Crafty Christmas, here at Seamingly Smitten. It's my first ever guest post, so I owe them a great big thank you! I've been married to an extraordinarily awesome guy for 28 years. We have 5 kids ranging in age from 10 to 27 and three beautiful grandbabies (ages 2, 4 & 5). (I'm only SLIGHTLY partial. :) ) I am a Christian who loves to cook and create in the kitchen, have homeschooled our kids for the past 22 years and enjoy the challenge of living abundantly on a frugal budget. That's basically what I'm about. I hope you'll have a chance to stop by the blog and check out some of my recipes, a DIY project or two and enter our exciting giveaways. I'm so blessed to have extraordinary sponsors. I'd love for you to stop in for a visit!

Are you ready for today's TUTORIAL?

A Simple, Inexpensive Gift!! DIY Pillowcases

Guess what? You can create some inexpensive, and yet very personalized gifts, for Christmas. Yes, you can! It's super simple. Think positive! :) I just made three adorable pillowcases for our grandkids, in a little over an hour, and THAT included stopping to take pictures and to start some rye bread rising! Here's all you'll need to get started on your DIY pillowcase project:

Well, One-yard pieces of 45" fabric, some thread, straight pins, scissors and your sewing machine are the main necessities for this simple project.


Gather Materials:
a sewing machine, of course
1 yard of 44/45" wide fabric, choose a print or pattern that fits the personality of the person who will receive it
thread, choose whether you want it to match your fabric or to be a contrasting color
straight pins
scissors
ironing board and iron

Fold the yard of fabric in half, right-sides-together, so that it will measure about 22" x 36". Pin the long edge and the short edge that will be the bottom of your pillowcase, to hold them in place while you are stitching. Right-sides-together means your fabric will be folded inside out. Pin the long edge and one short edge. The short edge will be the bottom of your pillowcase.

Start sewing the 5/8" seam at the folded corner on the bottom edge of your pillowcase. Be sure to back-stitch to lock your stitches in place.



Run the pinned edge of your fabric along the 5/8" guide on your sewing machine to create the seam, being sure to back-stitch to lock your seam .

When you are 5/8" from the long edge of your fabric, leave the needle of your machine down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and pivot the fabric, so that the unstitched edge is now ready to be stitched on your machine at the 5/8" guide mark. This will create a perfectly sharp corner.

Pivoting the fabric so I can stitch down the long edge and create a sharp corner. Note that the sewing machine needle is down, holding the fabric in place, while the presser foot is up.

Now stitch the long edge of your pillowcase and back stitch to lock the seam when you reach the end.


Backstitch to lock your seam and keep your stitching from unraveling.



If you have a serger or a newer machine than mine, finish your edges in the way that works best for you, but I zigzag my seams to help keep them from raveling when the pillowcase is laundered. Run the presser foot along the stitching in the seam you just made, to zigzag the edge of the seam.

The arrow is pointing to the zig-zagged stitches on the outside of the regular seam.

Trim the seam, as close as possible to the zig-zag stitches, without cutting the stitches. Trimming the seam removes extra bulk and gives a nice finished edge. If you have a pair of pinking shears, even better. Mine are so dull they wouldn't cut hot butter. Definitely time for a new pair!

Trim the seam close to the zig-zag stitching.




Using a steam iron, press under 1/2" on the unfinished top edge of the pillowcase. Turn the fabric toward the inside of the pillowcase. Press the 1/2" hem around the full-circumference of the pillowcase top.

Press 1/2" hem toward the inside of the case at top edge of pillowcase.


The 1/2" inch you already pressed under has created a nice clean edge at the top of your case. Now, you need to fold it over one more time to create the final finished 3" hem. Press the hem in all the way around the top of the case using a steam iron.

Fold over three inches to create the finished hem and press it in with a steam iron.

Now, line the edge of your presser foot up with the folded under edge of the hem you created and stitch around the circumference. Be sure to overstitch the seam when you get to the end or back-stitch to lock the seam.

Stitching the pillowcase hem.

Turn your finished pillowcase, right-side-out and press out any wrinkles. You're finished! It's that simple!

Perfect fit!

I finished these three in about an hour. They were simple and inexpensive, but I know my grandkids will be thrilled with them!

So, are you done with your Christmas projects? What's left to do? I still need to sew a couple skirts, plus some aprons and hotpads. I already have published a simple DIY Christmas stocking tutorial, so I hope you'll pop over to Busy-at-Home, now and again, for a visit and to check out my new projects and recipes or to enter a giveaway or two. It's been great meeting you! Have a blessing-filled Christmas!


~Glenda

Can you believe that was Glenda's first Guest Posting Tutorial?? Way to go, Glenda!! Please stop by her blog and let her know it was awesome!!

Check back later for another GIVEAWAY!

*****************************************************

Ladies, don't forget to enter all our GIVEAWAYS!!

Giveaway #1 - ENTER HERE - $50 store credit to So Sew Boutique

Giveaway #2 - ENTER HERE - Set of 9 Illustrated Fashion Notecards by Anne Underwood Illustrations

Giveaway #3 - ENTER HERE - $20 store credit to Sew Adorable Too Boutique

Giveaway #4 - ENTER HERE - 3 FREE Sewing Patterns from Seamingly Smitten

Giveaway #5 - ENTER HERE - $20 Store Credit to Village Needler

Giveaway #6 - ENTER HERE - $30 store credit to PB3J Boutique