By: Janome Maker, Lillia Whittington
Hey there sewing besties! It’s me, Janome Maker Lillia, here with the perfect gift to make for your partner, best friends, or even yourself in this season of love! I’ve been loving all the kindle pillows I’ve seen, but wanted something that could hang out on my couch or bed and still look cute and be functional. Cue the ‘Date with a book’ pillowcase! The pockets are perfect for slipping in a book, kindle, ipad, maybe even some chocolate for a sweet treat to add while reading. Have ‘sew’ much fun sewing this project!
What you need:
- 1 ¼ yards fabric
- ½ yard fusing
- Zipper Foot E
- Accent piping
- Thread
- Scissors
- Pins
- Measuring Tape or Ruler
- Marking pen
- Button (optional)
- Mat (optional)
Instructions:
Start by cutting the following items from your fabric:
- One Front 15”x15”
- Two back pieces 10 ½” x 15”
- Two Strips that are LOF (length of fabric) that are 5 inches wide
- Four 10”x10” squares in main fabric and fusing fabric
Once everything is cut, start by fusing the four (4) smaller rectangles to the fusing. (Step 2) Fold them on the bias, and press again.You should have the shape of a triangle now. Fusing these triangles will help prevent excess stretching due to the fold being on the bias. (Step 3) Place each triangle in the corner of your front piece, overlapping opposite edges. (Step 4) Pin the triangles to the front and baste at a ¼ inch seam allowance all the way around the piece to hold the triangle to the front. This helps stabilize each layer of your project, as you’ll be adding a few layers to the edge which may make pinning difficult. (Step 5)
Take the back pieces and hem one of the long edges by folding one edge over 1 inch, then fold it over again at 1 inch. (Step 6) Hem the edge using an edge stitch. (Optional here is to add a button hole at the center to hold the back together if you have an exceptionally fluffy pillow.) Overlap the hemmed edges by 2 ¼ inches and pin. Baste the overlapping pieces together. (Step 7 ) Before you move on, lay over your front piece to ensure your back is the same size as your front. Set aside for later.
Take your long rectangles and sew them together on the short end at ½” seam allowance. Fold the piece in half and press again. Your piece should be 2 ½” wide. Using a basting stitch, stitch two lines on the long edge of the piece. The first stitch ¼ seam allowance away from the edge, and the second ½ seam allowance away from the edge. (Step 8) Gather the piece to the length around the pillow and set aside.
Open your piping pack, and pin the piping to the front of the pillow with the piping facing the inside of the pillow. Pin the piping ¼ inch away from the edge of the pillow. The piping edge should sit ⅝ inch away from the edge. (Step 9) Swap your presser foot to a zipper foot e and left justify your needle on the machine. Baste the piping to the bag at ½ inch seam allowance. (Step 10) Take the gathered piece and pin it around the edge of the pillow front with the ruffle facing the inside. Overlap the ruffle ends to hide the raw edges. (step 11) Baste the ruffle to your pillow front using the zipper foot. Bump the edge of the piping against the edge of the presser foot to ensure the stitch rides right against the piping. (Step 12)
Take your back piece and lay it on top of the front piece. Match the corners of the front and back and pin around the edge. (Step 13) Using the zipper foot again, stitch at ½ inch seam allowance around the entire pillow case. Flip the pillow case right side out and press. Check the piping to make sure you sewed close enough to your liking. For any sections you missed, go over them again.
And that’s it! Slip your favorite book (and possible bar of chocolate) into one of the triangles on the front and you’re ready for an afternoon of reading! My personal favorite romance is The Reunion by Kayla Olson and my favorite chocolate is Milka. Paired with a cup of coffee, you’re all set! Enjoy sewing this project! You can find me over at @just.lilliaa on instagram for more fun sewing projects!
