DIY | Crochet Trim Pillow Case
My dear friend Lori presented me with this beautiful pillow case just before Christmas. She said she thought the fabric belonged under my pink tree (whom I've now named Merry Pink) and suggested I first use it as a Santa sack. I did just that and it toted fun little presents to and from gatherings.
Now that Christmas is over I can at times feel at a loss as for what to make next. With a holiday looming there are infinite number of things to create for other people as gifts. When that all winds down and I feel like my house needs to be decluttered I tend to lean more towards practical projects that are still beautiful. What's more practical than pillow cases?
I've seen various versions of pillow cases with crochet trim on Pinterest. They are beautiful. What was frustrating though was that all of the pics I had "repinned" didn't actually lead to a link where they told you how to do it. They were just google searches, which really isn't helpful at all. (Just a note, Pins are much more helpful when they lead to a "permalink" which means you have to actually click on the post that the picture is in so that when you click your pin you'll go back to that post rather than just the general blog and have to spend hours scrolling to find the actual post you were looking for!)
Anways... I finally found a site with a great tutorial on adding the crochet edge and created this pillow case last night.
I then folded and pressed hems on the two sides needing them. The hem should be pressed to the back of the fabric even though you'll be sewing them with right sides facing.
Side note: Apparently in addition to needing to increase my pressing speed I also need to learn to press smaller seams. Right now I can't do anything under 1/2 an inch. Grrr.
Pin right sides together, sew two sides (three if you didn't cheat like me with the finished sheet), turn inside out and press.
The yarn I was using was a bit thick to be doing a dainty edge and so I had to forgo the "running stitch" (outlined in the tutorial) and just improvised. I made the stitches 1 inch long so that I could fit 3 SC (single crochets) into each. I also started doing the scalloped edge in the tutorial but because my yarn was thicker it started to look really bulking and was adding a lot of width to the edge making it wavy. It didn't look good.
Instead in every other SC I would do a treble stitch, chain 1, skip a stitch and then treble stitch and chain 1 again. That gave me the pattern below.
Here it is on my bed. A fancy pillow case just for me.
The little ones had just had their shower/bath while I was taking pictures and then as they do every time spent the next 45 minutes jumping on the bed in their "gotch" and diaper.
It was hard to get a picture of the pillow as they insisted on "sleeping" on it.
Can't wait to sleep on my pretty new pillow case AND to get some thinner yarn so I can make some more!
These would make a fabulous gift. I've seen them pinned with the idea to wrap a bedtime story in the pillow case or for an adult maybe a calming tea?
Now that Christmas is over I can at times feel at a loss as for what to make next. With a holiday looming there are infinite number of things to create for other people as gifts. When that all winds down and I feel like my house needs to be decluttered I tend to lean more towards practical projects that are still beautiful. What's more practical than pillow cases?
I've seen various versions of pillow cases with crochet trim on Pinterest. They are beautiful. What was frustrating though was that all of the pics I had "repinned" didn't actually lead to a link where they told you how to do it. They were just google searches, which really isn't helpful at all. (Just a note, Pins are much more helpful when they lead to a "permalink" which means you have to actually click on the post that the picture is in so that when you click your pin you'll go back to that post rather than just the general blog and have to spend hours scrolling to find the actual post you were looking for!)
Anways... I finally found a site with a great tutorial on adding the crochet edge and created this pillow case last night.
The site is Heidi Bears and if you click on the name it will bring you to the tutorial.
First things first though, I needed a pillow case. This vintage sheet had a beautiful top edge on it that would save me at least one hem. I folded the fabric on itself and cut a (folded) piece 20 " x 32 ".
I then folded and pressed hems on the two sides needing them. The hem should be pressed to the back of the fabric even though you'll be sewing them with right sides facing.
Side note: Apparently in addition to needing to increase my pressing speed I also need to learn to press smaller seams. Right now I can't do anything under 1/2 an inch. Grrr.
Pin right sides together, sew two sides (three if you didn't cheat like me with the finished sheet), turn inside out and press.
The yarn I was using was a bit thick to be doing a dainty edge and so I had to forgo the "running stitch" (outlined in the tutorial) and just improvised. I made the stitches 1 inch long so that I could fit 3 SC (single crochets) into each. I also started doing the scalloped edge in the tutorial but because my yarn was thicker it started to look really bulking and was adding a lot of width to the edge making it wavy. It didn't look good.
Instead in every other SC I would do a treble stitch, chain 1, skip a stitch and then treble stitch and chain 1 again. That gave me the pattern below.
Here it is on my bed. A fancy pillow case just for me.
The little ones had just had their shower/bath while I was taking pictures and then as they do every time spent the next 45 minutes jumping on the bed in their "gotch" and diaper.
It was hard to get a picture of the pillow as they insisted on "sleeping" on it.
Can't wait to sleep on my pretty new pillow case AND to get some thinner yarn so I can make some more!
These would make a fabulous gift. I've seen them pinned with the idea to wrap a bedtime story in the pillow case or for an adult maybe a calming tea?
I love this fabric! I'm so going to try to make these! :)
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