Quick and Funky Pillowcase (you have to see it to believe it!!)

Firstly, let me clarify that this is not my idea, was never my idea, and I have no idea what the "technical" name for it is. Someone showed it to me, another person told me it's been around for about 8 years, and I am just doing a photo tutorial because the directions I had been given were without "photos" and at one point told you to have both fabrics facing down, which made no sense to me, but since they were the DIRECTIONS I went ahead and listened against my gut instinct, and of course it came out wrong. Then I did what I "thought" was right and it came out perfectly! So I decided that although there might be a photo tutorial out there somewhere... I would just do one and spread the happiness that is a quick and funky pillowcase. Funky because even as you look at these pictures, you won't believe it. But if you do it, it will work- Trust me!

Here we go!
You need: 3/4 yard fabric (44" wide is best) for the "main body" of the pillowcase (mine is the unicorn print) - 1/4 yard for the fabric band at the edge (opening) of the pillowcase (mine is the yellow with multi-colored dots) - 1/8 yard accent fabric (this is the green strip in mine, and really is an optional and decorative piece.

Lay the 1/4 yard for the edge of pillowcase face up. (see photo below) This piece should measure roughly 9" x 44" long. Cut the accent piece (the 1/8 yard piece) to measure 1.5" x 44"- then fold it in half lengthwise with the WRONG SIDES TOGETHER (pattern facing out) and iron it. It will now measure 3/4" x 44".

Now, take the accent piece, and lay it on TOP of the 1/4 yard piece. make sure that the two raw edges of the accent piece are matched up with the raw edge of one side of the edge (polka dot) piece, and that the fold of the accent piece is facing "down" or towards you, as in my photo below. Now is a good time to baste these pieces together. This isn't a must, but it makes the next steps much easier, because this piece can easily shift and mess the whole plan up. So just trust me and go baste this together.



Okay, now that you have basted those together, lay that edge and accent piece together on the table again, with the accent piece facing up. The right sides of both fabrics should be showing and the basted edge should be facing up and away from you. Now lay the MAIN fabric piece (my unicorns) face down on top of the accent pieces. It's hard to tell from my pic, but mine is face down. Here you are going to match the raw edge of the main pillowcase body to the raw edges of your opening and accent pieces that you just basted. Here is a photo, and I have turned the corner back so you can see the right sides together (just for further clarification)



Okay, here is where it gets crazy and you are going to start to think I am nuts. Trust me. Take the bottom of the main fabric (right in front of your stomach if you are standing like I am taking the pics) and you start to ROLL it up. JUST the main fabric gets rolled/folded. Just start rolling. (see my pic) when you get to the point where you see the edge piece (my polka dots)you stop, and roll just one more time. Then your fabric should look JUST LIKE MINE below.

Let's get REALLY crazy. Now take that piece of fabric on the bottom (my polka dot piece) that just started to show as you were rolling, and fold it up OVER your entire roll of main fabric. (nuts, right?) and then carefully match ALL the raw edges and pin them together. You should have a sandwich of the pieces that were basted together, and then the raw edge of the main fabric (which was facedown) and the raw edge of the fabric (my polka dot) that peeked through under your roll and you just folded up. Now, once that is all pinned, you just need to be careful that you DON'T have any of the "roll" in the pinned area, and then you just run to your machine (this is a great time for a serger!!!) and sew a 1/4" seam along these raw, pinned edges. So you have this tube, with the roll inside, sewn on one edge, and the fabric is WRONG SIDES OUT. Some, pillowcase, eh?




Okay, now turn the tube right side out. You will suddenly have an "aha!" moment (most of us will!) and then you PRESS the pillowcase edge (my polka dot fabric) and you have this beautiful edge, with an accent piece, all lovely looking!


Okay, at this point I stopped following directions, because I was so excited that I just slapped it right sides together and serged each open edge and voila- pillowcase.

But if you are more patient, or don't have a serger, these are the official directions (not my wording) to finish the pillowcase....

Trim Pillowcase to measure approximately 42 x 30.5 inches (Mine did not measure this, but I think that the lady at the fabric store might have been drunk and cut my fabric crooked so I didn't have quite what I was supposed to when I started)

Fold WRONG SIDES TOGETHER of pillowcase (this seems wrong to me, but I am just giving you the directions) and stitch a scant 1/4" seam along the long edge only.

Turn the pillowcase wrong side out and press seam. Now sew a generous 1/4" seam along the long edge (encasing the scant 1/4" seam) and along the bottom of the pillowcase. Zig Zag the raw edge of the bottom of the pillowcase. Turn, press, and enjoy!