Hello Kitty gets a pillow case

I managed to finish my little mini project that I started on my lovely quilty day with BQF.  Wanna see it?  First, you should go and say Hi to my new quilty friend!  Hydeeann has written the loveliest post about Shush over on her blog. Quilters really are the nicest people. I never expected to have such fun when I started blogging.

So a mere six months after finishing the Hello Kitty quilt for Princess, I have managed to do her pillowcase. Pillowcases are great. They're fast, and unlike cushions, they're useful.  Hubby says I should make them for presents. I pointed out people might then expect the matching quilt the following year, and there was no way I wanted to get into that bind!

So here it is. Little 2" blocks put together in the same way as a scrappy round the world block.  I quilted it 1/4" out from the seam, and prefer that to the 1/2" quilting I did on Yee Ha. I think it's coolio.  What do you reckon?  I bound it in the same binding as the quilt, to tie it in .

Hello little quilty kitties

Because I bound the pillowcase, I thought you might like to know how I did it. I learned to make pillowcases at school, but that was out of a single piece of fabric, which you sewed right sides together and then turned out. This is super simple, and I like binding quilted pillowcases. I think it shows up that it's quilted, and makes those seams very secure for lots of wear and tear. 

So here goes.

First, make a quilted pillow top that measures 20.5" x 30.5" (for a 20" x 30" finish). Then, to make the back, cut a strip of your backing fabric (I just used white, but you could use something pretty) the full width of fabric by about 22". This is just to give you some leeway if it turns out to be a bit wonky.  Cut 10" off one end, like so.

Backing fabric, with a 10" strip cut off one side

Sew a hem down one long side of your smaller piece. Mine was just over 1/4" wide. It doesn't need to be flash because it will never be seen. You just need to make sure it won't fray.

Look, it's a hem

Then sew a hem down one side of the large piece of fabric. Because I chose a plain back, I put a bit of binding on it.  Again, this is just to stop fraying, but this hem will be seen, so try to be tidy!

Place your pillow top on your table wrong side up.  With WRONG SIDES TOGETHER lay the short piece down first on the top, with the unhemmed long edge matching one side of the pillowcase.  

The 10' strip laid out.

Lay the large piece down on top, with the hemmed seam 2" in from the same side of the pillow top.  It can't be placed right on the edge, or else the binding will catch it when you sew it on.

The large piece of backing laid on top, all nicely bound down one edge

Because your backing will be too big, pin and trim it down to the same size as your pillow top.

Nice and tidy

Sew right around the pillow case, just under 1/4" in from the edge. Then it's time to bind in your usual way.

I'm a machine binder. I use 2.25" strips. You need 100" finished binding, so I cut three WOF strips (about 126") and that was about right - it allowed a comfortable amount of room for finishing. I sew my strips together on the angle - I think it looks prettier finished and means you don't have a bulky seam to machine over. 

Sew along the marked diagonal, trim the excess and press flat

After ironing the sewed together strips in half lengthways, I machine the binding to the back. I have previously tried the method where you sew it to the front first, but I'm a bit pants at that, and I think this gives a better finish. 

I use clover wonder clips to attach the binding.  Love them.

After I have sewn it most of the way around, I measure the finishing point by folding the fabrics together and finger press the fabric at that point. It's just by the chalk in the photo. 

Measuring the length of the binding

I mark a cross on the fabrics along the folds of the finger pressing, to give the exact point where the fabrics need to meet for sewing the binding together. With the binding fabric right sides together, the centre of the crosses should match, with the fabric at a 90 degree angle. I then mark with chalk the diagonal seam and sew along it. I forgot to take a photo of this bit. Durrr. But this way, the binding is always finished exactly the right length without needing to measure a thing. 

X marks the spot

After sewing the binding together, I topstitch it on the front just a smidgen in from the edge.

All wonder clipped to the front

And then it's finished!

Happiness ensues

And you can take a lovely blurry picture of it on the bed!

All done

Minnie likes it.  I hope Princess does too!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced, even though this WIP is finished.  Henry Fish: The Quilt still isn't though. I have over 10 metres of binding to make. Urggghhh.