Sew Gramy Sew: Vanessa's French Seam Pillowcase Pattern with only 3 Seams

I want to thank Vanessa with Crafty Gemini for the youtube video.

I wanted to make this blog to share with my friends who would rather have the directions written for them.

Here is the video that Vanessa made if you can not understand my blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAomYjHzUQk&playnext=1&list=PLtH2Kn1rw68LfFogrJAtj935BwtN7GJZg&feature=results_main

OH Look, an easy 3 Seam French Pillowcase Pattern

The first thing you need to do is pick out some material that will go together.

Put the selvages together and cut 2 inches the width of the fabric. (WOF)

Iron it in half wrong sides together.

Then put the selvages together and cut the body of the pillowcase at 24 inches.

If you will notice, the selvages on my material are at the top and folded in half.

Close up of my material. These are flyhooks for fishing.

Now on to the top of the pillowcase. With the selvages together and at the top, cut this piece at 12 inches.

Cute material huh.....

Now, below, lay the body fabric that you cut at 24 inches right sides up, with the selvages on the right and the left side of the table.

Roll up the bottom about 3/4 of the way up.

A MUST HAVE

COFFEE!!!

lol

Now lay the 2 inch strip ironed in half with the raw edges together with the body piece.

If you have a design print on the fabric, find out how you want the print to go, then lay it like this.

Then lay it over the material. Putting all the raw edges together, then pin all of the pieces together.

Fold over the top piece so you can roll up the body a bit more.

Lay over the fabric again and grab all of the bottom layers, flip the top piece under and lay all raw edges together then pin.

Take this piece to the sewing machine and sew a 1/4 inch seam line. You do not have to trim this piece if you choose not to.

Now you have a tube.

Turn the tube right side out.

Iron what you have now.

Trim both sides even.

Lay the pillowcase with the right sides on the outside. Bear with me here. DO NOT do this part right sides together.

Pin the sides together, first lining up the stitching at the 2 inch strip.

Then line up the top edges, then all the way to the bottom. The bottom will not line up straight, so this part needs to be cut straight.

Then pin the bottom.

Sew 1/4 inch seam down the side and the bottom, backstitching where the 2 inch strip is.

Remove the case and trim to about 1/8 inch.

This is what I use as a stileto for sewing and turning out corners to a perfect corner. It is what comes when u buy a nutcracker. This picks the nut out of the shell.

NOW TURN inside out. My tool turns a corner real well.

Iron this and make sure it is all ironed straight.

Now go back to the sewing machine and sew 1/2 inch seam.

I have been starting a little down from the top and then backstitching to the top, then sewing all the way around the seam. That way when you cut the threads, they are not hanging out the top of the pillowcase.