How to make a pillowcase (envelope)

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one pillowcase)

• Front fabric (cotton, double gauze or linen) — about 110 cm wide × 70 cm
• Back fabric (same fabric is fine) — about 110 cm wide × 100 cm

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Home” → “Pillowcase (envelope)” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the pillow width, height and the back overlap. Presets cover common sizes.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Cut the front
   Cut 1 front: the pillow width × height plus seam allowance.
2. Cut the back
   Cut 2 backs from the (shorter) back pattern.
3. Finish the opening edges
   Finish all edges, and especially the back opening edge (one short edge of each back piece).

4. Sewing

4-1. Hem the back opening edges

1. Double-fold and press the inner (opening) edge of each back piece.
2. Topstitch about 2 mm from the fold.

4-2. Overlap the back pieces

1. Lay the two backs right side up, overlapping the hemmed edges by the overlap amount, and baste.

4-3. Sew front and back together

1. Lay the front right side down, then the overlapped backs right side up on top (right sides together).
2. Sew all four sides and trim the corners diagonally.

4-4. Turn and finish

1. Turn right side out through the back opening, push out the corners and press.
2. Topstitch the edges if you like, then insert the pillow.

5. Tips & variations

• Soft on skin: double gauze and washed linen feel lovely for sleeping.
• Bigger overlap: a larger overlap keeps the pillow hidden.
• Matching set: make a cushion cover from the same fabric.