In our rush-around worlds, what is one the thing we want most? A nap! With work and home commitments, sleep often falls by the wayside. Make those precious few hours of shut-eye as beautiful as possible with our lovely pleated pillowcase pair. Originally, we planned to make two identical cases, but then thought, “Why not mix it up a little?” Why not indeed – it certainly makes things more fun and lets you put your fave out in front. Arrange the cases for how you feel: an elegant damask day or a frivolous polka dot day… or both. Most days are both!

The end of each case is made like a kicky pleated skirt. It’s a unique and pretty look for bed linens. Plus, the panel is short enough so all those wonderful pleats easily stay put… even through some midnight tossin’ and turnin’.

This pillowcase pair would make a great gift for anyone you know who deserves to be a beautiful dreamer.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing Machine and standard presser foot
• Quarter Inch Seam foot; optional

Fabric and Other Supplies

NOTE: Fabric amounts shown are for TWO pillowcases as shown with the body fabric and pleated fabric flipped to create an interesting coordinated pair.

• 2 yards of 44-45″ wide cotton fabric for one pillowcase body and one pleated panel: we originally used Medium Damask in White/Grey by Riley Blake Designs 
• 2 yards of of 44-45″ wide cotton fabric for the second pillowcase body and the second pleated panel: we originally used Small Dots in Aqua by Riley Blake Designs 
• 2½ yards of wide coordinating rick rack; we originally used Riley Blake’s ¾” Regular Rick Rack in Grey 
• All purpose thread to match fabrics
• See-through ruler
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Straight pins
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Tape measure

Getting Started

1. For two pillowcases, from EACH fabric, cut the following:
   ONE 41″ wide x 27″ high rectangle
   THREE 42″ wide x 13″ high rectangles
   NOTE: We chose this cutting dimension to best fit the design motifs on our fabrics and best use the available yardage. The main body piece will be folded in half to create a finished case, with two main seams, in the standard size for a regular pillow: 20″ x 26″, excluding the pleated panel. You could also cut two 21″ x 27″ pieces and seam around all three sides. Or, we often make a pair of cases using 1½ yards by cutting the body pieces side by side at 21″ x 53″ each. 
2. Cut the rick rack into TWO 43″ lengths.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Create the pleated ends

1. Find the three 42″ x 13″ pieces. Place them right sides together, end to end, and pin in place to create one long strip.
2. Stitch both seams, using a ½” seam allowance. Press the seam allowances open. You’ll join the ends after pleating to create the final loop.
3. Fold the strip in half, wrong sides together, and press so it now is 6½” wide x 124″ long.
   
4. Create 1″ knife pleats across the entire folded strip. If you are new to pleating, take a look at our step-by-step tutorial on knife pleats.
5. Measure and mark a vertical line every inch the entire length of the fabric.
   
6. Starting 2½” from one end, pleat the entire length.
   
7. We pinned the pleats in place at both the top and at the bottom to hold them tight.
   
8. When you get to the opposite end, leave 4½” free.
   
9. When the pleating is complete. Place the remaining raw ends right sides together and pin in place. You are carefully unfolding and placing the full 13″ raw sides together, forming a loop.
   
10. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch together. Press the seam allowance open. Re-fold in half.
    
11. Pleat the remaining marks, leaving just the very last pleat un-done to allow for any final adjustments that might be needed to fit the pleated ring to the main pillowcase body.
    
12. With the pins still in place, press the pleats flat. You have one finished (folded edge) to your pleat loop and one raw edge.
    

Create the pillowcase body

1. Fold the pillow body in half, so it is now 20½” x 27″.
2. Pin along the raw-edged side (the 27″ side) and across the bottom. The top remains open.
3. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch down the side and across the bottom, pivoting at the corner. Use a generous backstitch (back tack) to lock your seam at the beginning and end.
4. Zig zag, overcast, pink or serge the raw edges of all the seam allowances so when the pillowcase is laundered these do not fray. We zig-zagged our edges. For more information, see our article on popular machine sewn finishes.
5. Clip the corners.
   
6. Turn the pillowcase right side out. Push out the trimmed corners from the inside to make nice, square corners on the outside. Use your finger or a blunt edge tool, like a large knitting needle or a chopstick. Press well.
   

Add the rick rack

1. Lay the pleated loop next to the pillowcase body and make sure they are the same width around. This is your chance to adjust a pleat or two if need be. Ours came out exactly even… yay!
2. Find a length of rick rack. Place it on top of the pleated panel ¼” from the raw edge.
3. Zig zag the rick rack to the pleated section, which means you are only catching the top waves in your stitching. Leave approximately 2″ of the rick rack free at the beginning and the end.
   
4. Pull the ends of the rick rack away and stitch the ends, right sides together.
   
5. Place the rick rack back into position against the pleated panel. You can put one or two pins in to hold this last little bit in place during the final seam.
   

Attach the pleated panel to the pillowcase body

1. Find the pillowcase body. It should be wrong side out. Find the pleated loop. It should be right side out.
2. Slip the pleated loop into pillowcase body so the two are now right sides together. Align the raw edge of the pillowcase opening with the raw edges of your pleated loop. Pin all around.
3. Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch around the entire opening through all the layers. If your machine has a free arm, now is a good time to use it.
   
4. As above, finish raw edges of the seam allowance with a zig zag or overcast stitch or serge.
5. Fold the pleated panel into place (ie. pull it down and away from the pillowcase body).
6. Press the finished seam allowance towards the body of the pillowcase, at the same time making sure the rick rack is pressed down towards the pleats.
   
7. Topstitch ¼” in from the seam, within the pillowcase body. We used our Janome Quarter Inch Seam foot to keep a nice straight line. This stitching secures the seam allowance in position and helps keep all the layers flat. Press well.
8. Repeat to create your second pillowcase.
   
   

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation: Debbie Guild