I have made pillowcases a few times on the blog, using different techniques and patterns. I’ve shown you the burrito (or rolled, or hot dog) method, and a quick serger method. Some have had pockets, and my favorite Travel Pillow Case has handles too. For Autumn Jubilee (#AutumnJubilee2020), I thought it would be a quick and fun project to add some fall color to your bedrooms and guest rooms, and show yet one more way to do a pillowcase project.
Begin with the selection of some pretty fabrics, you’ll need the main fabric print and two accent fabrics. The quilt above is my Square Dance pattern from my Scrap Dance series, and contains these fabrics. So they were a perfect choice for some Autumn Jubilee pillowcases.
Cutting instructions –
Main base fabric – one rectangle 27-inches x 40-inches
Cuff Accent fabric – one rectangle 9-inches x 40-inches
Accent strip fabric – 2-inches x 40-inches
Start assembly by pressing the accent strip longways in half, meeting the raw edges.
Layer the strip on top of the base fabric. On the cuff fabric, press up one long edge 1/4-inch. Lay the unpressed edge on top of the first two, right sides together, raw edges meeting.
Sew with a 1/4-inch seam.
Press the seam toward the cuff.
Fold the pillowcase right sides together, meeting cuff to cuff and base to base. Make sure the accent strip is toward the base fabric, and the seam is toward the cuff.
Sew the side seam and across the bottom. Use a zigzag stitch on the edge if desired to finish the edge and prevent raveling.
Turn the pillow cuff down to meet the inside seam, enclosing the raw edge of the cuff and the seam allowance of the case base previously sewn.
Topstitch on the edge.
On the outside, a seam line barely can be seen.
Make two for your bed.
A festive Autumn Jubilee guest room!!
This fall, I was in the American Patchwork and Quilting’s ad in two magazines for their Million Pillowcase Challenge. My quote is in the purple box. In corresponding with the wonderful people at Better Homes and Gardens, I wanted to do more to help them get to their goal. So make a couple of Autumn Jubilee pillowcases for your own bed, and then a few more in everyday prints to send off, or donate in your area. If you donate to your local charity, be sure to let them know so they can add yours to the challenge. A number of quilt shops in the nation will take these as well, just check the challenge website for a list. In our local area, Beginnings is taking them, and will be donated to the two shelters in town.
Today’s giveaway is a fabulous prize package from Meredith Publishing, publishers of All People Quilt, American Patchwork and Quilting, and Quilts and More magazine. Leave a comment on this post, then click on the rafflecopter icon below to enter the drawing. US shipping only.
Do you have festive pillowcases for seasonal use? Have you made any pillowcases for the challenge?
You can buy my Scrap Dance patterns on My Patterns page. Your purchases, and using my affiliate links pay the costs of bringing you free events like Autumn Jubilee. Thank you!!
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From My Carolina Home 
What a great way to introduce some of the few remaining quilt magazines……frankly, I haven’t purchased a magazine in probably 15+ years…..it’s a nice reminder that some publications are still being printed.
I have enjoyed making pillow cases for our quilt guild to donate to local women’s centers. A simple yet comforting gift. Great idea to add to the Autumn Jubilee.
Love the accent strip idea. I’ve made pillowcases for charity—time to use your idea and make some seasonal ones too.
I love reading your blog everyday. So many great ideas and recipes. Your amazing. I meet you at the Sevierville guild last year. You were great.
Pillow case to match a quilt are a great idea. I ordered extra fabric when making my backing purchase just for that reason! I’ve made lots for the guild, and even more kits to be handed out at our guild meetings. During this time with COVID we have a “drive by” for dropping off and picking up pillow case kits/completions.
Very attractive! Going to look for some fabric to match a quilt on my bed! Thanks!
Love the fabrics! I think I’ll probably make one or two in the future. I’ve made pillowcases to match a gifted quilt before, but nothing as nice as these, thanks for the tutorial!
Beautiful Fall colors!
I learned how to make pillowcases like this at a local guild show. It was nice to take a break from wandering the show & stitch up a couple of cases for the guild to donate to a shelter. They gave out a sweet handwritten copy of the pattern so we could continue making them. That year, everyone in the family got a set for Christmas. I tried to find fabrics that illustrated everyone’s favorite hobby or food or team. Now I’m inspired to make seasonal ones.
Although I have made pillowcases in the past (not for the challenge, though–thanks for the reminder), I don’t have festive holiday pillowcases. But this post is yet another reminder that I have festive fabric that I bought for exactly that purpose–time to get it out and get going!
Love the fall colors in the pillow cases.
I just finished making new pillowcases for our home, but did;t think to do festive Fall ones. This will be added to by sewing TO DO list. Thanks for the idea.
I haven’t made any festive pillowcases but I did make a couple burrito-style pillowcases for my nieces & nephew.
Oh my g/ness, another wonderful project for Autumn Jubilee! This year has overflowed with great ideas and it’s not over yet! Wow! I have made the burrito-style pillowcases some time ago and used my decorative stitches to trim the cuff. I filled them with big bags of treats and sent them to my daughter and her college friends one Valentine’s Day. I have made a few for charity when I was involved in a Thimbleberries club many years ago, but none since then. I liked using my serger to finish the inside. I’ll have to see what I have in the fabric pantry that is suitable. Thanks for another terrific idea—you’re the best!
Hum, I may have to try making a pillowcase this way, thanks!
Hi! Thanks for the pattern. I haven’t made seasonal pillow cases before but I have made a pillow case to match a couple quilts I’ve made. Excited to start and make a couple for charity.
I’ve been enjoying Autumn Jubilee for as long as you’ve been doing it!
I’ve been making a lot of pillowcases for our local children’s hospital and as gifts for my great nieces. On some I made for myself I found that the accent strip would often fold up in the wash; pillowcases in my house shouldn’t need even a little ironing.
To make things easier on the resident laundress, after the accent strip is pressed in half, I open it up, line up one raw edge with the edge of the main fabric, and stitch on the fold. Then I continue with the directions.
Excellent idea!!!
I have gifted pillow cases and donated thru our Guild
Our guild has donated many to the project. They are fun and easy to make. They also make great gift wrapping for the grandchildren’s gifts when done in cute fabrics. Your bed looks so festive with the matching pillowcases.
I like making pillow cases to match my quilts, especially ones I gift. Making extra will be a good project between other stitching.
My husband and I plan to make personalized pillow cases for each of our grand nieces and nephews for Christmas. This method will be ideal! Thanks!!
I have made lots of pillowcases for the various charities my quilt guilds sponsor. I have also made holiday and themed pillowcases for family. I prefer the hotdog method. I will give this method a try also.
I love those pillowcases with your beautiful quilt. I love the fall colors.
I haven’t made seasonal pillowcases since my children were very young. I added Christmas appliques and trim to plain top sheets and pillowcases for them, which they loved. I’m thinking it is time to make some Christmas pillowcases for my grandchildren, so thank you for the inspiration!
i have lost count of the number of pillowcases i have made for the million pillowcase challenge using this burrito method.
I’ve sewn pillowcases that a local quilt club donates to many community charities, all as part of the Million Pillowcase Challenge.
I’ve made a few 🙂 One of my favorites is one I made for DH last Christmas with pups and pawprints to replace the worn one with firemen dogs on it.. Yours here looks very fun with your Autumn quilt!
I have made pillowcases for myself and my daughters and grandchildren using your burrito method. When I first learned the technique I started making 1 pillowcase to match each quilted gift I gave away. I only recently started making a set of pillowcases to match each quilt I make. With a dust ruffle I prefer the look of a quilt and matching cases rather than a bedspread and often will use a quilt on top of a woven spread. Love your blog posts, Carole…great Autumn Jubilee this year…I’m always amazed that you seem to outdo yourself each year. Thank you!
Good morning, loved the tutorial
I am enjoying your fall posts/activities. Lots of good ideas
Great pillow case instructions, thanks so much!
What a great idea to make pillow cases to match our quilts. Thank you.
That’s the simple way I like. The hot dog/burrito thing always mixes me up! LOL Thank you, Carole.
I have not made any seasonal pillowcases but have made pillowcases for the Million Pillowcase challenge.
Sometimes I make Christmas pillowcases and I have made lots of them to donate. Our local Family Services tries to give every displaced child a pillowcase with some personal supplies in it so they have more than a paperbag in which to carry their belongings. Thanks.
I learned to make pillow cases while attending a sewing class with my then young great niece. They were fun to make and she and I made several for Christmas presents that year, even one for a dear dog’s pillow. I haven’t made any since then but I have plenty of cloth, so perhaps I will make some to contribute to the cause. Thanks so much for all you do to inspire us!
It’s always a good idea to buy extra fabric when making a bed quilt – then, you can make pillowcases!
You can donate pillowcases made with surplus fabric in your stash, too!
Perfect timing, Carole! I decided a few weeks ago to change my Book 1 award to pillowcases so it would work for boys and girls, and this morning I was thinking I better find a pattern to get fabric amounts and here it is! We usually make pillow cases for the first 4-H sewing workshop of the year. Everyone make 2, and one goes to either the WAVI house or the Mission.
This is a helpful pattern for pillowcasses.
Hello Carole, I want to share a funny, but true fact with you about my “luck of the Irish” per say, with making pillowcases. I thoroughly enjoy taking a break every so often from quilting and make a pillowcase or two for someone and or charity. Yet, it has never failed that whenever I have chosen the fabrics to make my Husband a set of pillowcases for a special gift (he usually requests them), no matter how hard I try and triple measure… one of his pillowcases ends up being to short on fabric. Then I must find a way to solve the problem. He never complains that his pillowcase has an extra seam somewhere and always simply smiles and says he adores the way I solved the problem. LOL. With your new pattern tutorial today, I will pull out my largest amount of fabric yardage and once again attempt to make him matching pillowcases for his 3 pillows. Thank you for sharing another fun project with pillowcases. I did see your name in one of the magazines promoting the pillowcase challenge and have donated quite a few over the years. It always makes me smile and feel wonderful knowing I am bringing a smile to someone’s life by giving them a bit of joy.
will try to make some fun pillowcases. Thanks
Just dropped off 4 quilts and matching pillowcases for Almost Home Kids Nursing Home. It’s the first time we have been able to get together since February. We had our temps taken at the door. We signed in and out. We had a room but everyone went in and out military style, one at a time. Everyone had their own 8 foot table and perimeter. But OH MY GOODNESS what fun to chat and sew together for a couple hours.
Love the Jubilee! So many ideas – all started and trying to do all at the same time!!!!!
I have made extra pillowcases for myself out of sheets (when you were able to buy sheets separately, not in sets.) The only seasonal ones have gone as gifts, usually to the grandkids.
Have not made seasonal pillowcases but have made themed ones for the grandchildren.
This method looks easier than the burrito method, which always confuses me.
I have made oodles of pillowcases for the challenge. Our guild makes up kits and we make them using the burrito method to make them. I have pillowcases for Christmas, Valentines day and St Patricks day. I should make a few for autumn!
Love making pillow cases
Our Quilt Guild decided to make pillowcases each year at Christmas for our local Long Term Care–we were told that the residents really enjoy all the different and pretty pillowcases.
What a great idea to donate pillowcases. I have some great fabrics for this project.
I love to gift graduates with seasonal pillowcases. It is a great dorm decoration and reminds the student of home. I always enjoy October 1st as the day the flannel pillowcases go on the beds.
My favorite method is the burrito method.
I love making pillowcases for local organizations. I’ve managed to make 3 dozen pillowcases from just my stash. It’s a great stash-busting project. The burrito style works best for me. I love the hidden seams.
I have boxes with 200 pillowcases ready to deliver to Charlotte Children’s Hospital as soon as someone gives me the green light. The ladies in my Guild are wonderful at sewing these. I give them the pillowcases cut and ready to sew and they return them finished. I’m so proud of all of them. We sew 200-400 every year.
Love this method of making pillowcases. It works great when teaching beginner sewing to an eager group of 4-Hers. Easy for them to work together and help each other measure and cut. Thanks for the reminder that it’s time once again for the pillow challenge. Stay well my friend.
You make it look so easy!!!!
I appreciate the details of your instructions to sew this pillowcase. I have made a few of the burrito style. I am enjoying the Autumn Jubilee.
I love making pillow cases out of novelty fabrics for kids (and maybe for me too!) I use the burrito method. Your coordinating pillowcases are lovely!
i’ve made lots of pillowcases, some as gifts and some to keep…they make nice custom touches to ordinary linens…
I made 12 pillowcases today for my guild’s annual collection. I use the burrito method.
I have not made festive pillowcases nor any for the challenge. I think I would like festive ones.
I have pillow cases for Christmas, fall, Easter, Fourth of July, Fathers Dayand Valentines Day. Many are the size for travel pillows and I use them on my chairs etc. just found your web site and I love it.
Great idea to do the pillowcases.
I really should make sets of holiday pillowcases for my home. The only ones I have are a set that I embellished for Valentine’s Day and I love them!
duchick at gmail dot com
Love your idea for autumn pillow cases. I have made pillow cases to go with quilts I made for both of my daughters.
You have such great easy to follow. instructions
Hi. Love the pillowcases. Wish you had extras so that you could send me some!! I love autumn and anything to do with the pretty leaves. Keep up the good work!:)
Our local quilt shop provides fabric to make pillowcases for the kids at our Children’s Hospital. The goal is to give every child admitted their own pillowcase. They have made thousands! I have no idea if they have joined the count or not. I’ll have to ask the owner.
Beautiful pillow cases.
I don’t have seasonal
ones.
Carla from Utah
no seasonal pillowcases for me. I thought I was doing well by embroidering an initali on my pillowcases! I haven’t made any pillow cases yet.
My sister makes 12 pillowcases a month and donates them – they end up going to sick kids in the local hospitals.