Recently was hired to sew some zippered pillow covers for a client - something I haven’t done in a while. :-)
So, onto Pinterest I went to find a tutorial to freshen my memory because...if you’re anything like me, you like to sew but you avoid sewing zippers like the plague! Anywho, I went to my ‘All About Sewing’ Pinterest board and found a really great tutorial on one of my favorite DIY blogs - ‘Hey There Home’ Yay! I LOVE Pinterest!
Feel free to follow me here. While working on this project, I also came up with a few more tips when sewing zippered pillow covers. *Use the right tools for the job. If you’re working with decorator fabrics, chances are they cost a pretty penny and they are usually wider than regular fabrics - so you’ll want to make sure you use the right tools to ensure that your fabric panels are cut straight and and to ensure the correct measurements.
Cardboard Pattern Cutting Board, Rotary Cutter, Quilting Ruler & Cutting Mat These are just a few of the tools I use in my own studio. Each of them helps to ensure my fabric is cut to right measurements and that my raw edges are cut nice and straight which almost guarantees a professional looking finish! *Prevent fraying. In her tutorial, Corey talks about finishing off the raw edges of the three remaining sides with a zig zag stitch - a great tip! But, if your fabric frays easily, which was the case with my fabric; you may also want to sew zig zag stitch along the sides that you’ll be adding a zipper to - beforehand. This will make inserting the zipper a lot easier and protects the fabric from fraying with all the extra handling of the fabric.
One day I hope to have a serger but for now I’ll stick to using my sewing machine - you can also use ‘no-fray’ and pinking shears to prevent fabric from fraying. *Use washi tape for straight seams. A couple of the pillows I was sewing for this project were 22” square - it can be tricky to guide large pieces of fabric through your machine evenly. For this project I used ½” seams and I put a little piece of washi tape out from the bottom of the seam guide on my machine to help me make sure I’m sewing straight. You can also purchase a magnetic seam guide but washi tape or any kind of masking tape is probably something you already have on hand!
*Slow and steady wins the race! Taking out seams is no fun and taking out seams on a zipper is even less fun - trust me. So take your time and maybe even practice sewing a zipper on some fabric scraps before starting on your project. Be sure to check out the great tutorial I mentioned above and the other tips I’ve mentioned here for a frustration free sewing experience.
So, if you’ve avoided sewing zippered projects in the past like me, I hope this tutorial has given you the confidence to give it another try. In the meantime, I’d like to know what other sewing projects you’ve been avoiding and why. Until next time - Happy Creating!
So, onto Pinterest I went to find a tutorial to freshen my memory because...if you’re anything like me, you like to sew but you avoid sewing zippers like the plague! Anywho, I went to my ‘All About Sewing’ Pinterest board and found a really great tutorial on one of my favorite DIY blogs - ‘Hey There Home’ Yay! I LOVE Pinterest!
Feel free to follow me here. While working on this project, I also came up with a few more tips when sewing zippered pillow covers. *Use the right tools for the job. If you’re working with decorator fabrics, chances are they cost a pretty penny and they are usually wider than regular fabrics - so you’ll want to make sure you use the right tools to ensure that your fabric panels are cut straight and and to ensure the correct measurements.
Cardboard Pattern Cutting Board, Rotary Cutter, Quilting Ruler & Cutting Mat These are just a few of the tools I use in my own studio. Each of them helps to ensure my fabric is cut to right measurements and that my raw edges are cut nice and straight which almost guarantees a professional looking finish! *Prevent fraying. In her tutorial, Corey talks about finishing off the raw edges of the three remaining sides with a zig zag stitch - a great tip! But, if your fabric frays easily, which was the case with my fabric; you may also want to sew zig zag stitch along the sides that you’ll be adding a zipper to - beforehand. This will make inserting the zipper a lot easier and protects the fabric from fraying with all the extra handling of the fabric.
One day I hope to have a serger but for now I’ll stick to using my sewing machine - you can also use ‘no-fray’ and pinking shears to prevent fabric from fraying. *Use washi tape for straight seams. A couple of the pillows I was sewing for this project were 22” square - it can be tricky to guide large pieces of fabric through your machine evenly. For this project I used ½” seams and I put a little piece of washi tape out from the bottom of the seam guide on my machine to help me make sure I’m sewing straight. You can also purchase a magnetic seam guide but washi tape or any kind of masking tape is probably something you already have on hand!
*Slow and steady wins the race! Taking out seams is no fun and taking out seams on a zipper is even less fun - trust me. So take your time and maybe even practice sewing a zipper on some fabric scraps before starting on your project. Be sure to check out the great tutorial I mentioned above and the other tips I’ve mentioned here for a frustration free sewing experience.
So, if you’ve avoided sewing zippered projects in the past like me, I hope this tutorial has given you the confidence to give it another try. In the meantime, I’d like to know what other sewing projects you’ve been avoiding and why. Until next time - Happy Creating!
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