SEWING MANUAL FOR BEGINNERS. CUSHION COVER

I did a sewing course over ten years ago. After that, I never sat down on a sewing machine again. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because, as so often, I didn't have the time. I recently met Dunja. She has a wonderful fabric shop in Zornheim, the sewing room, where she not only sells fabrics and sewing accessories, but also offers various sewing courses. Had I known that she lived around the corner, I would have run into her earlier. I spontaneously took part in two of her sewing courses and was amazed at how much fun and relaxation sewing can bring. Now I have prepared a small DIY together with her for the beginners and those willing to sew:
 

A step-by-step guide to a pillow case.

This pillow is really great as a beginner project because it is quick, easy and you only need about half a meter of fabric. Besides, you can never have enough pillows, can you?
TIPS TO BEGIN:
1. Chooses a fabric whose pattern does not indicate a specific direction. This is easier for the beginning and you avoid that your pictures are upside down afterwards.
2. Initially uses a cotton fabric. Jersey (the typical T-shirt fabric) gives way too much.
3. Make sure that your bobbins (including the bobbin thread) are full, because you need a lot of them and it would be annoying if the thread runs out in the middle of a sewing path or has to be rewound.
4. Uses high quality yarn that is not overlaid (too old). The yarn from Grandma's old sewing box is extremely fluffy and can damage your machine.
5. The fabric you buy in the store is usually 1.40m wide. You should cut a length of 51-52cm for a pillow (50cm x 50cm). That means you have a piece of fabric with the dimensions 1.40mx 51-52cm.
6. A suitable ticking for your 50x50cm pillow is available, for example, from Möbelschweden.
 

STEP 1: CUT FABRIC AND CUT WEB EDGES

Cut a piece of fabric with the above. Dimensions, or have the piece cut to size in the shop. There is usually a selvedge on the fabric, i.e. an approximately 2cm wide white fabric edge, which is unsightly and unusable. You should also cut them off, as they also slightly pull the fabric together at this point.

Step 2: iron the left edge twice and pin it
Lay the fabric on the left (i.e. with the unsightly side up). If https://jdgoshop.com/product/sleepdream-cervical-pillow/ of the fabric folds about 1.5 cm, smooth it with your fingernail and then iron it. Now hit another 1.5 cm at the same point and iron this edge again. Now you fix a pin about every 10cm in the folded fabric edge. Put the needles across the fabric and let your head peek out. Then you can simply sew over it later.

STEP 3: IRON
Now iron the entire fabric. This is now even easier than at the end of the project and you avoid unsightly kinks. Use a lot of steam.

STEP 4: SHORT
As mentioned above, fabric from the store usually has a general width of 1.40 m. However, we do not need this full width for our pillow. In step 4, we now shorten the fabric from the side that has not yet been turned over. To do this, place the measuring tape on the first folded-over side and place a mark after 1.25 m. Anything behind the mark can be cut off.
STEP 5: IRON THE RIGHT EDGE 2X
As with the left edge in step 2, we now proceed with the right edge. So we put the fabric on the left, fold it in twice about 1.5 cm and iron it each time. Again, you can fasten the edge with pins.
 

STEP 6: SEWING THE EDGES
Now it's time to sew over the right and left folded edges. You can either select the normal straight stitch of your machine (left in the picture) or you can use the opportunity to try out an ornamental stitch (right in the picture) if your machine has one.

In the case of a straight stitch, set a stitch length of 2.5 and place the presser foot on the fabric so that the needle sews on the left edge of the envelope (see picture). You can see that there is still some space on the right.

Once you have decided on the wavy decorative seam, you have to put your foot down so that the needle is in the middle of the envelope (left in the picture), because the needle is moving to the right and left. In the picture on the right you can see how the decorative seam looks later on the fabric.

Depending on the type of stitch, the presser foot is placed on the fabric. All of the fabric should always be routed to the left of the machine as it will be difficult to pass it on the right side under the hole.