Quilt in ONE weekend! Part 4: Travel-sized pillow with matching pillow case

If you haven't been following along, in parts 1-3 we made a simple small quilt-- sized to fit a crib or toddler sized bed or a nice throw/travel size.

Today, we are going to use the leftover scraps (plus any others you have lying around) to make a small matching pillow.

When my oldest was about 2 1/2 and we were putting him into the "big boy bed" I bought him a small travel sized pillow. It was the perfect size for him, about half the size of a regular adult pillow. Unfortunately, I haven't seen those pillows in a while (and of course they never sell matching pillow cases!). So when I wanted to do the same for my nephew's birthday present, I had to take matters into my own hands.

We are starting with a simple batting filled pillow (I do NOT recommend doing this with down-- unless you want to be chasing feathers around your house until the end of time!). I found a basic one for $4.00 at Target. Nice, fluffy and WASHABLE -- kind of important I think! Now if you wanted to save a step or 2, you certainly could buy a pillow form at the craft store BUT all the ones I saw were $8-15-- per PILLOW. This is going to yield 2 pillows-- so about $2 per pillow!

I found the tutorial for making the pillowcase (for a full size, standard pillow) on pinterest (where else?). I had so much fun, I used some other scraps I had laying around to make a pillow case for my oldest -- with Thomas the train fabric-- using the 2nd pillow. Although he has a full size pillow, this has become kind of a travel/lovey/cuddle pillow that he drags from bed to sofa to car.

As this project was soooooo easy, I could see this getting really addictive! With all the trips and camping that are typical for summer, travel pillows for the whole family would be a fun project.

Part 4: Toddler/travel sized pillow + pillow case

1) Gather your courage and then CUT your pillow in half. I suggest you do at least a rough measurement so the pillows are more or less even at the end.

2) Hand sew the cut sides closed-- you could do a running stitch, whip stitch or a ladder stitch. I prefer the ladder as its all but invisible and what I usually use to close up seams in pillows and the like after turning. You could try to stuff it into your machine to sew it closed but really with all  the wrestling and smashing I'd bet you spend as much time as I did just doing it up by hand.

3) Measure the seam to seam width and length. The pillows I created were approximately 12" x 19". I sized the pillow case to give a little extra width and length (but not too much because I know that pillows tend to flatten out as they are used). Our finished pillowcase measures approximately 12.5" x 21". If your pillows are significantly different, be sure to adjust your fabric cutting!

4) Cut fabric

• Cut 2 pieces of fabric for the main body of the pillow- 14" wide by 18.5" long.
• Cut 2 pieces of fabric for the contrasting end band- 14" wide by 9" long
• Cut additional trim (for small coordinating band in between body and end of pillowcase) 14" wide x 1.5" long. Press in half (lengthwise) wrong sides together.

5) Layer your fabric as follows:

• End band fabric on the bottom, right side UP, cut edges north
• Trim fabric next, folded/pressed from step 6, cut edges north (aligned with cut edges of edging fabric)
• Body fabric on top, right side DOWN, cut edge north & aligned with trim and end fabric
• Pin layers together
• Repeat for other set of fabrics

6) Carefully roll up BODY FABRIC ONLY to the line of pins. Fold end band fabric OVER roll. Align edges with pre-pinned fabrics. Move pins to include new layer. You should have a kind of burrito-like bundle of fabric. See below: (if this does seem confusing, I highly recommend reviewing the linked tutorial)

7) Stitch across with a 1/2" seam allowance.

8)Turn burrito right ways out. Press. Trim any uneven edges off.

9) You should now have 2 halves to a pillowcase. We are going to sew them so there are NO visible seams.

10) Align both halves, WRONG sides together. Pin.

11) Sew along both sides and one end only (hint: its not the end with the decorative band....) This time use a 1/4" seam allowance!

12) Trim corners and turn pillow case inside out. Sew again along edges and end, this time with a 1/2" seam allowance-- this will completely enclose your prior seam and leave you with a perfectly finished product!

13) Turn and press! Insert pillow-- you are DONE!!



Repeat as desired!!

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