a (not so scary) zippered pillow cover

So, I'm Jennifer and my mom got me and sewing machine for my birthday a couple of months ago.... Which means I am the beginner of all beginners! It also means that I was beyond excited when Natalie invited me to join in this blog. It is definitely the kick in the hiney that I needed to pick a project, go fabric shopping, and actually learn how to thread my sewing machine. 


Natalie searched the interwebs and found a fabric store nearby that looked like it had some promise. 

Turns out she has a pretty good eye - there were so many good options! 

I chose to start with a project that was quick, easy and would hopefully boost my sewing confidence to help me glide right into project #2 and not stop after #1 with a wad of fabric scraps in the corner. When I saw this zippered pillow tutorial on DesignSponge, I knew it was a perfect starter for me.

I picked up a travel sized pillow from Target and was on the lookout for a coral colored fabric that would go perfectly with our bed's light grey sheets, white quilt, and turquoise square pillows. 

winner winner chicken dinner!

I purchased a 1/2 yard - more than enough for my 13"x16" pillow. 

Equipped with the inspiration I needed to get started, I pulled out my grandmother's sewing supplies and went through/organized every last item. (OCD much?) ahhhh nostalgia....

I managed to successfully thread my machine and got to work following my tutorial. Step one: cut fabric. Step two (if you are me): rotate cut fabric 90 degrees and recut fabric - this time, making sure to actually add the 1/2" seam allowances (whoops!). 

It may sound brave to start on a project with a zipper, but this one was pretty easy - even for a beginner like me! The concept was to start with a zipper about 4" shorter than the edge of your pillow (I had to cut mine to the appropriate length), center it up on the edge and mark the beginning and end with pins. 

Next, you do a straight stitch from the corners to the pins and a basting stitch in between the pins. This way, after you sew your zipper down on top of the basting stitch, you can cut the stitch really easily to reveal your new zipper!

clear as mud, right?! Maybe you should stick to the tutorial, rather than my recap. :) 

One trick that I did learn about pillows was that if you snip off the excess at the corners, you will have sharp, non-bulky corners. 

Once you are done sewing, you just flip it right side out and VIOLA!

Here's how it looks in its new home. Maybe this will inspire me to make our bed in the mornings....  

maybe :)

- J