If you have a passion for decorating your pillows, but don't like the pillow cases you see in the stores, you can create your own pillow cases from scratch. You can add a little femininity to your original pillow case designs by adding lace embellishments. You can make your pillowcases with a sewing machine or you can use needle and thread. It's all a matter of personal preference.
Instructions
Cut two pieces of fabric to match the length and width you want your pillow case. Be sure to add an additional 1/2 to 1 inch in both the length and width. The extra inches will be needed later for your seams.
Use a sewing machine/needle and thread to sew a one- inch hem all the way around the fabric. This must be done for both pieces of fabric.
Iron both of the pieces of fabric to knock out any wrinkles. Use a low heat setting to reduce the risk of burning your fabric.
Lay each piece of fabric, patterned side up, on a flat working surface.
Position pieces of lace on top of the fabric to create a lace design. If you like, you can use a light pencil to draw a design pattern onto the fabric. You can then lay the pieces of lace on top of the pencil tracing.
Use a few straight pins to secure the pieces of lace to the fabric.
Use your sewing machine/needle and thread to stitch the lace onto the fabric. Remove the straight pins when you're done.
Take both fabric pieces and put them together so that the edges are perfectly aligned. The patterned sides of the fabric should be facing inwards. If you want to add lace around the borders of the fabric, you can place the lace in between the two pieces of fabric in a “sandwich” style. The lace should be placed right along the borders of each side of the fabric. Use straight pins to secure the pieces of fabric and lace together.
Stitch the two longs sides of the fabric together. Stitch one of the short sides together. Leave one of the short sides open as this will be the opening to insert your pillow.
Remove the straight pins from the fabric and lace. Turn the completed pillowcase inside out so that the patterned side is on the outside.
Repeat Steps 1 through 10 for each pillow case you want to make.