Sew Inspirational

Easy Cushion

By Kerrie Hay

Dressing up your décor is always lots of fun. Whether it be for the bedroom, lounge, dinning or any other room around the house, it is fun choosing a theme, colour scheme and fabrics.

This easy to make cushion can lend itself to many colour combinations. To download the Easy Cushion project click here 

Prints Charming: Make Your Own Bed Linen

Rise and Shine! by Sue Neall

Once again, as the designer and seamster in your household, you can work very individual and unique colour and style magic in your home decoration. Don’t stop decorating at the curtain and cushion stage however. Take your creative talents to the bedroom too!

You can piece any width fabric to make matching or coordinating Sheets, pillowcases, quilts or doona covers. This will also allow you to take the look through to the other furnishings in your room.

EXCITING NEWS: Follow-up with Sew Inspirational Summer issue (on-line November 08). We will be adding to this ‘Make Your Own Bed Linen’ article by offering you the fabulous pattern and instructions for the matching ‘Prints Charming’ Quilt, seen here.

Bed Linen - The Basics

Piecing Fabric Lengths
The basic rule for positioning seams is to make them as inconspicuous as possible. Usually, that means on either side, rather than down dead centre of the bed. Whenever possible, use the selvedge as the seams for a sturdier result.

Remember to take nap, pattern matching, and fabric width and seam allowances into account when working out the metreage.

Seaming Pieced Sections
If using an overlocker, use a 5-thread overlock seam, or a 3 or 4-thread overlock seam reinforced with a row of straight stitching at the seamline.

If using the sewing machine, seam with a French seam or a Run and Fell seam.

Pattern Matching
Printed fabrics have a design repeat. On small prints, it may be indiscernible. On larger prints, it can be as large as 50 - 80cm. Measure the repeat and add one repeat to each length to be pieced. Also, check the design repeat across the width of the fabric. Most have an automatic pattern match, but on some, the usable width is narrower.

Don’t buy fabrics that have been printed off grain or that have been pulled off grain during finishing or wrapping on the bolt.

SHEETS Standard Finished Sizes

To make Sheets you’ll need
Fabric requirements: Sheeting and fabric varies in width. Follow the directions above and work out the metreage once you have selected the fabric. 

• 1.5cm non-roll or mattress elastic to fit twice the width of the mattress
• Coordinating machine and overlocker threads
• 3cm bias strip x the length of the sheet width

Here’s how

1. Fitted Sheet: Cut a square from each corner that measures the depth of the mattress plus 15cm.
2. With right sides together, pin the cut edges of the square together and stitch.
   Neaten the seam, press and turn to the right side.
3. To hem the sheet, turn under 5mm and then up 2cm to form an elastic casing. Leave a 15cm opening from each corner of the long sides, and stitch to form the casing.
4. Thread half the elastic through each short end casing. Fit the sheet on the bed and pull up the elastic to fit snugly. Secure the ends with a machine stitching and close the casing seam.

Flat Sheet: The top band can be made from the same sheeting fabric or try a contrast colour or pattern.

1. Cut the sheet to size, piece if necessary and hem the two long and one short side with a 1cm hem.
2. Cut the top band 24cm deep by the width of the sheet plus 2cm seam allowance.
3. Fold the bias in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. With right sides together, place both raw edges of the bias along one raw edge of the band. Using the machines presser foot as a guide, stitch the bias to the band 5mm from the bias fold.
4. Fold the band right sides together, lengthwise and stitch both ends with a 1cm seam. Turn to the right side and press.
5. Fold and press the band in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
6. Place the side of the band with the bias attached to the right side of sheet, raw edges even. Following the previous stitching line, sew the band to the sheet. Press the seam towards the band.
7. Turn under a 1cm seam allowance on the other long raw edge of the band. Pin in place over the previous stitching and baste. From the right side, topstitch in place by machine.

PILLOWCASES
One Standard Pillowcase with Contrast Band and Peeper

1. Cut two 75 x 53cm rectangles from main coloured fabric (white) and a third rectangle 16 x 53cm.
2. Cut a contrast band of fabric 14 x 53cm and a contrast insert strip (peeper) 3 x 53cm.
3. Fold peeper in half, lengthways, and press. Press a 1.5cm hem on one long side of band then place strip under hem until folded edge extends 3mm. Baste in place.
4. Stitch band to short end of one large rectangle, right side of band facing wrong side of rectangle. Turn to right side. Press. Stitch close to basting, through all thicknesses.
5. Stitch 1cm double hem along one long side of small rectangle. Stitch remaining long edge of small rectangle to short edge of remaining large rectangle, right sides together.
6. Place the two large rectangles together, right sides facing. Fold flap over banded rectangle. Stitch 1.5cm seam down either long side and the remaining short end. Neaten raw edges. Turn to right side and press.

DOONA OR DUVET COVER (Not shown in these pics)
You’ll need - To make a standard double doona cover (180 x 210cm) you’ll need 5.2m fabric, at least 190cm wide (pieced).

*Check under Standard Finished Sizes measurement chart to determine other bed sizes and under Standard Pillowcases to add metreage for matching cases.

Here’s how (Double bed)

1. Cut 182 x 212cm piece of fabric (or piece your widths, see above) from main and backing fabric. Cut 182 x 20cm piece from each for the facings. Cut ten 25 x 4cm strips for the ties.
2. Join both short ends of the facing pieces, right sides together.
3. With right sides facing, stitch around two long sides and one short side of the cover. Overlock seam, turn and press.
4. Ties – Turn under, press and stitch tiny double hem all round.
5. Pin ties to the front and back cover, right sides facing and evenly spaced along raw edges.
6. With right sides facing, pin facings over cover opening with ties sandwiched in between. Stitch around opening. Overlock and press seam towards facing.
7. Turn facing to wrong side and top-stitch through all layers, 1cm from the edge.