Wednesday, December 28, 2011

How to Make a Ruffled Pillow Sham

Woke up bright and early this morning to start sewing!  I decided that Baby Cate's bedroom needed peachy pink pillow shams instead of ivory linen.  So, after visiting my new favorite (cheap) fabric store in Covington, Georgia (called Ocho) to get my fabric (2.99) a yard, I had to get busy on these this a.m.
Now,,,,for one thing, ruffled shams are pretty labor intensive.  The other thing is that you can't just "whip em up".  And, they aren't really all that easy to make.  Hopefully these instructions will help you when and IF you decide to make some.  Personally, I'd just pay someone if I didn't already know how to sew.  
So, let's get started...
First lay your fabric out flat.  I bought 6 yards for 3 24" pillow shams

I cut mine 25" square and also lined mine because the fabric is a lightweight pima cotton

I cut six pieces  duh, you need a front and a back

find something to write on to measure what you will need for a ruffle

I messed up.  After cutting one piece of the ruffle 6" wide, I decided I needed 8".  Cut your ruffle pieces on the bias like this

this is how you sew the seams together for the ruffle.  I ended up with 4 pieces that needed sewing together

follow the pin lines and sew as shown

trim the seam and press open

it should look like this.  If it doesn't you've messed up....oops

now the ruffle should be a circle.  Fold the piece in half and press. And the ruffle should be 4" wide.  Stitch the folded piece completely around the circle (the edge) to keep the ruffle flat when you ruffle the fabric.

Now, if you are lucky enough to have this contraption, (a ruffler) use it.  If not, sew two lines of gathering stitches to be pulled up to make the ruffle

this is what the ruffler does!

now pin the edges to the right side of the front side of the pillow and pin completely around

After stitching, pin the corners like sew (no pun intended) to keep the corner ruffle from getting caught when you sew the back side of the pillow on

place the back side (right sides together) and turn it over

pin all the way around leaving about an 18" area that you won't stitch

that 18" area will be where you stuff the pillow form.  Following the stitch from the ruffle, stitch all the way around the pillow leaving the opening free 

there it is!

trim all seams and clip corners.  Turn and press

there's the opening for the pillow form.  Stuff that pillow right in there.  This will be quite cumbersome, but you can do it!

see! now either stitch it closed with the sewing machine or by hand.  I choose the sewing machine but it can be tricky!

enjoy a beautiful sunrise!

One down and two to go.  I will say the first one is more fun than the other two......
Gotta get back to the sewing machine!!!
Have a great day y'all!
kb
oh wait, here is another piece of fabric I found at Ocho.  Isn't this adorable?  3.99 a yard. (it was however a 2 and 7/8" remanent.  Perfect for a pleated balloon shade. If I get the go ahead from J, I'll start on it for her bathroom.



11 comments:

  1. Cute, cute CUTE!! Love the pillows!!!! Can't wait to see them on the bed! And I love the fabric you found!

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  2. Great tutorial- I need a ruffler!!

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  3. i want to buy a sewing machine. taking a class in the spring. i want a good one that will carry me into the future. I love the shams!!!!!! Did you make the christmas pj's for your family?

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  4. PLEASE Give your followers a suggestion on buying a sewing machine. I need one that as i develope my sewing skills will carry me through the years . Do you have to spend a fortune to get a good machine? I just found your blogg a month ago. You are amazing. I wish you were in Agusta. You could teach a sewing class. HA!!!! Just one more thing to add to your already full life!!!! I guess for now your classes will have to be through your blog. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!! I am hooked

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  5. To the two "A"s. Okay, I started with a Kenmore sewing machine when I was 15. That took me to about age 28. I then got a low end Bernina. That took me to about age 40. Then I got a computerized Bernina. There are a multitude of machines to choose from. If I were just starting out however, I would get a very basic machine to make sure that I like sewing and can get the hang of it. Some people get very frustrated (like I still do). But if you're determined and REALLY wanna "go for it", I'd probably purchase a Bernina in the 800 - 1,200.00 range. If not, go with a Kenmore or a Brother. About the pjs. We bought them at Old Navy and my daughter appliqued (she has an applique only machine) the trees and ornaments. Loved them!!! Thanks so much for posting and have a wonderful new year!!!

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  6. Also when buying a machine the dealer is a big part of the puzzle. I have a friend that bought her machine at a chain store and can't get any assistance with her defective machine.

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  7. Also when buying a machine the dealer is a big part of the puzzle. I have a friend that bought her machine at a chain store and can't get any assistance with her defective machine.

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  8. I enjoyed reading your article. Please make more interesting topics like this on.
    what is a sham?

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  9. You product is amazing and also available at affordable rate and also in different sizes and apart from the product you also provide useful information in this blog so thank you for this.
    What is a sham?

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  10. Excellent information provided thanks for all the information. I must say great efforts made by you. thanks a lot for all the information you provided.
    what is a sham?
    What is a euro sham

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  11. Great blog and I really appreciate you for putting such great information in this blog.
    What is a sham

    ReplyDelete