One Million Pillowcase Challenge: Finish with French Seams
Download the pattern at allpeoplequilt.com/pillowcasepattern.
TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I'm Linda, and now I'm going to show you how to finish that pillowcase. We're going to show you how to make a French seam, which is a double seam that encloses the raw edges inside of itself so there's no raw edges left. This is the seam that you're going to make on the side and bottom of your pillowcase once you've got that band on. So let's get rolling. So the first step is to put your pillowcase wrong sides together. And yes I meant that: wrong sides together, which is not a typical way we sew, but for the French seam it's a must. So I've pinned my raw edge wrong sides together. Then I'm going to put my seam allowance, I'm going to sew at a scant 1/4", which is a little less than a 1/4". You'll see again, because I'm going to enclose that seam, that's why I'm going to do a scant 1/4". So I'm following my 1/4", but I moved my needle the right. So now I'm going to sew at that scant 1/4". You still want to make sure that you're going to get both pieces of fabric in. And I also pinned along this side, but I payed special attention to pinning here at the inner section of the band, because I want to make sure that that meets up nicely. So you can see, that's a pretty scant 1/4" seam. I've turned the pillowcase right sides together or wrong sides out. And you can see that seam that we sewed in the first step is on the inside. When I turned it right side out, I also did a little pressing. And I wiggled that seam out, so that it's nice and crisp against this edge, because you want to make sure that this next seam catches all of that seam allowance inside of the seam you're going to sew. Now for this seam allowance you're going to sew at a regular 1/4". Since the inside seam was a scant 1/4", you shouldn't have any of the seam allowance coming out of this seam. So now we're going to sew at our regular 1/4". And again as you're sewing, you can kind of feel where that seam allowance is, because you'll be able to feel that ridge. So you just want to make sure it's getting captured in the seam. And sew along that edge. Again I pinned right on that intersection. We want to make sure that's a nice good connection there and that the band is in a good place. So now you can see when I turn it right side out that seam that I sewed the first time is captured within the seam I sewed the second time. And none of the raw edges of that first seam show. So I've got all my raw edges enclosed. There will be no raveling. To finish it off, do the same thing on the bottom of your pillowcase. And your pillowcase is finished.