Hello all. I could stand a little help with this question. I am a newbie to quilting, and have never made pillows before. I want to make pillows for my friends for Christmas, and will use a 14 x 14 pillow form. My question is this: do you make the material for the sides exactly 14" or do you add a few inches all around? I know this is an easy one for so many of you, and I really do appreciate your help. Thanks!

If you are using a 1/2 inch seam allowance, I would cut them 16". That gives you a little leeway. I don't like them to be tooo snug. If that seems a little loose, then you can take them up a little more. You can make them smaller, but you can't make them bigger.

You will need the seam allowance all the way around your pillow, so if you make a square that is exactly 14"x14" your pillow form will be too big. I prefer to have more than a 1/4" seam allowance on a pillow, as they have a tendancy to get tossed around and not handled gently, especially if there are any children around. You can also make a 12" finished square and add a 1-1/2" sashing/border strip all the way around that will be what is actually going to be what is stitched in the seam at the edge of the pillow using a 1/2" seam. Hope this makes sense!

Thank you so much for all your help and suggestions! I never thought about making a larger seam allowance, but that makes sense! I was thinking about adding a border all around the panel that will be in the center. Thanks again!

almost free,

I work in an interior decorating showroom here in Montreal and one of my task it to oversee the production of decorator pillows for showroom sales.... (and I use this rule for all my own pillow making as well)....

We order all of our pillow fillers (feather), to be bigger than the pillow covers...
Example: If I have a pillow cover that is 20" x 20", I order fillers that are 22" x 22"....

An exception would be a very lightweight silk - I would order 21" x 21" instead.

For synthetic fillers, it may be a bit different - but it will depend on how densely the pillow forms are filled.

Enjoy the pillow making....

Bill

I always use a one inch larger square than I do pillow form if pillow form is 14 x 14 I use a 15 X 15 inch piece of fabric sew quarter inch seams It will give you a little leeway but not much

I make quilted pillow covers just that size. I use a 12 (12 1/2 unfinished) inch block pattern and add a once inch border. When I add the backing I use a quarter inch seam allowance and do a straight stitch and then a zig zag in the seam allowance. I like my pillows to be plump and making the covers the same size as the insert helps keep them plump.

I'm so glad you asked this. I'm making my first pillows soon and can sure use all the wonderful advice here.

I made lots of pillows in the drapery factory while I was working. Our pillow covers were the same size as the pillow molds. Plus seam allowance or the pillow turned in the casings. To get them into the casings after they were sewn, we would wrap them in plastic wrap and shove it in and pull out the plastic sleeve. Worked every time and made
nice plump pillows. We sewed them shut and move to the next one. Nothing went to waste.

Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions! I will have to post a picture when they are finished.