Making envelope pillow covers with pointy corners

[Linda J.]

I took a picture but cannot find where the file is to attach, but I used a Fairfield pillow form 12x12. The cover was cut at 12 1/2 x12 1/2 and then sewn with two pieces on the back right sides together with a 1/4" seam. The result was that the corners were really pointy and the pillow form didn't fill the points. I had read that you sew the covers to be 12x12 so they fit snugly. This isn't a quilt issue but the fronts of the pillow is a crazy quilt pieced of some batiks and silk dupioni.

[Linda J.]

Don't know where I read this, so, it could have been in a dream!! When making a pillow cover, stitch up to 2? Stitches from where you would make a right angle turn. Keeping your needle in the down position, lift presser foot, turn fabric at a ? Angle, put presser foot down, stitch approx 4 stitches, needle down, foot up, turn to go down the next side, foot down, and stitch to next corner area. This 'cuts across' those corners and gives a bit of a rounded shape, but your pillow form can't get into those point ones anyway! Then you use a pillow form one size larger than you made the cover, and it really fills it up nicely. Another idea, as yours is already sewn together and you have the pillow form, put small balls of stuffing into each corner before putting in your pillow form. That will fluff them up and you may have to adjust a little more to fill in the connecting area of form-to-stuffing.
Hope this helps you
Luann

[Linda J.]

When I was at the RSN we had to make the pillows to go inside the embroidered pillow covers that we were finishing for clients, because they would be all sorts of non standard sizes. As I recall we would always make the pillow 1/2" larger than the cover - the opposite way around on sizes that you have done.

[Linda J.]

Hi Luann and Rosemary! I will do what you both said, ie: make it smaller and do the corner 45 degrees across for 4 stitches. It's an envelope so taking it off is easy.Thanks very much.

[Coni P.]

Here is excellent video and the way I've sewn knife edge pillows for years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STT1M7Qrt7w

[Renata L.]

I recently came across this video by Bonnie Browning that was really helpful to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ZKmuy1bJY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ZKmuy1bJY

[Renata L.]

Thank you Coni and Renata. I made two beautiful pillows without these methods in the corners. I just made them smaller than the form and crossed to the next side with a diagonal of a few stitches. I used an old batik in the center and crazy quilted with other batiks and some silk dupioni. I wonder how that will wash?? And has anyone noticed that the batik designs aren't as beautiful as they used to be??? Or is there a brand that is more beautiful?