Ticking Cuff Pillow Cover Tutorial

MY TICKING CUFF PILLOW COVER TUTORIAL IS SURE TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY AT YOUR HOUSE.  RECYCLE AN OLD OR OUT-OF-SEASON PILLOW WITH A NEW FARMHOUSE COVER.

This project began a couple of years ago when I designed this wool felt applique called, ‘Robins in the Blueberry Patch’. As often happens, I started out to make an wool applique pattern that I was given, but I just didn’t love it. “If I just change the color of this part… and maybe that piece a bit… oh, and this part too… then I would really love it”, I thought as I worked.

Well, it didn’t take long until I just put away the original pattern and began drawing my own. And that is how ‘Robins in the Blueberry Patch’ came to life.

Of course, it had to have birds (and a nest) in it. I love to watch birds on the farm and to watch for nests blown from the orchard trees and often incorporate them into my home decor. And it had to have blueberries. For those of you who don’t know, we have quite a few acres of blueberries here on our farm so this design was a natural outflow of my life.

I have this one ceramic bird that I just adore so I decided to use it in the design of this pattern. It is my favorite colors of blues and browns and exactly what I wanted this design to look like.

And so my applique began and I worked on it off and on until I finally finished it last winter. I loved it! It was beautiful! It was really… BIG! Wow! What am I going to do with this lovely applique that was on a linen piece 18″x34″?

What to do with this applique?

I knew from past experience that framing it would be quite expensive so that was out. I could incorporate it into a quilt. Or a table runner.

But, then I remembered I had this long fall applique pillow I had made several years ago just about the same size. I only used it 3 months in the fall and then had to find a place to store it in the linen closet, where it took up way to much room.

So, I decided I would make this applique into a pillow cover to slip over the fall pillow so I could use it on my bed the rest of the year. It was perfect! And it would save stuffing that pillow in the closet for 9 months of the year.

Pillow cover cuff design

I wanted it to have a traditional farmhouse appeal so I chose a blue ticking that perfectly compliments the birds and the eggs. Problem was I wanted that pretty blue ticking on the front too and I wasn’t sure how to do it.

The pillow is too long to have the traditional overlap in the center of the back in which you put the pillow form in. It just wouldn’t have gone in or out well. It needed it to open from the end.

But since I didn’t want the fall pillow inside to show I had to make a way to close it. That is when I remembered I had bed pillow cases with a cuff for just this purpose and if I made the cuff from the ticking it would show on the front! Bingo!

Ticking cuff pillow cover tutorial sewing steps 1 to 4

1. Before starting any applique or embroidery project I put iron-on stabilizer on the back of my base fabric and run a zig-zag stitch around the edge. The stabilizer keeps the fabric smooth when hand sewing and also hides any thread knots that might show through. The zig-zag stitching keeps the edges from fraying while you are hand sewing. (If you don’t hand applique you could certainly do the front of the pillow with a complimentary piece of solid or print fabric instead. If you are a quilter you could use a quilt piece.)

2. Cut your backing piece (ticking in my case) the same width as your top piece and 3″ to 4″ longer to leave extra for the cuff. Determine which short end you want the pillow case to open from and turn that end under 3/8″ twice and sew down to make a finished edge. Do the same with one short end of the backing piece.

3. Lay the backing piece right side up on the table and fold the finished edge back on itself (right sides facing) 3″ to 4″ depending on how big you cut your backing. Lay the applique front piece on top with the right side down and the finished edge at the same end as the backing finished edge. Line up all edges and adjust folded backing piece to perfectly fit the top.

4. Sew down one long side, across the unfinished end and back to the top at the other side with a generous 1/2″ seam. Once secured together go around again on the edge with a zig-zag stitch to keep the edges from fraying.

Ticking cuff pillow cover tutorial sewing steps 5 to 8

5. When you are done the ticking cuff pillow cover should look like this. It will have a folded cuff on the backing piece and the ends will be finished.

6. Be sure to clip the 2 inside corners a scant 1/4″ from the seam so they will turn inside smoothly. I actually clipped mine before I sewed the zig-zag stitch around the edge.

7. Now reach down inside the pillow case, grab the bottom and gently turn your piece right side out. Now you will be able to see the right side of the front and back, but the wrong side of the blue ticking cuff piece.

8. Insert your pillow form and then simply turn the cuff back over the end of the opening so the right side of the cuff shows.

Ticking cuff pillow cover tutorial video

Future pillow pattern plans

And just like that, your adorable little ticking cuff pillow cover is done and the pretty little cuff shows on the front.

Of course, now my mind is busy designing a Christmas pillow cover with a cute red ticking and maybe even a spring garden pillow cover…hmmm. Watch out, you just may be seeing those ideas in the coming year!

Watch for a new SHOP here on my blog where you can purchase and download this pattern, ‘Robins in the Blueberry Patch’ and many others that I have designed. I’m so excited to finally make all my designs available to the public!

Materials for this ticking cuff pillow cover tutorial

Ticking by Magnolia Home…similar to the one I used.

18″x32″ pillow insert

The tools I use and rely on every time I sew

Gingher 8″ Shears The sewing scissors I have used for years and years.

Gingher 4″ Featherweight Thread Clippers I wear these thread snips on a lanyard when doing all my hand needlework and at my sewing machine. With small children in our home they are perfect because I don’t have scissors laying about.

Olfa Standard Rotary Cutter 45mm or Olfa Quick Change Rotary Cutter 45mm. Endurance Refill Blade

Omnigrid 6 1/2″x24″ ruler, Omnigrid 6″x12″ ruler, Omnigrid 6 1/2″x6 1/2″ ruler

Olfa 24×36 self healing Cutting Mat Again, the one I have used for years and still looks fantastic and has many years of life left. Worth it.

I sew on an older Bernina Virtuosa 155 Quilter’s Edition. It has a large (9″) throat made for quilting and has run flawlessly for years. They are available used online or you can look for a newer model at you local Bernina dealer.

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