There are pillows that are just the right size for toddlers, and now you can make cute pillowcases for them too!
My granddaughter has been a ray of sunshine in this dreary winter. We spend a lot of time together, which means I’m often there for naptime. At 18 months old, it’s usually a struggle, but I’m always looking for ways to make it easier on both of us.
A while back, I heard she was really starting to enjoy sleeping on a little pillow.
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Faster than you can say “Your package has arrived,” I had these pillows on their way.
They each measure about 13 1/2 x 18 1/2” so my usual pillowcase pattern was going to be way too big. There was no chance I wasn’t going to girly these up for her, so I worked out the math and I thought I’d share. You know, just in case there’s a tiny human in your life that needs one too.
To make one pillowcase you’ll need three cotton fabrics, cut to these dimensions:
Body - 19 x 26 1/2”
Cuff - 6 1/2 x 26 1/2”
Trim - 2 1/2 x 26 1/2”
Fold the trim piece in half with wrong sides together and press.
Lay out the cuff with the right side up. Line up the raw edges of the trim with the upper edge of the cuff.
Add the body on top, right side down, with the upper edges even.
Carefully roll the body up from the bottom edge until it’s just past halfway up the cuff.
Fold the cuff up from the bottom, over the rolled up body. Make sure all edges are even at the top and pin in place.
Stitch 1/4” from the upper edge. Be sure to backstitch at both ends.
Pull the rolled body out of one end and turn the cuff right side out.
Press the cuff and seam. Press the trim toward the body. Stitch close to the loose edge of the trim, through the trim and body, to hold it down. I do this on most pillowcases now, because I don’t like the way it scrunches up after washing otherwise.
Fold the pillowcase with wrong sides together, matching the edges of the cuff and trim. Stitch a 1/4” seam down the side without the fold and across the bottom. Clip the seam at each corner.
Turn the pillowcase wrong side out. Press the seams. Stitch the side and bottom again with a 1/2” seam. I use a larger seam for the second whenever I’m making French seams because it usually means I have less thread to clip to clean it up.
Turn right side out and press. Clip any threads that managed to make it through that wide seam.
Insert the pillow and you’re finished!
In case you’re wondering, she loves them. She thinks it’s funny to throw it on the floor, put her head down on it and say “Night night!” As far as it improving naptime? I’ll get back to you on that one.
