How to Easily Sew a Pillowcase with the French Seam on the Outside
A step-by-step tutorial for sewing a 50×50 cm pillowcase with the French seam on the outside: cut a square piece and two rectangular pieces, hem the long edge of the rectangular pieces with a double fold, layer the pieces wrong-side up so the envelope flap forms in back, sew the main seam with a 1.3 cm allowance, turn the pillowcase right side out, and topstitch around the perimeter 1.5 cm from the edge — this is what creates the neat French seam on the right side, while all the raw edges stay hidden.
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Things you will learn
Pillowcases with the French seam on the outside look decorative thanks to the seam's neat edge, while all the raw edges stay safely hidden; thanks to the envelope flap, this kind of pillowcase slips on and off the pillow easily.
Pillowcases for 50×50 cm and 50×70 cm pillows are sewn using a similar method; for a standard 50×50 cm pillowcase, you need to cut three pieces: one 55×55 cm square and two 40×55 cm rectangles.
In the diagrams, gray shows the right side of the fabric and white shows the wrong side; the rectangular pieces first get their long edge finished with a double 2.5 cm fold, topstitched close to the edge, so the envelope flap is formed.
Layer the pieces so the raw edge of one rectangular piece ends up at the bottom and the finished edge of the other ends up at the top; after pinning, sew around all the sides with a 1.3 cm seam allowance and trim the corners, stopping 2 mm short of the stitching.
After turning the pillowcase right side out and pressing the seams, sew a second line of stitching around the entire perimeter, 1.5 cm from the edge — it's this stitch line that creates the neat French seam on the right side of the pillowcase.
What you'll get
You'll get a 50×50 cm pillowcase with an envelope flap in back and a neat French seam on the right side — with all the raw edges staying safely hidden.
Materials and tools
Materials
Fabric (a natural-fiber blend is best), used for all three pillowcase pieces
Tailor's chalk, a soap sliver, or a fabric pencil, for marking the fabric before cutting
Thread to match the fabric, used for all the stitching
Tools
Ruler, for marking out the rectangular and square pieces
Scissors, for cutting the pieces and trimming the corners
Pins, for pinning the pieces together before stitching
Sewing machine, for all the stitching
Iron, for pressing the folds and seams
Preparation
Decide on your pillowcase size
Pillowcases for 50×50 cm and 50×70 cm pillows are sewn using a similar method — patterns for both sizes are included. This tutorial covers sewing a standard 50×50 cm pillowcase.
Gather your tools and materials
Gather the following: fabric (a natural-fiber blend is best), a ruler, tailor's chalk, a soap sliver, or a fabric pencil for marking the fabric, scissors, pins, thread to match the fabric, a sewing machine, and an iron.
Cut three pieces
For one 50×50 cm pillowcase, you need to cut three pieces: 55×55 cm — 1 piece; 40×55 cm — 2 pieces. In the diagrams, gray shows the right side of the fabric and white shows the wrong side.
Finish the rectangular pieces
The rectangular pieces get one long edge finished with a double fold — this is what forms the pillowcase's envelope flap.
Fold and stitch the edge twice
First, finish the rectangular pieces: fold one long edge under toward the wrong side by 2.5 cm, press it well, fold it under toward the wrong side again, and press once more. Topstitch close to the folded edge.
Diagram of the double edge fold
Layer the pieces to form the flap
The pieces are layered in a specific order so the rectangular pieces' finished and raw edges meet in the middle and form the flap.
Place the square piece and the first rectangle
Place the square piece right side up. On top of it, place one rectangular piece wrong side up, so the raw edge ends up at the bottom.
Diagram of the cut pieces
Pin the top and sides
Align the top and sides, and pin them together.
Place the second rectangular piece
Next, place the second rectangular piece on top, wrong side up, so the finished edge ends up at the top.
Pin the sides and bottom
Align the sides and bottom, and pin them together.
Sew the main seam
The main seam is stitched around all the sides of the piece, and then the corners are trimmed.
Stitch around the perimeter
Sew a straight seam around all the sides, using a 1.3 cm seam allowance.
Diagram of the assembly
Trim the corners
Trim the corners, stopping 2 mm short of the stitching.
Form the French seam on the outside
After turning the pillowcase right side out, a second stitch line around the perimeter creates a neat French seam on the right side.
Turn the pillowcase right side out and press the seams
Turn the pillowcase right side out, push the corners out neatly, and press the seams well.
Stitch a second line around the perimeter
Sew a second line of stitching around the entire perimeter of the pillowcase, 1.5 cm from the edge.
Diagram of the finished pillowcase
Finish and variations
Finish
Your pillowcase is ready
And that's it — your pretty pillowcase with the French seam on the outside is ready!
Variations
Sew a 50×70 cm pillowcase
Pillowcases for 50×50 cm and 50×70 cm pillows are sewn using a similar method — the same technique works for the other size too.
The pillowcase's corners look messy after turning it right side out
Problem
After turning the pillowcase right side out, the corners come out blunt or puffy instead of sharp and neat.
Likely cause
The corners were trimmed either too close to the stitching or too far from it when the allowances were trimmed.
How to fix it
Trim the corners so they stop exactly 2 mm short of the stitching — that's enough for the corner to turn out neatly without the stitching coming undone.
The French seam on the right side looks uneven
Problem
The second stitch line around the perimeter comes out wavy, or sits at a different distance from the edge in different spots.
Likely cause
The seams weren't pressed and smoothed out well enough before the second stitch line was sewn.
How to fix it
Before sewing the second stitch line, push the corners out well and press the pillowcase's seams — this makes it much easier to sew the second line evenly at 1.5 cm from the edge all the way around.
The raw edge of a rectangular piece shows on the outside
Problem
After assembling the flap, the raw edge of one of the rectangular pieces ends up visible on the outside instead of hidden inside.
Likely cause
The rectangular pieces were layered in the wrong order — the first piece's raw edge wasn't facing down, or the second piece's finished edge wasn't facing up.
How to fix it
Make sure the first rectangular piece is laid with its raw edge facing down, and the second with its finished edge facing up, so the edges meet in the middle and the flap forms correctly.
?FAQ
How many pieces do I need to cut for a 50×50 cm pillowcase?
Three pieces: one 55×55 cm square and two 40×55 cm rectangles.
What do the gray and white colors mean in the diagrams?
Gray shows the right side of the fabric, and white shows the wrong side.
What seam allowance is used for the main seam?
1.3 cm.
How far from the edge does the second stitch line run?
1.5 cm from the edge — this is the stitch line that forms the French seam on the right side.
Does this method work for a different pillowcase size?
Yes, pillowcases for 50×50 cm and 50×70 cm pillows are sewn using a similar method.
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