Housewife pillowslip with French seams

This Instructable explains how to make a plain pillowslip/pillowcase with a "housewife" flap and all the raw edges hidden.

Materials
Sheeting fabric – you will need a piece 75" x 22" (190cm x 56cm) for a standard 30" x 20" (76cm x 51cm) pillow
Matching thread

You will also need a sewing machine, pins, a pair of cutting-out scissors, an iron, a long straight edge, a tape measure or steel rule, a T-square or a sheet of A4 paper and a “disappearing” felt tip or a water-soluble crayon in a colour that will show on your fabric.

Step 1 Cutting out

If you are using proper sheeting fabric, it will be wide and you can cut your rectangle out across the width of the fabric. Measure your pillow's length and width – err on the generous side because a tight pillowcase will stop the pillow within it from being as squashy as it should be. Multiply the length by two and then add 15" (38cm) to give the long side of the rectangle you need to cut. Add 2" (5cm) to the width to give the short side of the rectangle. So, if your pillow measures 30" x 20" (76cm x 51cm) you will be cutting a piece of fabric that measures 75" by 22" (190cm x 56cm).

Start by pulling a thread at the cut end of the fabric to give you a straight edge perpendicular to the selvedges. Cut along this line. Measure 22"/56cm (or whatever width you need) along each selvedge and mark those points with a "disappearing" felt pen or a water-soluble crayon. Measure and mark at various intermediate points too and then draw a line along a straight edge from one selvedge towards the other, to 75" (190cm) or whatever length you need. Draw in the short edge too, taking care to make it at right angles to the first line. You can use a sheet of paper to give you the right angle. Now cut out the rectangle.