How to Sew a Pillow Sham

Simple pillow sham

• 1

  Fold the fabric in half lengthwise and mark with a dressmaker's pen four inches from the end that you plan to leave open.

• 2

  Place the fabric in the sewing machine and, starting at your mark, stitch the long side. Continue the seam around the short end, ending at the fold.

• 3

  Turn the raw, open edge over at one inch and iron a crease all the way around. Turn the creased edge in another four inches and press again. Stitch the hem.

• 4

  Add embroidery or other embellishments, if desired.

Ruffled pillow sham

• 5

  Fold one of the pieces of fabric in half with the short ends together. Cut along the fold, leaving two inches connected at the top and at the bottom. Press this cut edge under 1/4 inch. Press another quarter inch and stitch the hem in place.

• 6

  Press the long strip of fabric in half lengthwise so that makes a long 2-inch wide strip. Press the ends of the fabric under 1/4 inch. Cut a triangular notch on the raw edge of the strip at 28 1/2 inches, 51 inches and 79 1/2 inches.

• 7

  Hand-baste the rough edge of the long strip at 1/4 inch with a very long stitch. Create a ruffle by bunching the fabric evenly along this stitch.

• 8

  Place one of the fabric squares out on the table or floor, right side up. Starting at one corner, line up the rough edge of the ruffle with the rough edge of the square. Be sure that the "ruffled" edge is pointing into the square, not out like fringe. Match the notches with the corners and adjust the ruffle evenly around the sham.

• 9

  Lay the other square on top, right side down, and pin all pieces together around the edge. Stitch them in place with a 1/4 seam all the way around.

• 10

  Turn the right sides out. Hand stitch the open edges of the ruffle together to finish the sham.