Seven Mulberry Silk Pillowcase Sewing Tips

It seems that everyone has come to realize how effective silk is protecting hair. Since we tend to sleep about a third of our lives, and not all of us take a moment to wrap our hair up in silk scarves before hitting the sack, silk pillowcases have become a popular gift item.

But no need to spend a lot on a commercially produced silk pillowcase that can run you anywhere from $40 to over $100 each. Ellesby Fabric specializes in real 100% silks. (Note that ALL pure silk is "mulberry" silk as mulberry leaves are what silkworms eat to the exclusion of all other food).

The ideal type of silk to buy for pillows is a smooth woven silk, such as charmeuse or satin. The ideal weight for a sturdy pillowcase is 19 momme (sometimes abbreviated 19mm), but as light as 16 mm is still of high quality while saving a few bucks per yard. Check out affordable 19 momme charmeuse at our Etsy shop or even 33 momme satin silks at our affiliate partner PureSilks.

While making pillowcases seems as simple as sewing in a straight line around two rectangles, there are some tricks to silk. Make dreamy silk pillowcases with these seven tips.

Tip 1: Start with Your Closure

Silk charmeuse and satin are slippery, so consider how you want your pillowcase to close.

Simple Open Pocket: A typical pillowcase you would find in a cotton or polyester sheet set has an open pocket slot with a 4 inch hem. For this pillowcase type, you may want to consider optional 1.5 yards of silk piping or contrast to add interest around the opening.
Invisible Zipper Closure: Major silk bedding companies typically make a pillowcase closed with an invisible zipper on one of the short sides so that the pillow will not slide out. You will need a long invisible zipper (18 or 20 inches). Optional silk piping of up to 3.5 yards / 3 meters will also add a nice outline to the pillowcase that will detract from the zipper pull.
Envelope Closure: This closure is fast to sew and does not require any extra notions like the Simple Open Pocket, but it also keeps the pillow from sliding out. This option involves an overlap of 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 cm) either in the center of the pillowcase back or the pillowcase edge. I find that the center back is easiest to sew. Check out one version here.

Tip 2: Plan Your Cut

Pillows come in different sizes. You will need enough fabric to cover the pillow case sizes below, also adding at least half an inch all around on seams to sew and around 5 inch hem allowances for closures on open pocket and envelope designs. For Invisible Zipper Closure styles, no hem allowance is needed. The table below provides basic dimensions of finished pillowcases, not including seam or hem allowances. You will need twice this size

Most silk charmeuse and satin comes in 44 inch widths. Depending on prints, you will need to consider repeats and direction.

One meter is about 40 inches, and the generous cuts we offer at Ellesby Fabric will make one meter enough for one pillow up to king size.

Solids or border prints have the advantage of being used lengthwise. This will allow you to make a king size pillowcase in just one meter if using the long side on the selvage.

Standard pillow	20 inches by 26 inches
Super standard pillow	20 inches by 28 inches
Queen pillow	20 inches by 30 inches
King pillow	20 inches by 36 inches

Tip 3: Pick the Right Tools

When sewing smooth silk woven fabric, be sure to change your machine needle to a regular tip 80/12 or 80/11 needle. If 90/14 is all that you have, you'll be okay if it is brand new. The finer tipped needle will help to avoid runs in silk.

Since we're just dealing with rectangles, this is an excellent opportunity to use a rotary cutter. However you slice it, this material is slippery, so be sure to clamp down or weigh down your fabric before cutting.

When sewing slippery fabric like silk, be sure to have pins handy!

Tip 4: Serge or Parlez-Vous Francais?

To sew seams, I am a big fan of serging with an overlock machine so that my seams are finished and trimmed in one step. However, it is also standard to do French seams for professional pillowcases, especially if you do not have a serger. This will require sewing and pressing each seam twice.

To make a French seam, sew each seam with wrong sides together at 0.25 or less. Press and trim your seam, then turn it to now have right sides together like a normal seam. Press again. This will encase your seams nicely.

Tip 5: Simplify Your Seams

Since your fabric will slide and fray, I recommend minimizing the number of edges you need to sew. This is why I like a center back envelope and serging.

For two standard size center back envelope pillowcases in less than 30 minutes:

I take one piece of fabric that is 63 inches along the selvage and cut it in half so that I have two 63-inch length pieces that each have a selvage and are 21-22 inches wide.
I neatly fold over each of the 21-inch wide edges to finish the hems to 3 inches, with one inch turned to double under the inner hems.
That leaves me with two 55-inch long strips. With right sides together, I center the overlap on each to the 3-inch hemline and pin in place.
I then sew or serge the top and bottom seams.
I press my seams, sew in a tag in each pillow, and then...Done!

Two simple straight seams, and two 3-inch wide hems. This process works

Tip 6: Smooth Your Silk

My mother taught me that the best sewists are the best pressers. For a professional finish, be sure to press all seams and iron all hems. I recommend a pressing cloth to minimize any damage to the silk. Use a silk setting on your iron, with no steam.

Tip 7: Tag and Bag

What do with any leftover scraps? Silk makes for great scarves, scrunchies, or just gift bags for your lovely, giftable pillowcase.

If you find this project easy, you may want to consider silk pillowcases as an item for sale. If you do, remember that you will need to include tags sewn into the pillowcase with the following information:

Company name
Material (100% silk)
Country of origin
Care (dry clean recommended)

If you are just starting out, try using iron on transfer paper to make your tags.

Happy sewing, and share your finished items through the Ellesby contact page! Shop for your project fabric at EllesbyFabric.etsy.com or our affiliate partner PureSilks.