How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Pillow? Yardage Guide + How to Sew

Before You Start: Four Numbers to Know

Every pillow calculation comes back to the same four measurements.

1. Insert size. Measure the pillow form itself, seam to seam. An 20" insert for an 18x18" pillow is the most common size for a sofa.
2. Cut size. For a full, plump pillow, cut your front and back pieces the same size as the insert. A 1/2" seam on every side makes the finished cover 1" smaller than the insert, so it fills out the corners nicely. For a softer, slouchier look, add 2" to the insert size instead.
3. Seam allowance. Every measurement in this guide uses a 1/2" seam allowance.
4. Usable fabric width. This guide assumes 54" wide fabric, the standard width for most decorative fabrics. If yours is narrower, check the width on the product page and allow a little extra.

A note on feather vs. polyester inserts: a feather-and-down insert compresses more, so it looks best in a cover cut to the full insert size. A polyester insert is firmer and can go up a size if you like a very full pillow.

Back closures: a zipper is the cleanest finish. Use one about 2" shorter than the pillow (16" for an 18" pillow); it doesn't change the cutting. An envelope back has no zipper. Instead you cut two overlapping back pieces, each 18" wide x 12" tall, which takes a little more fabric but is the easiest for beginners.

The formulas, for any size:

• Welt or trim length: add up all four sides, then add 4" for joining the ends. An 18" pillow = 72" + 4" = 76".
• Flange cut size: insert size + (2 x flange width). An 18" pillow with a 2" flange = 22".
• Ruffle strip length: 2 x the perimeter for a classic ruffle, 2 1/2 x for a very full one.
• Ruffle strip width (folded double): (2 x finished ruffle depth) + 1". A 2" ruffle = 5".
• Boxing strip: width = box depth + 1"; length = perimeter + 1".

Large Patterns: Plan for the Repeat

If you want a motif centered on the front of your pillow, add one full vertical repeat for every pillow front. This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that leaves them short.

The pattern repeat is listed on every product page as two numbers, vertical and horizontal. The vertical number is the one that matters here, because it's the distance down the fabric before the design starts over.

• Small repeats (under about 4") read almost like a texture, so you can cut anywhere. Battersea Spot, with its 1.5" repeat, needs nothing extra.
• Large repeats need planning. Uplift in Coffee has a 14.5" vertical repeat, so a centered 18" pillow takes about 1 yd: the chart's 5/8 yd plus one 14.5" repeat. Uplift has a 3-yard minimum, which is enough for two centered pillows with fabric left over.
• Making a matching pair? Add a repeat for each front so the motif sits in the same place on both pillows.
• Stripes and plaids don't need centering, but line them up at the seams and down the welt for a polished finish.

Not sure where a motif falls? Order a sample first. If the repeat is larger than a 6" sample shows, order two or three and lay them side by side.

How to Sew Your Pillow

Start with an envelope-back or knife-edge pillow if you're new to sewing, then work up to welt and ruffles. Every style below uses a 1/2" seam allowance and right sides of the fabric facing each other unless noted.

You'll need: fabric, a pillow insert, matching thread, a sewing machine with a zipper foot, fabric scissors or a rotary cutter, a clear quilting ruler, pins or clips, and an iron. Add welt cord, a zipper or trim depending on your style.

Envelope back (easiest)

1. Cut one front at the insert size and two back pieces the same width but about two-thirds the height (18" x 12" each for an 18" pillow).
2. On one long edge of each back piece, fold under 1/2" twice, press and stitch to make a clean hem.
3. Lay the front right side up. Place both back pieces on top, right sides down, hemmed edges overlapping in the middle.
4. Pin and sew all four sides.
5. Trim the corners at an angle, about 1/8" from the stitching, then turn right side out through the opening and press.

Knife-edge with a zipper

1. Cut a front and back at the insert size.
2. Place them right sides together and sew 2" in from each corner along the bottom edge, leaving the middle open.
3. Baste the open middle closed with a long stitch, and press the seam open.
4. Center the zipper face down over the seam on the wrong side. Using a zipper foot, stitch down both sides and across the ends.
5. Pick out the basting stitches so the zipper opens.
6. Open the zipper partway, place the pieces right sides together again, and sew the remaining three sides.
7. Trim the corners, turn right side out through the zipper and press.

Avoid pointy "dog-ear" corners: taper each seam slightly inward for the last 2" before every corner, about 1/4" deeper at the point. The finished corners will sit square instead of sticking out.

Self-welt (self-corded)

1. Cut 2"-wide strips of your fabric and join them end to end into one strip about 76" long (for an 18" pillow). Cutting on the bias, at a 45-degree angle, makes the welt bend more smoothly at the corners and makes stripes run diagonally for a nice detail. Bias strips take a little more fabric, so add 1/4 yd to the chart amount.
2. Fold the strip around a 1/4" welt cord, wrong sides together. With a zipper foot, stitch close to the cord.
3. Starting in the middle of the bottom edge, pin the welt to the right side of the front, raw edges together. Clip the welt seam allowance at each corner so it turns smoothly.
4. Where the ends meet, trim the cord so the ends butt together, fold the fabric of one end under 1/2", and wrap it over the other end.
5. Stitch the welt in place with the zipper foot, as close to the cord as you can.
6. Add your zipper or envelope back, then sew the front to the back, stitching right along your welt stitching line so no stitches show.
7. Trim the corners, turn right side out and press.

Flange

1. Cut a front and back at the insert size plus twice the flange width (22" x 22" for an 18" pillow with a 2" flange). If you'd like an envelope back, add the flange width to those pieces too.
2. Sew the front and back right sides together on all four sides, leaving a 10" opening on one side (skip the opening if using an envelope back).
3. Trim the corners, turn right side out, and press the edges very crisply. A good press is what makes a flange look finished.
4. Mark a line 2" in from the edge all the way around, and topstitch along it, leaving the same 10" section open as your outer opening.
5. Slide the insert in, push it to the corners, then pin the flange closed and finish topstitching.
6. Hand-stitch or edgestitch the outer opening closed.

Ruffle

1. Cut 5"-wide strips and join them into a loop twice the pillow's perimeter (144" for an 18" pillow, for a 2" ruffle).
2. Fold the loop in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
3. Sew two rows of long gathering stitches along the raw edge, about 1/4" and 3/8" from the edge.
4. Divide the loop and the pillow front into quarters and mark both. Match the marks, pull the gathering threads, and spread the gathers evenly. Add a little extra fullness at each corner so the ruffle doesn't cup.
5. Pin the ruffle to the right side of the front, raw edges together, and baste in place.
6. Add your closure, then sew the front to the back along the basting line. Turn right side out, and remove any gathering stitches that show.

Boxed

1. Cut a front and back at the insert size, plus a boxing strip as wide as the box depth plus 1" and as long as the perimeter plus 1".
2. Sew the ends of the boxing strip together to make a loop.
3. Pin the strip around the front, right sides together, clipping the strip's seam allowance at each corner. Sew.
4. Sew the back to the other edge of the strip the same way, leaving most of one side open, or put a zipper into the boxing strip.
5. Turn right side out, add the insert and close the opening.

Trim or fringe

Sew trim into the seam the same way as welt: baste it to the right side of the front with the decorative edge facing toward the center, then sew the front to the back. With brush fringe, tape the fringe together with painter's tape first so it doesn't catch in the seam, and remove the tape after turning.

Ready to Start?

Order a sample of any fabric you're considering. Samples ship within 1 to 2 business days, so you can see the color and scale in your own room before you cut.

• Browse our Fall New Arrivals, all in stock and ready to ship.
• Finish your pillows with welt cord, brush fringe or tassel trim from our trim collection.
• Rather skip the sewing? Shop our ready-made pillows, made in Birmingham.

Would you rather have them made? We don't sew in-house, but we're glad to share our list of trusted local workrooms. Stop by the showroom, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 4:30, or send us a note with your pillow sizes and style, and we'll help you work out exactly how much fabric to order.