Easy to Sew Quilted Minky Pillow | Part 2
This is a continuation of my 3 part series on sewing a quilted minky pillow.
I love minky fabric – it’s so cozy and soft. I know that it’s traditionally used for babies (and what a great choice that is), but my babies are grown up and I wanted something another project that I could use with this lovely fabric. So I designed 3 easy sew quilted minky pillows. You can see part 1 here.
This is the second design of three. It’s a little more complex than the first design, which was only 2 pieces. This quilted minky pillow consists of 4 squares making up something like a patchwork pillow.
Minky Fabric
As mentioned in previous posts using this fabric, minky fabric has a bit of stretch to it and can also be a bit slippery to work with. Be sure to take your time and use lots of pins. The stretch can be challenging, but it also makes it more forgiving.
For this project, I combined cream-coloured minky, as well as a nice steel blue/grey which I think goes nicely with our grey sofa. It’s also not too babyish for colour, especially when paired with cream. I have solid/plain, as well as the bubbly pattern in both colours so that I can easily combine to make something more visually interesting. If you don’t want to go that route, you can just do the solids or the bubbles only,
Envelope Pillows
Envelope pillows are made of 2 pieces in the back so that there is an opening, allowing you to take the pillow insert in and out. This is the easiest pillow to make. Other options include closures that utilize buttons or zippers – all of which are extra work. The envelope pillow makes it easy to manoeuver the pillow insert in and out, thereby allowing you to throw the cover into the laundry when need be.
The formula for the back is as follows: length divided by 2, plus 4. So my pillow measures 20 across. Divided by 2, that equals 10. Then I add 4 and so my measurement is 14. This allows for a bit of overlap to ensure your pillow is completely enclosed.
Supplies
To make this quilted minky pillow cover, you will need the following:
- Minky fabric – your choice of colours/textures
- Sewing machine and thread
- Pillow insert – I used Ikea Fjadrar which is duck filled; you can also get the Ikea Inner which is polyester filled; both measure 20×20.
- Scissors or rotary cutter. If using a rotary cutter, you’ll need a cutting mat too.
- OPTIONAL: Lint roller and vacuum cleaner – Minky makes a huge mess when you cut it! There are bits of fluff everywhere! If you wear a lot of black like me, you’ll need the lint roller to get all the little fluff off of you. I do all my cutting on my living room floor and so I always need to vacuum afterwards.
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The Process to make a Quilted Minky Pillow Cover for a 20×20 Pillow Insert
Make the Front
- You will need to cut 4, equal sized squares – 2 from each fabric. Since my pillow inserts are 20×20, I cut each square 12 inches. This allows for 1 inch seam allowance – when it comes to working with tricky fabric like minky (due to the stretch and slipperyness) I find it easier to work with when there is a wider seam allowance.
- Sew one of each colour together. Do this in pairs.
- Sew the two pairs together to make a big square. Alternate the colours.
Make the back
- cut 2 pieces for the back envelope. Each should measure 20×14.
- For each back piece, fold over 1 inch and sew to make a nice clean edge.
Assemble the Front and the Back Together
- Lay the front piece down on the right side of the fabric facing up.
- On top of the front piece, position the back envelope pieces, right sides together, with the 1 inch sewn edges in the centre.
There will be overlap – so one of the envelope pieces, you won’t be able to see as it will be underneath the other envelope piece. - Pin lots! Minky fabric slides around a lot and is not the easiest to work with. Use lots of pins and smooth out as you go. Remember there is a bit of stretch to it as well. Don’t forget to remove the pins as you sew. You will find that it bunches and puckers – just smooth it out periodically.
- Sew a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around. This project is VERY forgiving. If you messed up a section, just use a seam ripper to rip that section out and resew. No need to take everything out and start all over. Because of the furry/fuzzy nature of the fabric, tiny puckers aren’t noticeable. Mine is far from perfect, but you’d never know. Once you turn it inside out, no one will see all your sewing mistakes.
- Trim the corners for less bulk and flip inside out.
Insert your Pillow Insert
- It may be a bit snug as the cover is a bit smaller than the insert, remember, but you will see that it plumps up nicely.
- I use the Ikea pillow inserts. They come rolled up like this so when you’re buying a few they don’t take up much space.
This process works for any sized pillow – just adjust your proportions accordingly. Remember each side should match the pillow size exactly to ensure a snug fit. Remember the formula for the back envelope mentioned above.
There you go! Another great, quilted minky pillow that goes with the previous one. These pillows are so nice at the end of the day when you want to lay down and watch some TV.
Be sure to check back next week to see the third and final quilted minky pillow design.
