Sew a decorative duvet cover :: Free sewing pattern

Striped duvet cover on bed; easy sewing projects from allaboutyou.com

This project is for a simple envelope cover, with an opening about half the width of the duvet along the bottom seam. Make sure the gap has a finished edge to it, provided by the original sheets.

You will need

● duvet, to use as pattern
● cotton or linen sheets
● scissors
● pins
● sewing machine
● iron
● tailors’ chalk or water-soluble fabric pen
● tape measure
● needle and thread
● ribbons, for ties

To make

1 For a patchwork cover: cut your sheets into straight-sided panels. Place the seams right sides together, pin and sew down the edges, leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Remove the pins as you go and iron the seams flat when you have finished. Continue until you have created two patchwork ‘sheets’, each just a little larger than your duvet. Alternatively, for a simpler design, just use two fabrics – one for each side.

2 Lay your sheet or patchwork panel flat on the floor, right side facing down. Spread out the duvet on top, lining up the bottom edge with the finished seam of the original sheet, and draw around the duvet using tailors’ chalk. Cut out this shape (making the cover slightly smaller than the duvet will ensure a snug fit), then repeat with your other piece of material.

3 Line up your two panels, right sides facing, and pin together around all four edges. Measure, and mark with chalk, an opening at the base of the duvet (the side with the finished hem), about one quarter of the way in from each corner. Sew from one of these points around the cover, in a straight stitch, until you reach the other marking, removing the pins as you go. Double-stitch where you start and finish to reinforce these areas.

4 Turn the cover the right way out and iron flat. Use a needle and thread, or your machine, to attach hemmed ribbon ties to each side of the opening to keep the duvet within the cover.