Ruching and Ricrac Pillow Cover Tutorial

I can't believe it! We're already in 2013. We've just said goodbye to 2012 and to the yuletide season and I've already saw so many valentine-related searches in my blog. I am not really a big fan of valentines day but I made a pretty pillow for my daughter's room which I think could count as "valentines related". 

I made this pillow cover for a pillow sized: 22" x 15"  This pillow has a gathered/ruffled front while the back is envelope-styled. *I am a beginner in sewing and I really am not familiar with the correct terms to stitching styles, etc. Thanks to Anne Weaver of Craft Gossip, I learned that this ruffling/gathering style I used for this pillow is called Ruching! ^^) 
You will need:
1 fat quarter (22" x 19"), floral fabric in mine (FAT QUARTER) 1 pc (20" x 16"), I used gingham fabric 1 pc (10" x 16"), gingham fabric 2 pcs. ricrac, 16" long sewing machine, thread

  Divide the floral fabric in three equal parts. Mark with a pin (each part will be about 7" wide) Set the stitch length in 5.0 (or the longest in your sewing machine) adjust the tension of the stitches.

Sew gathering stitches on each side about 0.25" from the raw edges. Sew gathering stitches on the areas you marked before (see photo above).

Make ruffles by pulling on the bobbin thread. Gather all four gathering stitiches.

Sew on the ricrac by sewing straight stitches.

Get one of the gingham fabric. Hem one of the short side. Do the same to the other gingham fabric piece. You only need to hem one of the short side of each gingham fabric piece.

Pin all the fabric pieces together, right sides inwards, wrong sides facing you. Sew straight stitches 0.25" away from the edge. Sew zigzag stitches to avoid fraying of the edges. Cut the tips of the pillow cover. You can see a detailed tutorial here.

Turn the pillow cover inside out.

Insert the cushion and enjoy your new pillow cover!

Here, you can see the gathered pillow, maxi pillows and toss pillow. 

Those maxi pillows you see in the photo above is in the master's bedroom while the regular toss pillow is my daughter's.

My daughter loves her pillow with the gathered pillow cover. She has three regular-sized toss pillows, two mini filled pillows and a heart pillow I made for her. She has maxi pillows, too (the pink one with the moon and star print and the cream one with the fairy print) She loves her bed! ^^)
Make one now for your favorite princess ^^)
P.S. We would love to get some of your vote and boost! Just click the buttons below. Thanks!