I had one priority this last week: to finish sewing together the half-dozen pillows I've had cut and on my sewing table since October. Aye – you read that right. I brainstormed, measured and cut out these pillows over 4 months ago but never actually took the time to sew them together. Why? Because I really wanted to figure out how to properly stitch a pillow with in an invisible zipper, yet I had somehow convinced myself the task would be harder and more work than it turned out to be!

In fact, later arming myself with the proper machine pes (more on that in a minute!), I discovered that calculation an invisible zipper to a standard pillow cover couldn't be easier and actually saves fourth dimension in the long run (not to mention, they look so much amend!) Today, I want to evidence you how to sew a pillow with an invisible attachment then you too can start whipping together snazzy-looking pillows for your own home!

Vertical image of decorative pillows in black, white, and blue with text overlay

Our playroom has been thiiiiiis close to being done for months at present…I just needed to sew new pillow covers to bring together the final details. Sure, I could have more but sauntered off to HomeGoods or Target to find some finished pillows for the space, merely I actually prefer to make pillow covers rather than buy them because it saves space and money! How? Past keeping a set number of (different-sized) feather inserts on mitt and making new covers to fit them when needed, I reduce the number of pillows (aka: bulk) nosotros have sitting/stored effectually the house. 2d, I find that ownership fabric to make covers is much cheaper than ownership brand new pillows. And tertiary…material options are so much more extensive than pillow options, making it easier to find something just right for your space!

Couch styled with pillows in a family room

Making pillows is not difficult or even that time-consuming. Once you understand how they come up together, you can actually sew a pillow, start-to-finish, pretty quickly…meaning you can refresh your infinite in a flash! I've been using this method for years now only only recently figured out how to properly put in an invisible attachment. I'm going to suspension it down step-by-step then you experience confident doing information technology too!

Supplies Needed

To make a pillow embrace with an invisible zipper, y'all will need:

  • Fabric – enough to cover the front end and dorsum of your pillow course + a few extra inches
  • Analogous thread
  • Invisible zipper – ideally, the length of your pillow's bottom edge – (minus) 3-6″
  • Standard sewing machine foot
  • Invisible attachment foot – more than on this below
  • Regular zipper foot – volition commonly come with your auto
  • Sewing tools: sewing machine | pins | pair of scissors | iron | ironing board | seam gauge | rotary cutter and ruler

All About the Invisible Zipper Foot

Equally mentioned above, y'all volition need iii different feet for your sewing machine to complete this projection: a regular pes and a regular attachment foot (both of which probably came with your machine), as well as an invisible zipper foot. Whoa!

close up image of 3 different types of zipper feet: regular zipper, standard and invisible zipper foot

I've been sewing pillows together for many years using the method I will share today, but my invisible zippers were always…um…showing! Confident in my technique, I set out to figure out what was going wrong (keep in mind, I'one thousand 100% cocky-taught!). Lo and behold, my procedure was spot on, but my equipment wasn't. I e'er used a regular attachment foot to insert my invisible zippers, non even realizing at that place were feet designed specifically for invisible zippers. Check out the difference below:

two pillows stacked on top of each other. One shows a regular zipper foot, the other shows an invisible zipper foot.

Invisible zippers were sewn into both of the pillows to a higher place; only it's clearly evident that in lodge to make your attachment trulyinvisible,you demand to use an invisible zipper foot!

Although invisible zipper anxiety may vary a scrap based on what kind of motorcar you have, my estimate is that almost will feature this double groove forth the bottom. It'south into these grooves that the coils of the invisible attachment will slide.

an invisible zipper foot with a double groove along the bottom

As y'all sew together with this foot, the coils of the invisible attachment are really rolled dorsum, and so your line of stitching goes right underneath them.

A hand placed on blue fabric with red invisible zipper revealing a line of stitching under coils

This means that when you zip your invisible attachment together, those coils gyre dorsum in, bringing the seam of your cloth with information technology and thereby making your attachment disappear!

two pieces of blue fabric sew together with an invisible zipper

And then…do you demand to hunt downwards an invisible zipper foot for your motorcar? Yep. Yeah,  you do 🙂

Prepping Your Pillow Encompass

With your material, notions and tools assembled, let'south get started sewing a pillow!

First, cutting out your pillow cover fabric. I like my pillow covers to fit snug then the pillows look overnice and full. Every bit such, I ever cut my fabric to the exact same dimensions as my insert. If my pillow insert measures 18×18″, I cut my fabric 18×18″. For a pillow insert measuring 12×20″, I cut my fabric 12×20″. If you like some extra wiggle room, add together one″ in both directions. A rotary cutter and ruler make getting authentic measurements easy; and don't forget, you lot need to cut 2 squares/rectangles for every pillow you make (one for the front, ane for the back!).

Note: I cutting down both my squares together, so in the photo below, 2 squares are stacked on elevation of each other.

a piece of fabric laying on top of a cutting mat with a ruler and rotary cutter.

NOTE: This next ironing step is optional, and I tend to skip it #lazy. Just if you're but getting started, it actually does help to lay out and line everything up just right!

Next, identify the Correct side of your fabric Downward onto an iron-safe surface. Fold over one edge 1/2″ toward the Incorrect side of the fabric and iron in place. Repeat with both of your fabric squares. Once cool, open the folds; your goal here is simply to create crease lines to aid yous place your zipper.

an iron presses the pillow seams flat

Installing the Invisible Attachment

TIP!The simply catchy matter about this zipper installation is figuring out which way to face the fabric and zipper so that it closes upwardly properly. I notice it helpful to keep repeating "RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER" loud and often so that I am constantly double-checking that everything is facing the right way!

Adjacent, orient yourself with your invisible attachment. The side with no coils and the pull (below left), is the Correct side of the zipper, and the side with coils and no pull (beneath correct) is the Wrong side of the attachment.

Next, you volition observe the center both covers and the zipper. I notice it easiest to fold the cloth/zipper in half and mark the fold with a pin, every bit shown below. Once you open the material/attachment support, the pin will be correct in the heart!

a pin marks the center fold of the fabric

Go ahead and mark the eye of both pillow covers (only ane edge on each material square) and both sides of the zipper before moving on.

a pin marks the center of the zipper

Place your first pillow cover RIGHT side Upward on your work surface; if you lot haven't yet, unfold that ane/2″ fold so that the entire square is laying flat. Next, turn the invisible zipper over so that the coils are facing y'all (WRONG side UP). Unzip the zipper as far as you lot can.

Remember, continue checking: Right SIDES TOGETHER!

Take the correct-hand side of the zipper and place it along the border of your first pillow cover. Line upwardly the heart pin on the cover with the center pivot on the attachment (this will ensure your zipper is centered on the pillow's border), and then line upwards the coils with your ironed crease line.

a diagram showing you where to line up the zipper with the fabric

Pin the zipper in place all the way downwardly the length of the zipper, ensuring the coils stay along that crease line.

Pins pinning a zipper in place all the way down the length of the zipper, ensuring the coils of the zipper stay along that crease line

Place your invisible zipper foot onto your automobile, and then place the coils under the LEFT-SIDE groove.

the fabric and invisible zipper are fed through the sewing machine

With a normal stitch length, stitch downward the length of your attachment. Discover that the invisible zipper foot will pull the coils open up (slightly) and the run up line volition get only to the right of the coils!

the fabric and invisible zipper are fed through the sewing machine

Proceed stitching until yous reach the zipper pull at the bottom. Backstitch a few times in place and then remove your project from your machine.

The fabric and invisible zipper are fed through a sewing machine

Once you remove your pins, you should now accept the outset side of your zipper sewn to i side of your pillow cover.

Annotation: In the image beneath, the Correct side of my fabric is facing up.

One side of the zipper is sewn onto one side of the pillow

Now, repeat the exact same steps on the other half of your pillow encompass.

Remember, keep proverb to yourself: Right SIDES TOGETHER!

To practise the second side, first by placing your second pillow cover RIGHT side DOWN onto the RIGHT side of the first pillow comprehend. Pull back the superlative of the pillow encompass to reveal the creased edge and center pin. Line upwardly the center pin with the zipper pivot, and again, line up the zipper coils along the ironed crease line.

the opposite side of the zipper is pinned tot the fabric

Pin the left side of the zipper in place.

NOTE: The moving-picture show below tin be a little catchy to sort out visually. My RIGHT sides are together and the zipper is pinned to the inside edge of each pillow encompass. The tiptop layer (left side of the attachment) is pulled back/open along that ironed crease.

the zipper is pinned down the length of the fabric

This time, place the coils nether the RIGHT side of the zipper human foot and sew together down the length of the attachment.

the zipper and fabric are fed through the sewing machine

Over again…cease at the pull and backstitch at the lesser of the attachment.

the zipper and fabric are fed through the sewing machine

Now…when y'all lay your two pillow covers side past side Right sides UP and the zipper between them…

two pillow covers side by side and a red zipper between them

…you lot volition be able to pull the attachment airtight to join the 2 sides together and conceal the zipper!

an invisible zipper closes to join two sides of fabric together to conceal the zipper

Finishing Off the Zipper Side

Although the pillow comprehend has the attachment sewn to both sides, you'll probable notice in the photo above (and on your own project) that the far left and far right sides are open (to a higher place and below the zipper). We volition demand to close those two sides up to finish off the zipper installation!

two pieces of blue fabric stacked and a red zipper between them

With the attachment closed up, place your two pillow covers RIGHT sides together, lining up the corners. The zipper should theoretically fold in one-half between the two layers. You are essentially going to sew from the edge of the pillow cover to merely nearly where the attachment stitching starts…along that original crease line! Note the stitch line on the image below:

diagram showing the correct stitch line.

In order to go this stitch line nice and straight and to line up with the invisible attachment's stitch line already in place, you will need to employ a regular zipper pes on your machine with your needle moved all the fashion over to the right. Start at the border of the pillow covers and run up until you lot but pass the get-go of the invisible attachment stitch line.

A regular zipper foot is used to sew two pillow covers together

After you repeat this quick stride on the other side/corner, you will at present have one solid edge of your pillow cover sewn, border-to-edge, with an invisible zipper neatly inserted in the middle!

the finished invisible zipper seam

Finishing the Pillow Encompass

Alright! You are almost done learning how to sew a pillow with an invisible zipper! The tricky part is backside yous (and really, it wasn't that tricky, was it?!?!) and now you lot have to sew three direct lines to finish your pillow! Commencement by opening the zipper. Seriously. Don't skip this part.

A finished invisible zipper seam with the zipper open

Place your RIGHT sides back together ane last time, and sew the remaining three edges together with a 1/2″ seam allowance, equally shown below. These are obviously, straight-line stitches done with your regular ol' machine foot!

diagram showing you how to sew straight-line stitches to finish the pillow

All sides of your pillow are at present fully sewn close. Before flipping it right-side-out, snip each corner as shown below. (This volition reduce bulk and bunching at your corners.)

the corners of the fabric are cut

Then attain into the open zipper (see, I told you you wanted it open up!) and plough your pillow right-side out!

This time, you tin can say "Taaaa Daaaa!"

A finished pillow cover with an invisible zipper

The final stride couldn't be whatsoever easier: stuff your pillow within, zip information technology shut, and add information technology to your space!

couch styled with pillows in a family room

I realize there are A LOT of steps in this mail service. Just if y'all settle in and follow along, you will see that these pillow covers really do come together apace. And once you lot go the hang of pinning the right edges of the zippers to the correct edges of the pillow covers, y'all'll be churning these out assembly-line fashion! Absolutely, mine were pre-cut when I sabbatum down to sew. But all 6 pillows took me about xc minutes total (and that was with a 2-yr-old underfoot!) I Hope this is something y'all tin practice, and before long, you lot'll exist swapping your pillows out with the seasons!

With the completion of this pillow projection, I can now say that I am done with non just one, only 2 rooms! I'll exist back with that full playroom reveal adjacent week. Then I'll have our family unit room reveal for you adjacent month or then! Have a great weekend, my friends!

See You Soon!
Megan