How to Make a Queen Size Duvet

Duvets are a wonderful way to update the look of your bedroom and are easy to make. A duvet is a comforter with a slipcover. The easiest way to make the cover is using queen-size flat sheets. There is no piecing involved as the sheets are wide enough to accommodate the comforter size. However, sometimes you just can't find the right look in the sheet department and you may have found a decorator fabric that you just love. Designers often use these 54-inch wide fabrics to provide duvets for their clients. Even though it involves piecing the fabrics together, you will have many more choices of color and pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Comforter
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Pins
• 5-1/2 yards 54-inch decorator fabric
• 5-1/2 yards suitable fabric for back or 1 queen-size flat sheet
• Cording
• Thread
• 8 buttons, 1 inch, or 60-inch hook and loop sew-in tape

Instructions

1. Measure the comforter to be covered. Add 1-1/2 inches to the width and 4 inches to the length.

2. Cut two pieces of the face fabric the new measured length. One piece will be the center section of the top of the duvet cover. (The second piece will be used for the side sections of the top of duvet cover.)

3. Fold the second piece of the face fabric in half lengthwise. Cut in two along the fold line. These two pieces will join the center section on each side. (Left to right you will have one 27-inch piece, one 54-inch piece and one 27-inch piece.)

4. Make covered cording or use purchased cording to apply at the joined sections. On the face side of the center section, pin the cording to the fabric, raw edges aligned. Sew, using a zipper foot, getting as close to the cording as possible. This cording gives a professional look to the seams.

5. Pin the side sections to the center section, right sides together. Sew along the stitching you made with the cording in Step 4. Now the top of the duvet cover is in one piece. Measure and cut the width to the size of your measurement in Step 1. You will be removing about 10 inches on each side.

6. Prepare the back of duvet cover by joining the side and center sections as for face, omitting cording application. Or, if using a sheet, simply cut it the same size as the top of duvet cover.

7. With wrong sides together, make a 1/2-inch seam on three sides. Sew both long sides and one short side. Trim seam to 1/2 inch. Turn and press. Stitch again, this time with right sides together, sewing a 1/2-inch seam. (You have made a French seam, leaving no raw edges inside or out. This prevents threads from unraveling onto your comforter as you take it in and out of the cover.)

8. Turn under a 1-inch double hem along the open edge. (You create a double hem when you fold 1 inch over and then fold it again.) Pin in place. Topstitch through all thicknesses.

9. Align top edges and mark at regular intervals where buttons and buttonholes will be. Ten- to 12-inch intervals are close enough. Work buttonholes in top of double hem and sew buttons on inside of double hem.

10. Stitch buttonholes at markings. Sew buttons at markings.

11. Insert comforter and button up.

Tips & Warnings

• Other methods for closing your duvet cover around the comforter include ties, snap tape or zippers.

• It will take more yardage to match patterns in the face fabric. It is important that the side sections and center sections match both side to side and up and down. Your fabric seller can help you determine the pattern repeat and how much extra fabric it will take.

• If you intend for your duvet to be washable, take care in choosing decorator fabrics. The fabric retailer should be able to advise you.

References

• Duvet Cover Instructions