Sewing Instructions for a Neck Pillow
A neck pillow supports your head and neck while you sleep in an upright position. It's a great gift for people who travel via airplane regularly, and can also be helpful for children who have a tendency to snooze while riding in their parents' cars. With some basic sewing skills you can follow sewing instructions for a neck pillow and whip one up in an afternoon. Fill the pillow with regular fiberfill stuffing or use rice and essential oils for a heating pad pillow.
Things You'll Need
- Scissors
- Fabric
- Straight pins
- Sewing machine and thread
- Stuffing
- Needle and thread
Instructions
-
-
1
Draw your pattern onto a sheet of white paper. The pillow should be a large "U" shape, so trace this basic shape first, then decide how thick you want the pillow to be. In general, the width of the pattern should be the same as the distance between your shoulders, and the center portion of the "U" should be wide enough to fit your neck. The width of one side should match the width of one shoulder.
-
2
Cut out your pattern and drape it over your shoulders to see how it fits. Once you trim it to your desired shape, layer your fabric together with right sides facing and pin the pattern through both layers. Cut out the pattern so you have two "U" shapes from your fabric. Remove the pattern but keep the pins in place.
-
-
3
Sew a straight seam around the outside edges of your fabric, going through both layers. Position your seam 1/2 inch in from the outside edges, and leave a hole about four inches long in the outer seam so you can turn the pillow right side out. The very back of the neck is a good place to do this.
-
4
Cut slits in the seam on the inside of the "U" shape. To do this, make straight cuts along the 1/2-inch edge of the fabric, going perpendicular to the seam. Stop the cuts just before you reach the seam so you don't pull out your stitches. Doing this helps the seam curve naturally when you turn the pillow right side out.
-
5
Turn the pillow right side out and fill it with stuffing. Pinch the hole you left in the back of the pillow closed and pin it together. Using a needle and thread, stitch the opening to close it.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit sewing machine image by pavel siamionov from Fotolia.com
