DIY Throw Pillows with Envelope Opening

I fell in love with this steampunkish/nautical sailing ship print fabric from Ikea and so I bought a yard and a half so I could make some pillows for our bedroom.  This is a great project for beginners, and really simple.  I purchased the pillow fills from Ikea as well, and the total cost of the project was about $26.00 for the pair.  Pretty good considering fashionable throw pillows from Z Gallery and other home stores are often upwards of $80.00 a pillow...  

The great thing about envelope pillows is that the covers can be removed and washed.  You can even just cover over old pillows instead of purchasing the fills, if you you are on a budget, or want to make a change with what you already have.  There are several different kinds pillow fills at different price points, but I prefer feather or down for throw pillows, because poly/cotton fills can be lumpy, and they aren't as plush, fluffy, or of substantial weight.  That's why I went with the Fjadrar fills, because they were nicer and the finished product looks more expensive.  I tend not to sleep with down, for allergy reasons, but these are the type of pillows you toss onto the floor before getting into bed anyhow.

Below are illustrated instructions I put together so you can make your own.  You don't have to use the same size pillow, as the instructions illustrate the formula for figuring out panel sizes for any size pillow, with 20" x 20" as an example.  Keep in mind that if you go larger, you may need more than 1.5 yards of fabric.  Also as a beginner it will be easier to work with a random repeat, rather than one that only goes one direction as I did, because it takes some thinking and consideration to make sure that things match up, and that you don't accidently sew one panel in upside down.

The photo above shows the back side of the pillow, you can see the overlap envelope opening  for getting the cover on and off of the pillow.  If you follow the instructions, the repeat should match up, not perfectly, but close enough for the opening to be very subtle.  Of course when you put the pillows on your bed or sofa, this side won't be the side to show anyhow... but if done right they will look like they were purchased from a high end home store!

Once you complete your first pillow, you will want to make more.  The pleasure of DIY is highly addicting.  I'm already on the lookout for the right fabric to update our living room seating with some new throw pillows!