How to embroider a pillow cover (pillowcase or cushion)

A pillow cover is a gift-friendly project: flat panels, simple shapes and plenty of room for a monogram or motif. The key decision is when to embroider. If you are making the cover, embroider the front fabric flat and sew it up afterward. If it is already a pillowcase, you work around its two layers by floating the cuff on stabilizer and pinning it down.

Before or after sewing?

	Embroider before sewing	Embroider a finished cover
Hooping	Flat single layer, easy	Tube or two layers, harder
Back of the stitching	Hidden inside the seam or by lining	Exposed on the inside unless covered
Placement	Measured on a flat piece	Estimated with a tube or fold
Best for	Cushion covers you sew yourself	Store-bought pillowcases and covers

Cut the front panel a little larger than the finished size, embroider it, then trim to size. This leaves room to adjust if the design shifts slightly. Prewash cotton or linen first so the fabric shrinks before you stitch.

What you need

Item	What to use	Why
Fabric	Prewashed cotton, linen, canvas or percale	Stable woven fabric is the easiest start
Stabilizer	Adhesive-backed tear-away, or wash-away for a soft finish	Supports the design without bulk
Marking pen	Air-erase or water-soluble pen, plus a ruler	Draws center lines
Pins and nippers	Flat pins, small snips	Hold layers and trim connecting stitches
Needle and thread	New embroidery needle, 40 wt polyester or rayon	Standard choices for home machines

See our stabilizer guide for every type and when it works. Cut-away is the safe choice for stretchy knit covers. Wash-away is attractive if you want nothing left behind on the inside of the cover, but it leaves less support behind after you rinse it.

Choose the design and size

Pillow covers can take bigger motifs than clothes, so check what fits your hoop before you buy or download a design. Our pillow design size page lists typical sizes, and the will-it-fit tool tells you whether a design fits your machine. A 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) hoop is enough for a monogram or a medium motif, while a border across a standard pillow needs a bigger field or a split design. See how to split large embroidery designs for that.

Bold shapes, satin stitches and fills read well on a pillow. Dense fills can stiffen the fabric, so for a soft cover choose a lighter design or a different stitch type.

Embroider a flat panel step by step

1. Cut and press. Cut the panel larger than the finished size and press out wrinkles.
2. Mark the center. Fold the fabric in half both ways, press creases, and mark the crossing with an air-erase pen. If you want the design off-center, measure from the edges with a ruler.
3. Stabilize. Hoop the stabilizer with the shiny sticky side up, score the paper inside the hoop with a pin and peel it away. Mark center lines on the exposed stabilizer.
4. Place the fabric. Align the creases or marks with the stabilizer lines and press the fabric down so it sticks. Pin the edges around the design area.
5. Run the design. Trace the outline first to make sure the needle stays clear of the hoop edge, then stitch.
6. Finish. Remove from the hoop, trim jump threads, tear or rinse away the stabilizer and press from the back.

If you prefer to hoop the fabric and stabilizer together, follow our guide to hooping fabric. Floating on adhesive stabilizer avoids hoop marks on delicate fabric.

Embroider a finished pillowcase

A pillowcase band or cuff is two layers of fabric. One embroidery tutorial handles it by floating rather than hooping.

1. Hoop adhesive stabilizer shiny side up. Score the paper, peel it off inside the hoop and mark horizontal and vertical center lines with a disappearing pen.
2. Turn the pillowcase inside out, find the design center on the doubled cuff, mark it with a pin and transfer the mark with a pen. Draw center lines with a ruler.
3. Fold the pillowcase along the vertical line and match the fold to the lines on the stabilizer. Rotate 90 degrees if the design is wide.
4. Unfold the case so it sticks flat to the stabilizer, and pin it around the embroidery area to hold the two cuff layers together.
5. Make sure the rest of the pillowcase hangs free of the needle and does not drag on the hoop, then stitch.
6. Remove from the hoop and trim connecting threads with nippers.

For fused stabilizer, a tutorial from a sewing brand ironed a fusible tear-away stabilizer to the wrong side of the band before hooping, and marked placement lines with a water-soluble pen first. The same tutorial recommends tearing away stabilizer afterward and using heat and steam for tight areas. It centered the design 2 in (50 mm) from the cuff fold on the body, away from the hemmed cuff itself.

Cushion covers with envelope or zip backs

Embroider the front panel before you assemble the cover, since this keeps the back layers away from the needle. If the cover is already finished, hoop or float only the front and clip the overlap or zipper away from the stitch area.

Pick a machine

Any 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) machine such as the Brother PE800 can do monograms and small motifs. For borders and larger designs, a bigger field like the 6 × 10 in (160 × 260 mm) on the Brother NQ1700E saves rehooping. We are not affiliated with Brother or any maker. See our monogramming machine list.

Common mistakes

• Stitching a finished cover through both layers by accident.
• Skipping the prewash, then watching the cover shrink and pucker later.
• Placing the design by eye, so it sits crooked after sewing.
• Choosing a heavy dense fill that makes the pillow stiff.
• Letting the rest of the pillowcase hang off the table.

If the design looks misaligned afterward, read why an embroidery design does not line up.

Frequently asked questions

Should I embroider a pillow cover before or after sewing it?

Before, whenever you are making the cover yourself. Flat fabric hoops easily and the back of the stitching is hidden by the lining or seam. A finished cover has two layers and a tube shape, which is harder to hoop.

How do I machine embroider a pillowcase?

Mark the center of the band or cuff, hoop adhesive stabilizer, press the cuff onto it and pin it flat. Embroider only the layer you want decorated and keep the rest of the case clear of the needle.

What stabilizer works for a throw pillow cover?

Tear-away or wash-away suits stable woven cotton or linen, so the back stays soft against skin. Use a cut-away or fusible mesh on stretchy or loose weaves, and a topping on fuzzy fabric.

How big can the design on a cushion cover be?

It depends on your hoop. A design under about 4.5 × 6.5 in (115 × 165 mm) fits a 5 × 7 in hoop with room for registration. Bigger designs need a larger field or a split design.

Can I embroider a cushion cover with a zipper or envelope back?

Yes, embroider the front panel before assembly. If the cover is already finished, hoop only the front and keep the zipper and overlap away from the stitch area.

Sources

• machineembroiderygeek.com/?p=19510
• weallsew.com/design-positioning-in-machine-embroidery