Silk

Dear friends,

I've been making a scrappy quilted pillow cover for a child.

I usually quilt only the front, and build the back with 2 pieces of fabric with a zipper, then I bind.

But this time I wanted to use more scraps so I decided to quilt both sides of the pillow cover (what I was thinking?), and now I don't know how to finish it.

I have 2 quilted panels: One for the front and one for the back.

If I put a zipper, I can't sew the binding... but if I want to bind, then I can't sew a zipper and the owner won't be able to wash the cover

Common sense tells me to choose the zipper and forget the binding but I really want to sew a contrasting binding around the pillow cover because I see it 'plain'...

Is there a way to do what I want?

Tartan

I might instead of adding a contrasting binding because you think it is too plain, attach a ruffle and put right sides together and stitch all around the outside and turn right side out through the zipper or button back.
p.s. If it is for a boy, do prairie points instead of ruffles.

Cactus Stitchin

What about adding the zipper and use prairie points for the edging rather than binding? That would add a decorative element.

Edited to add: oops didn't read all of the previous post🙄

cjsews

How about putting the zipper off center on the back? Maybe a 2" strip to one side of the zipper. Then you can still add your binding

Bree123

Since it's for a child, I'd go with the zipper and just do a pillowcase edge.

PaperPrincess

This is also what i would do

Silk

Thank you all.

The ruffle or the prairie points would be great, I had not thought of that.

Sorry, I'm not sure if I understand what you say. For putting the zipper off center I have to cut the panel which is already quilted... or I am wrong?

The panel is quilted and trimmed to the size I needed to become the back of the pillow cover. It's just for that reason that I'm asking for help; I don't want to cut the panel...

Prism99

Do you have to have a zipper? My thought was to make an envelope back for the pillow. To do this, all you would need to do is add some plain fabric to the middle of the pillow back. The fabric would be tucked underneath the other quilted back piece. You could add a button or a little velcro to the center to keep it closed.

suern3

This my thought, too, Prism99.

Silk

Sorry, English is not my first language and I guess I haven't explained well the problem, or I'm not understanding well the answers.

Do you mean that I must discard the quilted back of my pillow and use a plain fabric instead, and just do a normal 'envelope style' pillow?

I usually have no problems putting zippers, or buttons... or doing 'envelope style' pillows, this is not the problem. But this time I did a mistake (I quilted the back panel too) so now this is not possible to do. I can't sew a zipper unless I cut the panel in two (not even if I cut, because I wouldn't have margen for seams).

I'm really sorry for not being able to explain better...