Duvet Cover

This tutorial will be very similar to the curtain tutorial. The easy, cut corners, type.

Typically duvet covers are used for down comforters as a way to protect them (since they are filled with down, usually you need to dry clean them, which is expensive). If you have a duvet and it gets dirty, you take it off of the comforter and wash the duvet.

I'm actually making this duvet for a regular comforter. Not to protect it, but to hide it. It isn't that it's ugly, but it's not pretty and it no longer goes with our decor plans for the new place. Also, it's in perfectly good condition so we should use it, with some minor adjustments.

Disclaimer: Honestly I've never done a duvet cover, but I believe in myself so I will show you my step by step and hopefully it will turn out.

I decided to make a 3 panel duvet (because finding fabric wide enough would be crazy expensive and because I had material left over from those curtains I made) that looks something like this:

To be honest I did some research on google to find possible ways to go about making a duvet and there are a ton of tutorials. Some are doing a 3 panel but using the same material for all 3 panels, like on House of FIfty, so it would only have one pattern. Some are using 2 flat sheets in the size of the comforter to make a duvet like on this post from sewing 101 (I originally wanted to do this but couldn't find any flat sheets sold separately that I liked). If you don't like my plans, use some google magic to get other ideas. They may be more to your taste than this one.

First I got out the comforter I wanted to cover to make measurements. I believe that if you have 5 yards of each two different fabrics or 10 yards of the same fabric, you should be good for a full sized duvet. I placed the panels of fabric in the pattern I planned to use and cut it accordingly. I knew I wanted the print down the middle so I started there, making 2 identical pieces and cutting them leaving room for the hem lines (don't forget that you should have a plan in place for the closure. I decided on buttons. While they are a bit more work they are easier than zippers and look better, in my opinion, than ties) and the closure hems.

After that I cut the other fabric a tiny bit longer (to account for its different weight and how it "shrunk" while I was sewing the curtains).

And then cut those in quarters length wise.

Then I laid them all out to note how much seam allowance I would have.

Next I sewed the pieces together to make 2 big panels. I thought this would make it easier to work with at this point. During this step you should also note the selvage edge. You want to sew as close to it as possible, but if yours is like mine, it has writing on it. Sew as close a possible and try not to let those words show. Now I have 2 big pieces of fabric to work with.

Not really knowing how to add the buttons later I decided now would be the best time.I decided that if I folded down one side of the panel where I wanted the buttons to go and sewed it I could then hand sew on the buttons.

After that I pinned down the whole length of the blue patterned piece. Do this identically to the other piece of fabric. You want the sides even and you'll need a place for the holes. Sew these down along the fold. They will be easier to deal with.

I needed to then hand sew on my buttons because I don't have a fancy machine that does buttons. I spaced them out as evenly as I could.

Notice how I put my buttons on the inside. I didn't want them to show, I didn't have all matching buttons. If you like your buttons and want extra detail, put them on the outside. Up to you.

After that I would take the other piece and put it together like you will want it to button up when finished. It's very important that you line up the buttons to mark where you will put the holes because otherwise you will make a mistake like I did. I placed both panels wrong side up when measuring for the holes and while sewing the holes I realized this. Put the panels wrong sides touching together so the fabric will measure how it will be once all sewn together.

For the button holes you make a tiny rectangle for the length of the pins and only about 1/8 on an inch wide. I used two lines on my machine guide that are right next to each other.

After that I lined up the 2 panels (right sides touching together) at the top and the bottom so when sewn together It would line up and look nice. Make sure you pin the sides with buttons and holes together and line up the patterned pieces.

I had to cut open the panels on the sides where the buttons and holes where places so that I could really line up the fabric and sew close enough to the fold line to make it look like one straight line.

I really tried to lay this fabric as flat as possible and pin all the way around, but I just couldn't get it to lay right. So I pinned at the most important spots (all the seams that the fabric changes so that they would line up) and hoped that the fabric would "fall" into place while sewing. It did and that took a lot of time and patience. If you aren't using a fabric like mine that is slick and moves a lot, I totally recommend pinning as much as possible.

I started sewing from the side near where the buttons would be. I thought this would be easiest because I'm smart and that is the easiest way...I worked my way slowly around until I got to the other side of the button panel. DON"T SEW THIS SHUT. This will be the opening where you will put in/take out your comforter. Along the way I added ribbons as ties in the corners to hold the comforter into place while in the duvet cover. If you don't magically have ribbon laying around that you can use, you could also cut strips of fabric leftover from anything really. These won't be seen. Make the strips about a foot long to that you have 6 inches to work with.

After sewing around the whole duvet I reinforced the opening where the comforter would be pulled in and out of the duvet.

I actually trimmed down the hems, as you can see from the photo, some trimming needed to happen! (I thought about tacking the fabric down at the seams, but I didn't want to).

Imagine this in a different room with different pillows and a different colored wall. I actually think it turned out alright.

Thanks for reading!

Have any questions? I'm happy to try!