Scalloped Pillow Cover

My Chinese Flower Project is coming along very slowly right now, so I thought I would show off a pretty pillow cover I made. This is another SAGA Convention project taught by Nona Pontiff that I took several years ago. It's a simple envelope style pillow cover but what makes it special is that it is made of lovely materials and constructed with heirloom techniques. The main part of the cover is made with cotton batiste, and the envelope portion is cotton organdy with Kona cotton making up the scallop and hem. This was a cold, rainy day yesterday when I took this photo, thank goodness for the ability to lighten the picture in Photoshop Elements. You can just barely see my Chinese Flower Project on the left, sitting under a shower cap to keep it clean.

The beige hem is edged with machine pin stitching. The "fluffy" part is silk ribbon interspersed with beads. The ribbon is threaded through a zigzag stitch and twisted so it gives a nice textured effect. The pillow is constructed with French seams, so there are no raw edges anywhere on it. I liked this so much I bought another kit so I have two of them on my bed. I wash it on the delicates cycle in a mesh laundry bag, then let it air dry. I starch and iron it, careful to avoid the silk ribbon. If the ribbon ever looks a bit mashed, I can bring it to life again by lightly spritzing it with water, then ironing the damp fabric around it.