To make 2 pillowcases, you need:
- 2 yards (1.9 meters) of fabric for standard & queen size pillowcases (20″ x 30″).
- 2.5 yards (2.3 meters) of fabric for king size pillowcases (20″ x 40″).
I recommend buying at least 10% more. This is because when you pre-wash and dry your materials, they might shrink. Fabric sellers may also cut your yardage wonkily, causing you to lose a few inches.
I’m going to show you charts that reveal:
- How much fabric each pillow size will use.
- How much leftover fabric to expect.
- Whether you should get 45″ or 58″ wide fabrics.
- How much extra you need for envelope pillows (with inner flaps) and invisible zipper styles.
Pin this image to bookmark the post for later 🙂
Contents list:
- How much fabric for standard & queen pillowcases
- Measurements for standard & queen pillowcases
- How much fabric for king pillowcases
- Measurements for king pillowcases
**I Find the Best Free Sewing Patterns and Share Them Every Thursday. Don’t miss out. Join the Email List :)**
How much fabric you need for standard & queen pillowcases
Based on my research of 7 brands, standard and queen size pillowcases use the same measurements. (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
It’s 20″ x 30″ (height x width). In cm’s, that’s 50.8 x 76.2cm.
Some stores use 1 or 2 extra inches, but overall stores use very similar measurements.
So the fabric estimates and charts below will apply to standard and queen sizes, because they’re basically the same.
Standard & queen size pillows with inner flaps
Pillowcases with flaps are sometimes called envelope pillows. This style has an inner flap to stop your pillow insert from falling out.
If your fabric is 45″ wide (1.14 meters), you’ll need 2 yards (1.9 meters) to make 2 standard or queen pillows with inner flaps. You’ll have very little fabric wastage.
If your fabric is 58″ wide (1.47 meters), you’ll also need 2 yards (1.9 meters), however, there will be more leftover fabric.
**One Free Sewing Pattern. Every Thursday. Join the Email List 🙂**
The measurements I used in the chart are based on my standard pillowcase sewing tutorial.
- The front piece is 20 6/8″ x 37 6/8″ or 52.8cm x 96cm (height x width).
- The back piece is 20 6/8″ x 31″ or 52.8cm x 79cm (height x width).
These measurements include the seam allowances and extra fabric needed for the inner flap.
Standard & queen size pillow with invisible zipper
Some pillowcases don’t have an envelope closure, they use invisible zippers instead.
This style uses less fabric because there’s no inner flap. The measurements for the front piece are therefore smaller.
I included 3/8″ seam allowances in my fabric calculations.
If your fabric is 45″ wide (1.14 meters), you’ll need 2 yards (1.9 meters) to make 2 standard / queen pillows with an invisible zipper.
If your fabric is 58″ wide (1.47 meters), you’ll also need 2 yards (1.9 meters).
Measurements for standard & queen size pillowcases
I looked at the measurements 7 brands use for standard and queen size pillowcases (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
For standard pillowcases:
- 3 brands used 20″ x 30″ (height x width).
- 2 brands used 20″ x 32″.
- 1 large UK brand used 50cm x 75cm. This is about 19.7″ x 29.5″.
This is almost identical to the sizing used for queen size pillowcases:
- 4 brands used 20″ x 30″ for their queen pillowcases.
- 1 brand used 21″ x 32″ for their queen pillowcase.
Based on my research, I chose 20″ x 30″ (plus seam allowances, etc) as the measurement for my fabric calculations.
How much fabric you need for king size pillowcases
King size pillowcases are about 10″ wider than standard/queen pillowcases.
Based on my research of stores, I used 20″ x 40″ as the measurement for my fabric calculations (plus seam allowances, etc).
King size pillow with inner flap
Pillowcases with flaps are sometimes called envelope pillows. This style has an inner flap to stop your pillow insert from falling out.
If your fabric is 45″ wide (1.14 meters), you’ll need 2.5 yards (2.3 meters) to make 2 king-size envelope pillows.
If your fabric is 58″ wide (1.47 meters), you’ll also need 2.5 yards (2.3 meters).
**One Free Sewing Pattern. Every Thursday. Join the Email List 🙂**
King size pillow with invisible zipper
This design uses less fabric because there’s no inner flap. The seam allowance is 3/8″.
If your fabric is 45″ wide (1.14 meters), you’ll need 2.3 yards (2.1 meters) to make 2 king pillows with an invisible zipper.
If your fabric is 58″ wide (1.47 meters), you’ll also need 2.3 yards (2.1 meters).
I recommend buying at least 10% more to account for fabric shrinkage.
Measurements for king size pillowcases
I looked at the measurements 5 brands use for king size pillowcases (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
- 3 brands used 20″ x 40″ (height x width).
- 1 brand used 20″ x 36″.
- 1 large UK brand used 50cm x 90cm. This is about 19.7″ x 35.4″.
I used 20″ x 40″ for my fabric calculations (plus seam allowances, etc).
Related posts:
How To Make a Standard Pillowcase With Inner Flap: The Professional Way