Major Pagan Holidays Paganism encompasses a variety of religions and spiritual traditions that do not adhere to the beliefs and practices of major world religions. Pagan holidays are commonly rooted in nature and celebrate the changing seasons and cycles of the earth. These holidays are often referred to as Sabbats and come together to create a wheel of the year. One of the most well-known pagan holidays is Samhain, which takes place on October 31st. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is believed that during this time, the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world is thinnest, allowing for communication with ancestors and spirits.
How to Make a Magic Pillowcase
Jen shows you how to make this "Magic Pillowcase" using the "burrito" method. All seams are hidden! Jen also has suggestions for gifting, and for French seams.
- Magic Pillowcase Pattern (full color, step-by-step instructions for 3 sizes)
NOTIONS USED IN THIS VIDEO:
- Snip in Style Scissors (no longer available)
For personal use ONLY, not for commercial production. No part of this pattern may be reproduced, shared, or distributed in any form unless given express written consent by Shabby Fabrics. Not to be used with any online classes or video tutorials other than the official Shabby Fabrics tutorial. All designs, photographs, and images are protected by federal copyright law. All rights reserved.
Video Transcript:
Hi! I'm Jennifer from Shabby Fabrics, and today I have an extra special tutorial to share with you: how to make the coolest pillowcase ever. A friend of mine showed me this technique and I absolutely love it. The coolest part is you don't see any seams. Let's look at the pillow behind me. Just three fabrics, and it takes almost no fabric, and you have the neatest gift. Now, I know we all love to make quilts, but wouldn't that be great to give not only a quilt but also a coordinating pillowcase? Such a special gift, and so easy. So I want to show you how we make this amazing pillow.
I did not come up with this technique, I don't know where it actually has come from. But it's been around for years apparently, but I only learned about it just a couple days ago and I'm like 'I have to share this with you.' So, three fabrics—you want to get an inspiration piece, and for me, on the pillow back here—of course I love pink, so I grabbed my cute little pink rose print, and had a nice little accent. That's kind of your 'zinger', we call that the trim piece, and then the cuff. So we'll refer to these as the main fabric, or the 'body' of the pillow; you'll have your trim piece; and then this will be referred to as the cuff.
Inspiration piece, for me, was this cute little gingerbread piece. And then I wanted to pull out some of the other colors that were in there, and of course these are all in there, so that makes a great combination. Remember these three numbers: 3, 9, 27. Three times nine is twenty-seven. So what does that mean? Of the main main fabric, your inspiration piece, you'll cut 27 inches times the width of the fabric. And for your accent piece—that's this little piece here—we'll be cutting a 3-inch strip all the way across the width of the fabric. And then for the cuff you'll be cutting the 9 inch piece.
With the main fabric I begin to roll it up—try not to disturb that top row because we want everything to stay together—so I will roll it until it's about at my accent piece. Now the cuff will come up and over and meet all of the other raw edges, and we will begin to pin. And when you're pinning you want all three fabrics—all of those raw edges need to be together, so you want to take your time on this. Don't rush this, because if you have one of the fabrics dip down below it won't be caught in this transition the way that it needs to be. So I will continue pinning, and then when I have that all pinned we'll come back together and we'll take that to the sewing machine, and we'll sew that seam all the way down the long side.
Now that the tube has been sewn, we'll just clip and trim off those threads. This is where the magic will happen. You literally reach inside it and you will begin to pull out the main body of the pillow, and it will reveal itself with no seams. It's all encased inside. So we've got the main body, our accent, and then our cuff.
I prefer French seams because the seams are hidden. So we go wrong sides together, and I pin. I always secure my stitches when I sew anything, but especially something like this that will be turned right side out and wrong side out and keep flipping it. So once I get that sewn all the way around those two sides, we'll come back and we'll go to the next step.
Now that I've sewn around the two sides, I will come back with my rotary cutter and my ruler and I want to trim the quarter inch seam that I just sewed down to about an eighth of an inch. That will help make the French seam actually possible which is coming up in the next step.
Another great recipient of a pillowcase like this may be a shelter in your own community. There may be a shelter for women and children, and you know when someone's hurting emotionally, just the slightest gesture can mean the difference between that person having another lousy day and having hope that the future can be better. And so, please don't ever underestimate the power of when you give a gift—something as simple as a pillowcase can make a difference in someone's life and so there are so many opportunities to volunteer and to give that really do make a difference for people.
French seams take just—this is the extra step that a French seam is because now what we'll do is actually go where we just—there's our seam. Can you see that right there? That we will kind of—you have to kind of work your way out, and you have to kind of work it out with your fingers, and then I pin again. I'm a pinner when it comes to projects like this. I don't pin as much in quilting, especially when I'm just piecing, but when I need something to come together just right: take the time to do the pinning. So we'll work this out.
So just to recap: 27 inches for your main fabric—that's the body of your pillow. For your cuff you'll be using a 9 inch piece, and for your accent 3. Three times nine is twenty-seven. It's very easy to remember.
Now I know that there'll be many of ladies and gentlemen that might even want to make a pillowcase for someone special, and so for that reason we'll be putting together some kits. And the kits will be constantly changing so that you have a nice variety of kits to choose from on the website. Inside the kits there will be no instructions. You will need to come and watch this video in order to be able to assemble the fabrics that are in your kit.
So I hope you enjoyed watching this tutorial on making this amazing pillow that has all of the seams hidden, and I hope that you'll subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can enjoy more free tutorials from Shabby Fabrics.
How to Sew a Pillowcase: One Yard Magic Pattern with No Waste!
Learn how to sew a pillowcase with exactly one yard of fabric and no waste! This super easy pillowcase tutorial is perfect for beginners or for charity sewing because it is the fastest pillowcase pattern you will ever see.
If you are just getting started sewing, I have lots more beginning sewing projects, including:
- Super easy and useful Bowl Cozies
- A fast and easy fabric basket that’s reversible too
- Grab a yard of fabric and make a simple messenger bag
This blog post has been converted to an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing. Find it here. The free One Yard Magic Pillowcase Tutorial Pattern is included in the blog post below and is totally free to read, print, and sew! Just hit CTRL +P on your computer to print. The Optimized for Printing PDF pattern for $3 is totally optional. Did you know you can get ALL the Optimized for Printing PDF files organized in a library for you to access anytime you want? Check it out.
This tutorial for homemade pillowcases is the perfect beginner sewing project or for sewing a lot of pillowcases at once because:
- You will only need 1 yard of fabric (exactly!)
- There is absolutely NO fabric waste
- Hardly any cutting
- No confusing rolling or folding (like the burrito method)
- All of the sewing is very forgiving if you mess up
And everyone needs a case on their pillow at night! This project makes a great gift for holidays, housewarmings, birthdays, and more: for kids or adults. If you are looking for a fancier pillowcase, don’t miss my DIY Ruffled Pillowcase Pattern (it’s chic and beautiful).
It is believed that during this time, the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world is thinnest, allowing for communication with ancestors and spirits. Many pagans celebrate Samhain by honoring their ancestors, holding bonfires, and practicing divination. Yule is another prominent pagan holiday that takes place around the winter solstice, typically on December 21st.
Pillow Case Dimensions
This free tutorial makes 20” x 30” standard pillowcases. It will fit standard size pillows and some queen size pillows too.
This method for sewing a pillowcase is especially fast since the ‘cuff fabric’ is actually a faux cuff that only looks sewn on. That means there is only one main fabric, but if you have coordinating yards of fabric, you can use them to make a set of adorable diy pillowcases.
It celebrates the rebirth of the sun and the eventual return of longer days. Yule is often observed with feasts, candlelight rituals, and the decoration of evergreen trees. Many pagans see Yule as a time of reflection, gratitude, and hope for the future. Imbolc is a pagan holiday that falls on February 2nd and marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It celebrates the first signs of spring and the return of light and warmth. Imbolc is often associated with the goddess Brigid and is celebrated with fire ceremonies, candle lighting, and the planting of seeds to symbolize new beginnings. Beltane, held on May 1st, is a pagan holiday that celebrates the arrival of summer. It is a time of fertility and abundance, often marked by dancing around maypoles, bonfires, and the crowning of a May Queen. Beltane is seen as a joyful celebration of life and a time to embrace the beauty and vitality of the natural world. Litha, also known as Midsummer, occurs around the summer solstice on June 21st and marks the longest day of the year. It is a time to honor the sun and its power, as well as the abundance of the earth. Pagan rituals on Litha may include bonfires, sun-worship, and the gathering of herbs for magical purposes. Lughnasadh, celebrated on August 1st, is a pagan holiday that commemorates the beginning of the harvest season. It is named after the Celtic god Lugh and is often observed with feasts, fairs, and the reaping of the first crops. Lughnasadh is a time to give thanks for the abundance of the earth and to acknowledge the cycles of life and death. These are just a few examples of the major pagan holidays that are celebrated by practitioners of various pagan paths. Each holiday holds its own significance and rituals, but they all share a common thread of reverence for nature, the changing seasons, and the interconnectedness of all living beings..
Reviews for "Pagan Ritual Tools: A Guide to Using Athames, Chalices, and More"
1. John Smith - 1/5
I found "Major Pagan Holidays" to be quite disappointing. The author's portrayal of pagan holidays seemed inaccurate and disrespectful. The book lacked in-depth research and instead relied on regurgitating stereotypes. Moreover, the writing style was poor, with numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Overall, I expected better and would not recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about pagan holidays.
2. Emily Johnson - 2/5
While "Major Pagan Holidays" did provide an overview of various pagan celebrations, I found it to be lacking in nuance and depth. The author seemed to generalize all pagan traditions, failing to recognize the diversity among different practices. Additionally, the book seemed biased, with a negative undertone towards paganism. I would have appreciated a more balanced and well-researched approach. Overall, it left me feeling unsatisfied and wanting a more reliable source of information on pagan holidays.
3. Sarah Thompson - 1/5
I have to say, "Major Pagan Holidays" was a complete waste of my time. The author's lack of understanding and knowledge about pagan traditions was evident throughout the book. It felt more like a collection of misconceptions and stereotypes rather than an informative guide on pagan holidays. The writing style was dry and uninspiring, making it difficult to stay engaged. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking accurate and respectful information about pagan celebrations.