Pillowcase Snob

My husband just gave me this label: Pillowcase Snob.

Why would he do that, one may ask?

It might be because I was taking pictures of my most recent pillowcase creations, and telling him - aaw, cut the crapola, I was bragging! - that my pillowcases are cut so straight that I can fold them using any method I want.

I was taught one way to fold a pillowcase. If I remember correctly, it goes like this:

Fold it in half crosswise so the sides line up and the hem is hanging slightly lower than the closed end. This allows for pillowcases that are cut off grain. Fold in half again in the same direction, then fold it the other way, keeping the hem on the outside.

Shown are a front and back view of a purchased pillowcase after the first fold, with hem at the bottom of the pictures. One layer sticks out from both sides and the hem does not line up with the closed end:

BUT, if the pillowcase fabric had been cut straight to begin with!

Shown are a front and back view of my pillowcase after the first fold, with hem at the bottom of the pictures. The sides line up almost perfectly, as do the hem and closed end:

I now fold them this way:

I hold the pillowcase in the air by the seam, with the hem to the right and the closed end to the left. I fold it in half so the hem is behind the closed end (away from me) in my left hand, and grab the new, vertical fold in my right hand. I bring that fold towards me to meet the ends in my left hand, and hold a new vertical fold with my right hand.  I flop the top edges down towards me, folding it in half with a new horizontal fold.

In other words, I line up the sides to fold it because I can.

From this I get my pillowcase snobbery.

It didn't start out that way. It only became a type of snobbery when I realized that the pillowcases that I make are cut on the straight of grain much more often than store-bought pillowcases.

I'm rambling, I know.

Here are the pillowcases I just made:

They look really big because they are quite long. I use the entire width of fabric, which is usually 42-45" wide. In this instance, though, these pillowcases were made with leftover fabric from my first king-sized bed sheet project here (picture album with some words).

I like long pillowcases because they stay on the pillow when I dress the pillows like this (picture album with some words).

Here's how my pillowcases are stored. I have white pillowcases that I use as liners:

Do you make sheets or pillowcases?