DIY Grain Sack and Ticking Stripe Pillows

Learn how to make grain sack and ticking stripe pillow cover sets. These are super simple to make and fit in perfectly with the farmhouse style home. 

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Farmhouse Style

You all know how I feel about simple farmhouse style.

Even though I live in town, I imagine myself sitting on my big wraparound porch, drinking a tall glass of homemade kombucha and watching my goats and chickens frolic about in deep prairie grasses and wild flowers.

I know I’m not alone.

I crave the simple life.

The heavy, industrial, texture of the grain sack, and simple pattern of the ticking stripe, speak to the humble farm lifestyle. The combo of the two is quintessentially “farmhouse.”

There are so many lovely combinations of grain sack fabrics and ticking stripe that you could make many variations. Red ticking and grain sack for Christmastime, tan grain sack, black ticking, different grain sack stripe patterns…so many possibilities!

You are going to want a set in every room in your home.

Cut the Fabric

To make these, first cut all the pieces from the cut list below.

Cut List:

1- 19″ by 19″ piece ticking stripe fabric

2- 19″ by 13″ pieces ticking stripe fabric

2- 19″ by 19″ pieces grain sack fabric

2- 18″ pieces of 1/2″ double fold bias tape

Make sure the Stripes are Even

Make sure the stripes on the grain sack fabric are centered, when you are cutting them out.

For this particular fabric, the stripes are 10″ apart, so I have 3.25″ between the edge of the stripe and the end of the fabric.

So, for this project, you are actually making two separate pillow covers that will fit together over one pillow insert.

Sewing the Ticking Stripe

We will start first with the ticking. For this we are essentially making a basic envelope style pillow cover, like I also did in this tutorial.

First, take the 19″ side, of one of the 19″ by 13″ pieces, and press it over 1/2″.

Next, press it over another 1/2″, so that the raw edge is hidden inside.

Sew in place with a 3/8″ inch seam.

Repeat with the other 19″ by 13″ piece.

These will be the back pieces for the ticking stripe pillow cover.

Next, line up the unfinished 19″ back piece edges with the 19″ edges of the front square piece, with right sides together.

It is really important that you line the stripes up pretty precisely, because they make such a statement peaking through the grain sack cover.

And you don’t want that statement to be mismatched stripes! LOL 😉

I made it look like I do this by pinning. But, in reality, I’m not a big pinner. My mom and grandma, on the other hand, wouldn’t dar tackle lining up the stripes without pins.

So, you can do whatever makes it easy for you to get the job done.

I, personally, like to take this step slowly. I line up the stripes, and then sew a little ways, and then stop to check that they are still lined up, then sew a little more.

After both the sides are sewn down, overlap the two sides, and then pin the top and bottom seam, being sure that you catch all the layers.

Around the middle there will be three layers overlapping, both back pieces and the front piece.

Sew the top and bottom pieces in place with a 3/8″ seam.

Finish all the edges with a serger, or a zig zag stitch on you sewing machine.

Sewing the Bias Tape

Now, it is time to make the grain sack cover.

First, to make the ties, take one of your 18″ pieces of double fold bias tape, and fold one end under. Sew that folded end in place, and then all the way down the open (non-folded) side of the bias tape, like I did in the photo below.

Repeat for the other 18″ piece of bias tape.

Sewing the Grain Sack

Next, place the two grain sack squares on top of each other, with right sides together.

The grain sack fabric that I use is the exact same on both sides, so there isn’t really a right or wrong side.

Sew 3/4 of the way around with a 3/8″ seam, leaving one side open. This will be the side that will have the ties.

Again, it is important to line the stripes up, but this time the stripes will run vertically, as opposed to the ticking stripes, that ran horizontally.

On the side that you left open, find the exact middle and use a disappearing ink fabric marker, or sewing pin, to mark that spot on both the front and the back piece. This is where the ties will go, since you want them centered in the middle of the pillow.

Fold the side that was left open over to the inside of the pillow cover 1/4″, and then fold in again another 1/4″, to hide the raw edge inside. Begin sewing around until you reach the place that you marked as the center. This is where you will sew in the first tie.

Note* Normally I would press the edge over with my iron to create a seam like this, but the grain sack fabric is so thick that I find it does not press well. Instead, I just fold it down as I go around. You could also use pins.

Tuck the unfinished end, of one of the 18″ bias tape ties, into the seam that you are making around the opening of the grain sack pillow cover.

Continue sewing around, until you reach the other marking, and repeat the process, to sew in the other tie.

After I have sewn all the way around, I like to go back over the spots where the ties are, and sew them over to the outside of the pillow, like I did in the photo below.

Finish the inside raw edges of the grain sack pillow cover with a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine or use a serger.

All done!

Now repeat, repeat, repeat, because you will want them everywhere!

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