The body pillow...

A few weeks ago B & I made a "body pillow" together. I bought one when I was pregnant with B & it really helped to ease the sleeping discomfort. I put it away for quite a few years, then started using it again last year when my back started acting up. B has become very attached to my body pillow. When he is distressed & needs comfort he can often be found burrowed under the covers of our bed, hugging the body pillow. C & I had been brainstorming ideas to help B's difficulties with falling asleep. He had noticed that B prefers the sofa pillows, with well-fitting, quilted cotton covers, to his regular pillowcase, so B & I decided to go to the fabric store to choose some fabric for a new pillowcase for his pillow. It occurred to me that it might also help if he had a body pillow of his own. In the photo above you can see the body pillow & B's bed pillow, both with matching Star Wars fabric covers (he picked it :). B helped me to measure it, sew both the pillow & cover on the machine, fill the pillow with stuffing, & hammer on the snaps (his favourite part :).

The instructions do not give specific yardages, since you'll want to alter it to fit your recipient. The key to making the pillow easy to make was using 36" wide muslin for the shell, since then I could just measure how long I wanted it, plus seam allowances, & then fold the fabric in half (widthwise) & stitch to make it the right size for hugging. The only ironing was to press a hem for the top seam for easy filling with the stuffing & stitching the thing closed.

Materials:
2 yds of 36" muslin
~2 yds fabric for cover (measure your finished pillow)
matching thread
~6 bags of shredded foam stuffing (I went to find a weight measurement on the partial bag leftover & was appalled to find nothing to indicate weight :( )
3 snap closures (or velcro, or buttons, etc.)

Tools:
sewing machine
scissors
tape measure/yardstick
snap setter (really helpful for the hammer-on snaps) & hammer
pins

* Measure how long you want yours to be, then add 1" for the seams. I measured the body pillow to be about 6" longer than B, for grow-into purposes.

* Iron 1/2" hem along one short edge.

* Fold the whole thing into a long tube, ~18" wide, with the ironed-down edge facing you.

* Stitch the bottom (unironed edge) & up the long side using 1/2" seam. I used a slightly shorter stitch than usual, for strength.

* Turn the shell right-side out.

* Fill with the shredded foam. B & I opened the foam bags & stuffed them into the shell before we emptied them, to prevent foam from getting all over (it did somewhat anyway :). We tested occasionally to make sure the pillow was not filled too firmly, so it's huggable.

* Sew the turned-under edge closed using a 1/4" seam. This is awkward, since the pillow is so long, so you may want someone to support the end for you.

* To make the cover, cut the fabric 3 1/2" wider than your pillow & 5" longer.

* Iron one of the short edges first 1/4" to the wrong side, then another 2". Unfold the 2" before stitching the side seams.

* Fold the case wrong-side out & stitch the bottom (unironed) & side seam. I usually go over these seams with a zig-zag stitch (just outside the straight stitching) to finish them & prevent fraying & weakening of the seams, since the case will be washed repeatedly.

* Fold the 2" ironed-down part at the top of the case back to the wrong side. Stitch this hem down.

* Turn the case right-side out. Add the snap/velcro/button (your choice) closures.

To put the pillow into the case, imagine the case as a large sock & the pillow as a foot, scootching case & fitting the pillow right into the end of it. Then slide the case up to the top of the pillow & fasten.

We made B's matching pillow case from a leftover yard of fabric. I measured his pillow, adding seam allowances & a hem for snap closures, like the body pillow case. It just fit the pillow, lengthwise, but the snug fit was what we wanted.

B does seem to find it easier to get comfortable at night with his new body pillow, although we still find him in our bed, snuggled up to my pillow, when he's upset (maybe I need to make his pillow mom-scented?)...