Duvet Covers (part I)

Duvet covers are a neat, convenient way to change the look of your bed. What is a duvet cover, you might ask? A duvet cover is sort of like a large pillow case to protect your comforter from dirt and to change its look. Duvet covers can be expensive to buy, but they are easy to make in exactly the print and color you would like.

Because fabric generally does not come in the width needed to cover a bed, duvets are made in three separate pieces in front and three in the back, in order to avoid a middle seam. So, you will be cutting a total of six pieces. The middle piece is always a finished 40 inches wide (41 inches cut), no matter what your bed size. Remember to add an inch when cutting the pieces, because your seam allowances will be ½ inch.

The diagram shows you the finished measurements for a duvet to fit an average queen size comforter. To cover a twin size comforter your side pieces would be 11 ½ inches, finished (12 ½” cut); a full/double size has 19 inch wide finished sides (20” cut) and king size duvet has 31 inch wide finished sides (32” cut). The pieces to make a twin duvet will be 90 inches long; all the other sizes should be 95 inches in length.

Jean and Valori Wells, authors of Oh Sew Easy: Duvet Covers and Curtains suggest using different fabrics for the pieces to create a custom look. They also suggest doing the front and the back in different color schemes; that way you can reverse them for a different look. Their book is available at Amazon and at C & T Publishing http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=10464. I recommend this book if you are ready to really get into making duvets or curtains; it is illustrated with clear photos and diagrams that show you exactly how to make stylish finished duvets and gives much more detailed information than I can offer here. In my next post, I’ll give instructions for estimating the yardage for your basic duvet.

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