A neck roll pillow pattern is a sewing plan for a cylindrical bolster cover, sized to a specific insert so the finished piece grips rather than sags. The catch is that the dimensions are never printed on the fabric; you derive them from a 6" x 20" x 20" bolster form, adding seam allowance to circumference and length so the tube stays tight. The original project used Sunbrella Canvas Jockey Red, chosen because moisture in the intended environment would mildew cotton through a looser weave.
Measuring and Patterning
- Start with the 6" x 20" x 20" Indoor/Outdoor Bolster Pillow Insert (#122142) as your fixed measurement. The 6" is the diameter, the 20" is the length, and sources leave the fabric dimensions unstated, so you have to derive them.
- For the body panel that wraps around the cylinder, the fabric width needs to cover the circumference plus seam allowance. A 6" diameter gives roughly 18-19" around; add 1/2" seam allowance on each edge and you land at about 20" wide to keep the cover snug without straining.
- The body panel length matches the insert’s 20" length plus 1/2" seam allowance at each end, so cut 21" long. That extra inch total lets you sew closed with a clean finish.
- For the two circular end caps, the radius is 3" (half the 6" diameter) plus 1/2" seam allowance all around, making each circle 3-1/2" in radius, or 7" across total. Trace these onto paper first; a dinner plate or compass helps, but a folded length of string pinned at the center and marked at 3-1/2" works fine.
- Lay the paper pattern flat and mark the seam lines at 1/2" in from every edge. The gap between seam line and cut edge is where your stitching lives; without this marked, the cover balloons or binds.
A neckroll pillow cover with piping and buttons adds real decorative flair, and you can use any fabric appropriate for the pillow’s intended environment.
— Sailrite
That environment note matters more than it sounds: a pillow for a bed in a dry bedroom can be any cotton or linen you like, but if moisture is a factor, the Sunbrella route the original project took keeps the insert from mildewing through the cover.
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Sewing the Cover
- Cut the main tube from Sunbrella Canvas Jockey Red 54" Upholstery Fabric (#5403-0000) to the length of your pillow form plus seam allowance, and to a width that wraps around the 6" diameter with overlap for the seam. The fabric’s 54" width gives plenty of room for a 20" neck roll with extra to spare.
- Sew the tube with PremoBond Tex 70 (V-69) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread, stitching the long edge into a cylinder. The V-69 thread is the right weight for upholstery fabric; regular all-purpose thread frays faster under the tension of a tight tube.
- If you want piping, pin Sunbrella Decorative Piping Trim 1/4" Wheat (#364674) around each circular end piece before attaching them to the tube. A welting foot or roping zipper foot keeps the stitch line tight against the cord; a standard foot leaves a visible gap that reads homemade from three feet away.
- Set the ends into the tube wrong sides together, clipping the circular seam allowance so it turns without puckering. The tube construction is what gives a neck roll its clean cylinder shape; flat-end pillows sag at the corners no matter how firmly you stuff them.
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【Fits Any Full-sized Massage Tables!】– Our semi-round bolster is about 66x15x15cm / 25.98×5.9×5.9 inch, which fits any full-sized massage beds. NOTE: Please CHECK the SIZE and make sure that it is suitable for you. The pillow insert is VACUUM SEALED. After removing the pillow insert from vacuum packaging, Place it Directly into the pillowcase. Let it sit undisturbed for 24-48 Hours, then gently Fluff it to allow the insert to fully expand inside the pillowcase
One White Cotton Bolster Pillow Insert
Inserting the Form and Closing
- Turn the cover right-side out and work the fabric down over the bolster form, tugging the tube evenly so the seam allowance stays centered underneath and the form doesn’t bunch at one end.
- A tight fit matters more than you’d think. If the cover droops, the form shifts every time you lean against it and the pillow ends up lumpy in a week. The finished cover should grip the form like a sleeve, not a sack.
- For closing the opening, three methods hold up in practice. Hand-sewn invisible closure takes ten minutes and leaves no line; a short zipper sewn into the seam before you turn the cover lets you remove the form for washing; an envelope-style overlap at one end is fastest to sew but can gape if the fit isn’t snug.
- Whichever closure you choose, anchor the last stitches through the form’s casing if possible, or at least through a bit of its stuffing. Otherwise the seam line migrates and the opening drifts to the top of the pillow where you see it every time you walk into the room.
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SIZE N QUANTITY : This listing is for pillow COVER ONLY . You will receive one neck roll cover. Its small size makes it so easy to fit into any travel bag or into a corner of the shelf at home. Comes in 6" diameter. This neck pillow Cover is for both small and supportive for pillow insert which is supplied by saffron Handicrafts, making it the perfect pillow for use on planes, cars, buses & trains .
Adding Fabric Buttons
- Thread a long upholstery needle with 5-Ply Waxed Polyester Twine and pass it straight through the center of the pillow from one end to the other, leaving a tail on both sides.
- Cover the Snap Together Button Form 1-1/8" halves with scraps of your pillow fabric, following the package directions, then position one button at each end of the neck roll where the twine exits.
- Pull both twine tails tight so the ends dimple inward toward the center. The wax on this particular thread grips the knots in a way standard thread does not, which matters because the tension has to hold permanently against the foam pushing back out.
- Tie a surgeon’s knot first, then a second square knot directly on top of it. Trim the tails to about half an inch and tuck the trimmed ends back through the button shank so nothing works loose with use.
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Materials
Sunbrella Canvas Jockey Red 54" Upholstery Fabric (#5403-0000) is the main yardage, and the amount depends on your pattern dimensions derived from the insert size. An Indoor/Outdoor Bolster Pillow Insert 6" x 20" x 20" (#122142) gives the cover its shape. PremoBond Tex 70 (V-69) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. holds the seams, and Sunbrella Decorative Piping Trim 1/4" Wheat (#364674) runs the length for a finished edge. Two Snap Together Button Forms 1-1/8" (#123183) close the ends, threaded with 5-Ply Waxed Polyester Twine Bobbin (81 ft.) to pull them tight.
The materials break down as follows:
- Sunbrella Canvas Jockey Red 54" Upholstery Fabric (#5403-0000): yardage varies with pattern dimensions
- Indoor/Outdoor Bolster Pillow Insert 6" x 20" x 20" (#122142)
- PremoBond Tex 70 (V-69) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz.
- Sunbrella Decorative Piping Trim 1/4" Wheat (#364674)
- Snap Together Button Form 1-1/8" (#123183): two needed
- 5-Ply Waxed Polyester Twine Bobbin (81 ft.)
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Package Includes : You will receive a piece of 10 yards/9.14 metres long white sewing piping ribbon with a width of 5/8 inch(15mm), long enough for your daily use.
Package Included: You will receive a roll black piping trim with spool, about 0.43 inch(11mm) in width, 20 yards(18.29m) in length, enough length to meet your DIY and decorate need.
Prefect Size: The length of cords trim is 13 yards / 12 m. Width measure 0.27 inch / 0.7 cm.
Tools
A 120-inch tape measure is the first thing to grab, because a standard 25-foot hardware-store tape is too stiff to wrap around a cylinder and read accurately. The Sailrite Ultrafeed LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V) is what the professional tutorials run, but a domestic machine with a zipper or piping foot handles this project fine for a one-off bolster. The walking foot matters more if you’re batching out holiday gifts.
Beyond that, the list is short:
- Multiuse Pins 1-1/2", 250 pack (#102985) — you’ll use more than you expect pinning a curved seam
- Assorted Upholstery Hand Sewing Needles Round/Sharp Point (4 pack) — for closing the opening after stuffing
- Yardstick and pencil — for marking the bias-cut ends on fabric that shifts
- Scissors you don’t mind cutting foam with, or keep a separate pair
I keep a magnetic pin cushion next to the machine. The round shape means pins roll, and fishing them off the floor mid-seam gets old fast.
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Piping and Button Options
Piping along the seam gives a neck roll pillow structure and visual weight that plain edges lack. Cutting the bias strips for piping takes extra fabric, about half a yard more than the shell alone, and the cord inside has to match the pillow’s firmness or the whole line goes wobbly. I have skipped it when I was down to scraps and regretted how the finished edge looked against a sofa back.
Buttons change more than you might expect. A fabric button sewn dead center without any pull is only decoration; it sits there and catches light. Run twine or heavy thread through that same button and draw it tight into the insert, though, and you get the characteristic dimple that shapes the whole pillow into something that reads as a neck roll rather than a plain cylinder. The twine has to be long enough to exit both ends and knot securely, or the tension loosens within a week of use. Most patterns treat the tufting as optional, but in practice it is what keeps the form from looking like a bolster that lost its purpose.
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Best for 5 x 11; 5 x 10 and 4 x 11 pillow cover ( Cover NOT included)Measurements are seam to seam – After filling, the pillow will decrease about 10% – 15% in size; Order two inches up!
Frequently Asked Questions
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SET OF TWO neck roll BOLSTERS – Includes two 6 x 18 inch cylindrical bolster pillows designed for patio chairs, lounge seating, benches, and indoor accent styling
Perfect Pillow Match: You will receive 1 round cervical pillow case measuring approximately 16 x 6 inches, which are warm and soft to the touch for your comfort; fits most cylindrical bolster pillows and neck rolls (Pillow insert not included)
SET OF TWO neck roll BOLSTERS – Includes two 6 x 18 inch cylindrical bolster pillows designed for patio chairs, lounge seating, benches, and indoor accent styling
How do you make a neck roll pillow?
Start with a 6" x 20" bolster insert and cut a body panel about 20" wide by 21" long, plus two circular end caps 7" across. Sew the body into a tube, attach the ends with piping if desired, and close with hand stitching, a zipper, or an envelope overlap. Finish by pulling fabric buttons tight through the center with waxed twine to create the characteristic dimpled ends.
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