Embroider-it-yourself pillowcases were popular during a big chunk of the 20th Century. Here’s a newspaper ad from 1921 where Fellmans store in Galveston, Texas, offered pillowcases “stamped for embroidery and spoke stitch hems for crochet” for $1.50 a pair.
Embroidery designers apparently had fun with His & Hers themed pillowcases. Naturally there was the Mr & Mrs variation. Things got more interesting with his and hers underwear designs for pillowcases–boxer shorts for him and tap pants with bows and other frills for her. The design with “I rule the roost” for him and “I rule the rooster” for her made me laugh.
What got me interested in this topic was a Her pillowcase made with crocheted letters appliqued to the fabric. It was for sale at the charming Comanche Mercantile store in Comanche, Texas. I couldn’t find the His or Him version. It was the first ever crochet applique and trim pillowcase I had seen.
If you like the idea of embellishing your plain pillowcases, you still can buy pillowcases stamped for embroidery in many cute and beautiful designs, including His & Hers. Here’s a His & Hers design from one online vendor: Jack Dempsey Needle Art. Other vendors undoubtedly offer similar products.
On August 23, 2026, I searched online and found lots of vintage pillowcases for sale with embroidery and sometimes with crochet. There was even an “I Rule the Roost/I Rule the Rooster” pillowcase set on Ebay.
The Fellmans ad was from the Portal to Texas History’s Texas newspaper archive. That archive is a treasure! Here’s the link to the ad:
Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 267, Ed. 1, Page 2, Tuesday, October 4, 1921, newspaper, October 4, 1921; (accessed August 5, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, crediting Rosenberg Library.
