Dust Cover

It is that time of the year, when I have an urge to get organised around our home. Now that the busy Christmas season is behind us, I am gradually going through each room and cleaning, organising, and finding items to be donated/thrown out. It feels really good to have everything in its place. 

One of the projects I came across today was a dust cover that I made to keep Sarah's First Holy Communion  Dress free of dust while it is being stored. It was this dust cover which was later reworked to include a side zipper and a closed bottom to become the Monogrammed Clothing Cover in the book  Fabric by Fabric One Yard Wonders. 


Sarah's dress has been stored this way for several years now (I should have ironed it again before the photos - oops!). I am planning on making some more dust covers to store some of her cute dancing costumes that she wore for dancing concerts when she was small - all the precious outfits I can't bare to throw away. I will also make a few for some of my winter jackets that always seem to collect dust on the shoulders when they are hanging in the walk in robe. 


If you would like to make your own dust covers to protect some of your out of season clothes or kids clothing/costumes, here are the instructions:

Dust Cover:

Measures: 21 inches x 29 inches (53 x 74 cm)

* If you want to leave off the monogram, just follow steps 3 and 4. 

Materials:

·         1 yard printed cotton

·         6 inch square of white cotton homespun fabric

·         scrap of contrasting fabric for monogram

·         20 inches of wide ric rac trim

·         co-ordinating thread

·         appliqué film (e.g. vliesofix)

·         5 inch square lightweight fusible interfacing

Supplies:

·         serger/overlocker

·         rotary cutter and cutting mat

·         compass and pencil

·         card

·         spray on starch

·         water soluble pen

·         pencil

·         computer and printer

·         pins

·         scissors

·         dinner plate

Method:

1.       Using your computer and printer, print out a monogram letter that is approximately 3 x 4 inches in size. (I used Notebook font, size 600). Cut out the letter. Trace the wrong side of the letter onto the back of appliqué film (i.e. paper side). Cut around the letter leaving approx ½ inch clearance. Press the appliqué film onto the wrong side of a piece of contrasting fabric. Cut around the letter. Peel off the paper.

2.       Using your compass, draw a circle that is 5 inches in diameter onto the card. Cut out the circle template. Trace the circle onto the back of the white fabric. Cut out the white fabric circle leaving ½ inch seam allowance. Iron a 5 inch circle of fusible interfacing on the back of the white fabric. Position the monogram on the centre of the white fabric circle and iron in place.  Using the sewing machine, stitch around the monogram using a buttonhole stitch. Moisten the edges of the white circle with spray on starch. Place it wrong side up on the ironing board. Place the card circle template on top, and then press the seam allowances over the edge of the card so that they are ironed under. Pin the ric rac trim around the circumference of the circle.

3.       From the yard of fabric, cut two rectangles that measure 22 inches x 32 inches. Use a dinner plate to round the top two corners on each piece.  Centre the monogram,  5 inches down from the centre top and stitch in place using a scant seam allowance so that the white circle and ric rac trim are sewn in place.

4.       Overlock the sides and top of each fabric piece. Pin right sides together. Sew from the bottom on one side around to the top and back down the other side, leaving a 2 inch gap in the centre top (for the hanger the fit through). Clip curves and press seam allowances open. On the bottom edge, fold up one inch and press. Fold up another inch and press. Stitch around hem. Press.

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