Friday 7 February 2014

Possibly the easiest handmade gift ever

Right, this is just a quick one and there are approximately a million tutorials out there on how to sew your own fabric coasters.



But now I know why! They are incredibly quick, easy and surprisingly satisfying when stacked up in their little piles of neat, handmade goodness.



Details and tips:

1.       I used cotton and cut my fabric 5 inches square, this worked well with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Obviously it doesn't matter that much as long as it's squareish!

2.       I would definitely recommend using batting - it gives the coasters a bit more body and they look quite professional! Next time I would try cutting the batting slightly smaller than the other fabric; because I suspect they would turn more neatly.

3.       Place your fabric right sides together  with the batting on top and sew together around the outside leaving a 2 inch gap in the middle of one side for turning. Don't forget to clip the corners and any excess fabric from the seams.

4.       DO NOT leave a gap smaller than about 2 inches for turning. A smaller gap will not make it faster, improve the end result or have any other benefit. Trust me on this one!

5.       Turn the fabric so the right sides are together and the batting is on the inside. A chopstick works well to turn the corners out. Adults are better suited to this task than 3 year olds, although they can do it after a fashion (remain calm and let go of your need for perfection).

6.       Iron, iron, iron, then edgestitch around the whole coaster, then iron some more.


Enjoy your coasters!

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