Make and Share Craft Tutorials
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Published
over 1 year ago
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I love it when something such as a shirt placket has an obvious use, as it does here. If it were simply strips of fabric joined together, it wouldn’t have the same finish. This project is dear to my heart as it is simple to do and, depending on colour choices, can look sophisticated, homespun or simply stunning.
Crafts
Extract from
The Shirt Off His Back: 30 Projects for Transforming Everday Shirts into a Variety of Home Accessories by Juliet Bawden
Published by Aurum Press
Start with several shirts that nobody plans to wear any more, add some imagination, and the resulting product can be anything from a good-looking checked chair cover or a brightly patterned beach bag to a set of table napkins or a soft stuffed toy that will delight a lucky toddler. The principle guiding this fascinating crafts book is that recycling isn't merely virtuous--it's also fun, and a good way to add colorful new items to the household. Author Juliet Bawden presents ideas for transforming all kinds of shirts--classic white or blue dress shirts, Hawaiian shirts, lumberjack shirts, polo shirts, corduroy shirts, or any other kind that happens to be available. She then presents detailed directions and templates for creating-- Chair covers Book covers Baby booti...
© 2013 Juliet Bawden / Aurum Press · Reproduced with permission.Instructions
You Will Need
- A selection of Shirt s (the number will depend on the size of the book)
- A Shirt for the lining fabric
- Matching Thread
- Fusible Webbing
- A Book
- Tape Measure
- Dressmaking Scissors
- Iron and ironing board
- Sewing Machine
- Needle
- Project Cost
- Cheap
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1
Open the book you want to cover and lay it flat. Measure the opened up width, plus an extra 10cm (4in) for the wraparound x the height of the book. Cut the piece of fusible webbing to this measurement, and also a piece of shirting for the lining fabric (see pic. 1).
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2
Place the fusible webbing on the lining and then, using a hot iron, go over the paper side until the glue has melted. You will see this through the paper. Peel off the paper (see pic. 2).
Tip
In case you end up with fusible webbing on the bottom of the iron, keep some nail varnish remover and a soft cloth to hand, as this will remove the glue. -
3
Carefully cut the plackets away from the shirts and then arrange them on top of the glue side of the lining, until you are happy with the composition (see pic. 3). Using a hot iron, press the top of the plackets until they stick. Trim the overhanging edges of the plackets so they align with the edge of the lining. If you wish, you can machine stitch each placket into place.
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4
To neaten the inside edges of the book cover, turn under by 5mm (1?4in) and machine stitch. Alternatively, you can finish the edge with a strip of binding cut from one of your shirts.
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5
Wrap the cover around the book. To make a slip pocket to hold the cover on the book, slip stitch the overlap top and bottom on each side (see pic. 5).
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