Friday, January 20, 2012

Single Duvet Tutorial

My little one. Oh, sorry, my BIG 4 year old (as she is now known) was in desperate need of a new duvet cover. She 'accidentally' left a marker pen on her bed with no lid... all day... so you can imagine how the cover looked by bedtime!

She loved the balloon fabric (from Children at Play by Sarah Jane) that was lurking in my stash, so I finally sewed it up for her this morning.

If you are looking for a quick, and relatively cheap way to change your kids bedrooms up, then sewing a new duvet cover is a good solution. I always buy packs of sheets, but only ever use the fitted sheets. Which means I end up with quite a few crisp clean flat sheets hanging around looking for a purpose!

This is a very simple tutorial. Don't be put off by sewing large amounts of material, it really is just a matter of sewing a couple of straight lines (and your seams are mostly finished for you with the sheets and selvedge edges!).



Simple Single Duvet 'Tutorial'

what you will need:
1x single flat sheet (standard size 180cm x 265cm)
215cm of your little persons favourite fabric (112cm wide)
Pins
Thread
Sewing machine
Iron
Something for poking out corners (chopstick or similar) 

* Duvet cover finished size approx. 140 x 210cm

how to do it:
1. Firstly, take your piece of 'duvet' fabric, fold the bottom edge over 1/4" pressing as you go, then over again 1/4" pressing as you go, and stitch along the length.
2. Lay your sheet out flat (smoothing it out completely), right side UP.
3. Lay your measured duvet fabric on top, right side DOWN, with the side edge seams meeting on one side. And the bottom edge (that you just stitched) meeting the bottom edge of the sheet. It will look a little strange, as though your fabric is not wide or long enough for the sheet, but this is correct.


4. Using a 1/4” seam allowance, stitch the two pieces of fabric together down the long seam.


5. Now repeat for the other side, so you will end up with a large 'tube'.
6. Again, lay your fabric out flat on the ground. Using your 'eye' flatten the tube out so there is an equal amount of sheet fabric on either side of the duvet fabric.



7. Now, cut the excess sheet fabric off the bottom, across in line with the fabric. Pin across this top  raw seam. Using a 1/4” seam allowance. Stitch all the way across the top. Finish with a serger, or zig zag stitch to prevent fraying.



8. Pin along the bottom edge about 35cm, leave a gap, then from the other side, pin along about 35cm. This leaves you a good gap for turning and stuffing.


9. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch across the bottom to the 35cm mark. Starting at the other side, stitch along the bottom to the 35cm mark.


10. Trim off any lose threads, turn your duvet cover right side out, iron flat and admire your gorgeous handy work!
11. You can add buttons or clasps to the bottom edge, but I just leave mine as it is (I am lazy and love quick projects, and changing bed linen easily!)




** You can also use the 'scraps' from your sheet as the backing for some little cushions, or even to make a pillow case to go with your duvet.

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