It's back to school in Belgium and it's also the start of courses at the "Joly" workshop. So, we wanted to make it look nice to welcome our new students by changing the covers of our ironing tables.
These have been put to tough use during the last year of courses 😂 between the kids, forgetting the iron on the table, the fusible interfacing... Well, they served us well but it was time to thank them...
So we took the time to make two pretty covers and this week, we explain how to make beautiful ironing board covers in a fabric pattern that you will probably like more than what you can find in stores!
Let's get started!
Supplies
To sew an ironing board cover, you will need:
- good quality matching thread
- a thin elastic (less than 1cm)
and that's all!
For the fabric choice, we opted for a 100% cotton canvas. Canvas is a sturdy cotton fabric that is relatively thick and is used especially for cushion covers, bags, jackets... The fact that it is 100% cotton is also very important because cotton withstands heat well, an essential quality for becoming an ironing board cover.
Of course, we left the commercial cover (not very pretty) underneath our cover to take advantage of the padding it contains.
The pattern
To sew our ironing board cover, we will need some muscle 😂, let me explain.
After washing and ironing the fabric, you will spread it on the floor and turn the ironing board upside down on top of it.
Let the fabric extend beyond each side of the board.
Draw the outline of the table with a water-erasable marker, chalk...
You can put the ironing board back in place.
Using a Japanese ruler or straightedge, draw a line 10cm from the edge of the table, going all around the board.
Ta-da! The pattern is ready! All that’s left is to cut the fabric!
The tutorial
Once your piece is cut, I recommend overlocking the edges with a serger or using a zigzag stitch.
Next, we will prepare the casing by making a simple 2cm hem around the edges of the cover. To help you, I recommend using an aluminum seam gauge and, of course, pressing with a bit of steam.
The most difficult part will be making the hem around the curves of the table, don’t hesitate to press this area well.
Sew a straight stitch 1.5cm from the edge of your hem, leaving a 10cm opening on the right side of the board to slip the elastic through.
Pin the end of your elastic with a safety pin and slide the elastic into the casing through the opening we left. Go all the way around to come out the other side of the opening.
Place your cover on the board and pull the elastic to stretch the cover over the table.
The cover should fit the table well but still be removable.
Remove the cover and sew the two ends of the elastic together. Cut the ends of the elastic and tuck it into its casing.
Sew the opening we had left.
Ta-da! The board cover is finished.
And there you go, isn’t my new cover beautiful? Plus, it perfectly matches the lovely wallpaper in the workshop. It’s always nice to have pretty things in sight...
I am delighted with my new ironing board covers that sew up super fast but are very practical in the life of a sewing workshop.
And you, tempted by the ironing board cover adventure?
You will find beautiful canvas in the shop or on the website, feel free to take a look.
So, once again, get your needles ready!
