Archive for September 2011
Duvet
September 13, 2011 | 
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You may think it worthwhile to make your own duvet only if you have an unusually large bed. Alternatively you may want to convert an old eiderdown but you will have to supplement the filling as an equivalent duvet needs more down. The duvet consists of a channeled bag filled with goose or duck down, feathers or synthetic material. Goose down is considered the best and most luxurious because it is the lightest, but synthetic filling is the cheapest, easiest to handle and is washable.
The bag is divided into compartments to keep the feathers evenly distributed. Its light weight and flexibility enable it to sink around the sleeper’s body, eliminating pockets of cold air and providing perfect insulation. You can buy the type of filling you prefer from a good upholstery supplier. The fabric used for the duvet itself must down proof cambric which is waxed on one side to stop the sharp quills poking through. The cambric is covered by a second bag which is taken for washing. To decide upon the size of the duvet, measure the bed from top to bottom and from side to side. Add at least 20cm at the bottom of the bed for the overhang, and at least 40cm to the width measurement for the overhang at the two sides.
It relies on its weight to seal up the gaps at the side of the bed and it you have insufficient overhang; you may well find that the edges are not sealed. To all these measurements add a further 2.5cm at the top, bottom and both sides for the seam turnings. Cut two pieces of cambric to these measurements. Sew them with French seams around the two sides and top. If the cambric is too small to make the bag from one width, sew widths together using a French seam, joining right sides together first. Trim the seam turnings turn the bag inside out and machine sews round the seams again.
Posted in Bedding | 
Tags: decorating your home, home care, home maintenance, soft furnishings | 
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Bordered Pillowcase
Again, you will have to make this type of pillowcase from three pieces of material. The bottom piece should be the width and length of the pillow plus 8cm for turnings, and room for getting the pillow in and out. The top should have an extra 14cm added to the width and length which allows for borders of 6cm and a total of 2cm of turnings. The pocket section should be the width of the bottom section and 16cm deep. First machine sew a narrow hem along one of the short ends of the bottom piece, then along one of the long ends of the pocket.
Fold under all the edges of the larger top piece by 1cm and press down another 7cm. Miter the corners and sew down the mitering to form a neat border. Take the pocket piece and, with wrong sides together, slip the raw edges between the folded borders at one end. Tack it and then machine-zigzag only along the long edge. Now place the prepared bottom section on the top piece, wrong sides together, so that the hem is at the pocket end. Insert all the raw edges evenly between the borders. Tack them in position and zigzag stitch to finish. All the raw edges are thus hidden within the border. If you want the border to be in a contrasting material cut four strips the length of the pillow plus twice the depth of the border, plus 1cm for two 1cm turnings.
Each piece should be about 14cm wide. The top and bottom sections of the case will have the same dimensions this time. Fold the strips in half lengthwise, and miter and stitch the corners, right sides together. Turn and press the border, and slip it between the prepared main sections of the pillow case. the inside edges of this version will be raw so you should machine zigzag them or overcast them by hand. Instead of fabric strips you could use lengths of rushed lace and slip a single layer of it between the top and bottom of the pillowcase.
Posted in Soft Furnishings | Tags: home care, home improvement, home maintenance, small tasks in home | No Comments »
Pillow case with frill
A frill adds a decorative touch to a pillow and is popular when used with a duvet since the pillows are visible during the day. This type of pillowcase is made from three sections, plus the frill. The separate pocket section should be cut to the width of the top and bottom sections and to a depth of 16cm. start by making the frill itself. Its length will be 1 ½ to 2 times the perimeter of the pillow. You may find it convenient to economic on cutting by making up the frill from shorter width. Seams do not matter as they will be unobtrusive.
Sew the widths end to end, open out the seams and press them. The width of the frill itself should be doubled 2.5cm, plus 2.5cm, for the seam, so a total of 7.5cm. Sew the short ends of the long strip together right sides together, and open and press them. Fold the fabric lengthwise, wrong sides together into a continuous tube, and sew two lines of gathering stitch all round, 1.25cm and 1cm in from the raw edges. Gather up the frill to the outer dimensions of the case. Pin it to one of the main sections, right sides and raw edges together.
Adjust the frill give a fairly even gather all round except on the corners, where it is important to have plenty of fullness or the finished frill will not stand out well from the pillow. Sew the frill round the pillow along the line of the gathering stitch nearest to the edge of the frill. Take the pocket section and make it double hem down one of its lengths, allowing 18mm for turnings. Lay it over the frilled section of the pillowcase, right sides together, and sew along the end seam. Press it right sides out.
Make a double hem across one end of the other section with 18mm furnishings. Place the two pieces of fabric right sides together, and stitch round the sides and bottom 1cm in from the raw edges. Keep the frill carefully tucked in so that you do not catch it in the seams. You cannot use a French seam if you are inserting a frill so you will have to trim the corners and neaten the seams with machine zigzagging or overcastting by hand.
Plain Pillowcase
The pillowcase has a pocket or “housewife” which holds the pillow in position. You can make the case from one, two or three sections, depending on whether you are making the case from small pieces or a generous length. Not all manufactured pillows come in a standard size so you will need to your pillow. For a one-piece case, measure the length and width of the pillow. The fabric should be the width of the pillow plus 8cm for turnings, and room for getting the pillow in and out easily. The length should be twice the length of the pillow plus 23cm for the pocket, turnings and room for manoeuvre. Try to cut the piece so that one of the short ends has a selvedge.
Press under the opposite end by 6.5cm and stitch under 5mm of that, close to the edge, to make a double hem. Fold the selvedge and over, wrong sides together to make a pocket 15cm long, and over that fold up the hemmed end. Also wrong sides together, stitch the side edges half a centimeter in from the edge, and trim and seams to half that. Turn the pillowcase wrong side out and press the seams. Stitch again, 5mm in from the edge to from a French seam. Turn and press the finished pillow case. If you cut the fabric in two or three sections, the seams must fall where the fabric folds over to make the housewife pocket, and /or at the other end. Join this sections with French seams, continue as for the one piece pillow case.