homepage: Dr. Carol JVF Burns

See the Sewing/Crafts section of my main Table of Contents for other sewing projects!

Give an appliance a cover, and it becomes special! It looks pretty and stays dust-free; the cover can be washed as needed. This cover has all concealed seams—no ragged edges to fray. I use remnants, mixing-and-matching if I don't have enough of a single fabric. I've illustrated the procedure with a salad spinner cover, but the technique will work for any shape appliance. (Scroll down for more thorough instructions.)

## Custom Appliance Covers

 (1) trace around widest section (2) make dashes 1" out;connect dashes and cut (3) measure perimeter ($\,p\,$) with flexible ruler(or use math where appropriate ☺) (4) measure appliance height ($\,h\,$) (5) cut rectangle for side, $\,(p+2)\times(h+2)\,$ (6) label (optional) (7) hanging cord (optional) (8) line top and/or sides (optional) (9) pin top to sides, WRONG sides together; stitch close to edge; remove pins (10) trim ends of side rectangle to 1" (as needed); stitch side seam close to edge, WRONG sides together (11) invert piece: stitch side seam again, RIGHT sides together, to finish side French seam (12) stitch top to side, RIGHT sides together, to finish top French seam (13) hem; done!

## UNITS

All units are inches.
For example, $\,h + 2\,$ means $\,h\,$ inches plus $\,2\,$ inches.

## CUT TOP PIECE; MEASURE PERIMETER

 Image (1): Trace around the widest part of your appliance. (1)

 Image (2): Make dashes about 1" further out (measure). ‘Connect the dashes’ to make a continuous cutting line. Cut. (2)

 Image (3): With a flexible ruler (or math, as appropriate), measure the perimeter; call this length $\,p\,$. (3)

## MEASURE HEIGHT; CUT SIDE PIECE

 Image (4): Measure the appliance height, from bottom to the highest point. I sometimes use a rigid ruler and piece of cardboard for this step. Call this height $\,h\,$. (4)

 Image (5): Cut a rectangle for the side, with dimensions: $$\,(p + 2) \times (h + 2)$$ (5)

## LABEL (optional)

 Image (6): Sew on an (optional) label. You could also embroider directly on top/side fabric. Think carefully about label placement! (6)

## HANGING CORD (optional)

 IMAGE (7): If desired, sew on a short piece of cord/ribbon for a handle/hanging cord. Alternatively, you can use fabric: cut a small rectangular piece of fabric fold right sides together stitch one long and one short edge turn inside out fold in raw edge zig-zag ends to top cover piece (7)

## LINING (optional)

 IMAGE (8): To line top and/or side, use identical-size pieces of lining. I often pin (WRONG sides together), machine-baste, and then cut. (For this project, I only lined the top, not the side.) (8)

## ASSEMBLE WITH FRENCH (CONCEALED) SEAMS

Put a DOT at center back of top piece (right side), 3/4" from edge.
Call this dot $\,D\,$.

 IMAGE (9): Start 1" in on the long end of the side piece—NOT the very end!! With WRONG SIDES together, PIN side to top, starting at $\,D\,$. If you have tight curves, pin generously. You should have about 1" left when you reach $\,D\,$ again. (If you have excess length, it gets trimmed in a future step.) Machine-baste the pinned top with a 1/4" seam: start basting at location $\,D\,$ (except 1/4" in, not 3/4") finish at the same place Remove the pins. (9)

 IMAGE (10): If your side piece was too long, TRIM so that there is 1" on both ends. (Below, I refer to this as the ‘one inch overhang’). Stitch from top to bottom, 1/4" from outer edge. (Note: You still have WRONG sides together.) (10)

 IMAGE (11): ‘Invert’ the cover, so that RIGHT sides are together. Stitch the side again from very top to bottom: stitch along the very inside edge of the one inch overhang. This encloses the side raw edge, finishing the side French seam. (There will be a tiny raw edge at the top; zig-zag it if you want.) (11)

 IMAGE (12): Still with RIGHT sides together, stitch the top-to-side seam. Note: You'll stitch over the completed French side seam, as shown. This encloses the top raw edges, finishing the top French seam. Note: It may be thick near $\,D\,$, due to several layers of fabric—be careful! Turn right-side out. Some raw edges showing? If so, then stitch again, a little further in from the edge. (12)

## BOTTOM HEM:

 IMAGE (13): Turn up the bottom edge and zig-zag. Turn up again and stitch (straight/zig-zag/decorative, as desired). Done! (13)