A small sewing project with a question

Hi everyone,

the grandkids got a playhouse and now need some furniture. So I came up with the idea of a little mini stool—it’s just the right size for the little ones. But since they’d think a brown leather cover was lame, I sewed a slipcover. I just happened to have a matching scrap of jersey fabric with dinosaurs on it. Luckily, that pattern’s still in style. If they get tired of the design, I can sew another cover.

I have to say, though, sewing a channel for elastic onto a round piece of fabric isn’t that easy. Are there any tricks for hemming or sewing around curves?

Best regards, Ina

Ina, I always sew those channels with bias strips—you can cut them yourself if you have a patchwork ruler, since it has the angles you need marked on it. Either I use fabric from the piece I’m sewing or I try to find a solid-color fabric that matches. That’s how you get curves to turn out well, and when sewing curves, always keep a straight line under the presser foot—that way it turns out nice and round.

Best regards, Inge

The cover turned out really pretty!! I’d sew it the way Akela says, too. Curves aren’t that easy, unfortunately.

If you don’t have fabric for bias strips, it helps to make very small notches across the hem at 1-cm intervals—within the seam allowance—and then fold the fabric inward piece by piece and pin it in place.

But the bias strip method gives a neater result.

Best regards,
Sonja

Thank you both so much for your tips. Yes, I’ll have to practice that some more. In any case, sewing curves isn’t that easy. But my grandson carried the dinosaur stool into his treehouse yesterday and was happy with it. It’s good that kids have a different perspective on their treasures.

Best regards, Ina