Novice at sewing - would you try this?

cuca

I recently got a sewing machine and am new to sewing. I have managed to make some duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases for kids bed. Yesterday i bought the most lovely suede fabric going cheap and I made some cushion covers for my lounge. I have quite a bit left, and I was thinking of cutting one of my duvet covers in half and sewing this bit of suede down the middle. That may sound odd, but the duvet cover is double size, but my bed is king so i need to make it wider to hang down side of bed.

So I would need to do the same back and front of duvet - the existing cover is plain cream but a really good quality. i am scared to go and start cutting and make a hash of it and ruin the duvet cover.

Would you try this - or am I going a bit out of my depth here???

tia

angeltreats

It should be dead simple really. Just remember to measure your duvet and add a seam allowance (to both the suede and the original duvet cover) to make sure you get the size right.

The only thing I'd be wary of is being able to wash the suede fabric. Is it faux suede? Are there any washing instructions printed on the selvedge?

lbt_2

Go for it. If you have made the duvet already, you are really just making adjustments. Let us know how you get on.

I have been itching to get my sewing machine out again, I love it.

scotsgirl_3

I'd also be worried about the suede shrinking - if you go for it then I'd consider washing the suede before hand as normally the biggest shrinking happens in the first wash, and this would help to avoid it pulling as it might shrink more than the fabric around it otherwise.

jamanda

You also need to make sure the colour from the suede won't run into the duvet when you wash it if it is a strong contrast.

valk_scot

Yes, and the suede fabric might bleed dye onto the white. Anyway, are you intending to get a king size duvet to fit inside the bigger cover? Because king sized duvets are also longer than doubles so you'd need to lengthen the cover too, which would all get to be a bit of a faff imho.

Might just be a better idea to make some pillow shams and to use the suede to back a throw for the bed, so that they wouldn't need laundered much.

Actually one tip:...before you make anything that's going to be washed, first wash the fabric (in the same way you'll subsequently wash it, of course) to get out any shrinkage, loose dye and find out how it behaves. If you're in any doubt whatsoever whether it's dry clean only or washable then wash a small measured square of it. This is best practice when it comes to sewing, especially when you're combining fabrics that may shrink at different rates ie sewn in curtain linings to fabric curtains, or making a jacket with a different fabric lining. Pre-shrink your fabric, always!