If you are anything like me you will have, despite all your best intentions/efforts, accumulated a large amount of plastic bags that you are wondering how to get rid of. Well, wonder no more as I have got the perfect solution. I am not sure where I read about the idea of using plastic bags as stuffing but it stuck in my mind as did the idea of making draught excluders from some material that I salvaged from the skip on a job I did before Xmas. As it is such a simple idea and as I have never done a tutorial I thought I would give it a go.
I used some cotton mix tartan fabric for my top fabric and a black wool serge for the bottom. Black serge is used as blackout material in the TV industry and after every job there are loads of largish scraps that are discarded so I was lucky enough to get quite alot. The tartan fabric was also from a set that we had built and, as it was a one off set, it was broken up after filming so I was able to give the fabric a good home rather than it being chucked out!
I cut two rectangles of fabric (one patterned/tartan and one plain) 20cms (8") deep x 90cms (35") wide, each with a 2cm (3/4")seam allowance all around and then pinned them together right sides facing each other.
With the patterned fabric to the top I pinned my Fieldy label to the left hand side about an inch up from the bottom seam - if you have your own labels you can do the same.
I pressed the right hand edge of the tartan/patterned fabric straight and cut the serge (which is basically wool felt and will therefore not fray) level with that edge. If you are using a fabric that will fray press it the same way as you did the patterned fabric.
I then sewed velcro onto the right hand side edge - the softer loop velcro onto the lighter tartan fabric ...........
and the harder hook velcro onto the heavier serge.
I have to say that the hook velcro is a bugger to sew!!
I then sewed the two fabrics together..........................
and trimmed the edges so that they were neat................
before zig zagging the edges to prevent any fraying, making the seams a little sturdier.................
I turned it inside out and voila! A lovely tube of fabric with a velcro fastening........
ready to be stuffed with all those nasty plastic bags!!!
And this is the finished product in action (this is one I made for myself from Blackwatch tartan)
The beauty of this is that you can use any fabric - felted jumpers, old jeans, old duvet covers, curtains etc to make your draught excluder and you can stuff it with anything from plastic bags to old textiles or the filling from old cushions or pillows. Not only are you recycling but you will be saving energy by stopping loss of heat through a draughty door!
I have made a dozen of these 'Stuff them Yourself' draught excluders and I am going to try and sell some at the next Wee Green Market which will be held at Killearn Village Hall on Saturday May 2nd 10am-1pm. I am going to donate 25% of any sales from these excluders to the SSPCA - I was thinking that £8 per draught excluder would be a fair price - what do you think?
A tutorial and sewing in straight lines - do you think my new found sewing 'skills' could master one of your draught excluders? Love the handbag on the door - a new design of yours Suzanne?
Posted by: Bella Bheag | April 16, 2009 at 09:36 AM
I Love your draft excluder! What a clever design, and a great idea to put all your nasty plastics into good use. I love your bag and the Scottie heart hanging from your door handle too! See you soon x
Posted by: Rebecca | April 18, 2009 at 12:02 AM