Thursday, February 3, 2011

Making Your Own Fabric Box

I love cloth covered boxes but they are either expensive, the wrong color, or the wrong size. BUT I found Joel Dewberry's book,  Sewn Spaces:  Fresh and Modern Project for You with a fabric box tutorial.  Yes!   I have a closet  full of fabric--literally.  (Go see pics of the cleaned up fabric closet here for proof of my addiction.)  Why buy them when I can make them AND actually use some of the stash.

Since I have an aversion to following directions, I made some changes in the pattern.  Here is my first prototype.  It bears almost no resemblance to Joel's other than that both are fabric and squarish. I did, however, follow his basic pattern.  The fabric is a Joann's wool remnant and buttons are from my old button stash.  I love the old man leather buttons on one side.
 And the big old round ones on the other.




Joel's box was smaller and had ties at the top.  I needed something a bit bigger for my sock collection aka future sock creature collection.   I decided to go with button loops at the top and midway down.

This was a pretty quick project despite my changes--an evening of work.  I will definitely be doing more with corduroy, denim, and a few pieces of decorator fabric I have.  Some changes I will probably make in the future:
  • Make the sides a little shorter.  This is a ten inch square on the bottom and the sides are 10x12.  Joel's base was 7x7 and the sides were--ummm, I forget.  I think 7 as well.  
  • I'd also use something heavier than the Pellon ultra-firm stabilizer or, at least use a double thickness of the Pellon.  I want those sides to stand tall, and I want to store heavier things in them.  
  • I might put more buttons down the sides to make it more solid, too. 
I  have a few other ideas to try instead of the ties or buttons.  I'll have Prototype II up soon hopefully.  It is good to be sewing again!

5 comments:

  1. Love that idea! So designer and finished looking too. Great job.

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  2. Thanks! I knew I'd get to use those wool pieces someday!

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  3. Are you going to post a tutorial, or not, since there's a book?

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Hi KatrinkaJane (sorry I spelled your name wrong in my email:-(),

    Since I used so much of Joel Dewberry’s pattern for it, I don't think I should. I did post a second fabric box with a tutorial, though, because the pattern was really quite different than Dewberry’s. I actually like mine better and found it easier to do. The link is:

    http://athomebythebaye.blogspot.com/2011/02/fabric-box-prototype-2-with-tutorial.html.

    The new one uses Velcro. You could still sew the button loops into the sides of the new version and place buttons on the alternate sides with the full-length flaps.

    Your library may well have a copy of Dewberry’s book if you want to take a look at it without having to purchase one.

    Baye

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