Today I’m sharing a tutorial for a DIY Sailcloth. Recently I did a different kind of sewing, something for a reading corner in my kids school room. (We homeschool, love it, and have lots of information about it on Outnumbered the Podcast. Here are episodes on Homeschooling 101, Overcoming 7 Main Homeschool Obstacles, How to Start Homeschooling, The Benefits of Homeschooling with Jason Harney, Homeschooling and Adoption with Rachel Kovac.)
It was actually Mr. Skirt Fixation who suggested the sail cloth for over the reading corner. And since I wanted it RIGHT NOW without trying to find and order the perfectly sized one, I decided to make one myself. So here’s the DIY sailcloth tutorial if you want to make one too.
DIY Sailcloth Materials:
DIY Sailcloth Step 1: Do the math
You’re going to create a triangle, but don’t worry, not too much math will be involved! There will be a 90 degree angle corner on your triangle (where 2 walls meet) which makes it easy. Simply measure the length of the 2 walls and those are 2 sides of the triangle. Because one of my dimensions was going to be wider than most fabrics, I chose to use premium muslin that was 118” wide.
DIY Sailcloth Step 2: Cut the fabric
Measure across the fabric one of your triangle dimensions. Make a small snip in the fabric. Measure down one edge of the fabric the other leg of the triangle dimensions. Make another small snip. Then use a long straight edge (or a measuring tape) to cut from one snip across the fabric to the other snip. Easy!
DIY Sailcloth Step 3: Sew on the bias binding
Beginning NOT at a corner, overlap the bias binding evenly over the top and bottom of one edge of the triangle. Use a zigzag stitch and continue sewing the bias binding.
DIY Sailcloth Step 4: Make the corner loop
To create the corner loops, follow these steps. When you reach the end of one side of the triangle, continue sewing along the bias binding off the edge of the triangle fabric. Continue on about 5 inches (or as long as you want your loop to be.)
Open up the bias binding ahead of where your needle, and insert the corner of the triangle you sewed off earlier.
Close the bias binding around the corner and continue zigzag stitching back onto the fabric, but now going along the next side of the triangle.
DIY Sailcloth Step 5: Finish off the end of the bias binding
When you near the beginning of where you started, stop zigzag stitching and cut off the bias binding about 3 inches past where it began.
Fold over about 1 inch of the end of the bias binding.
Fold the bias binding evenly around the top and bottom of the triangle fabric, overlapping where the bias binding began.
Finish zigzag stitching over the end of the bias binding to complete the sailcloth.
That’s it! Pretty easy, right? We used screw in hooks to hang the sailcloth in the reading corner.
And then we hung up a light string at random intervals under the sailcloth to complete the cozy feeling of the reading corner!
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Skirt Fixation 