I have been fortunate enough to have had a lovely friend loan me a changing mat, however it is a tad too big to fit into my nappy bag. I then spied this cute paisley oil cloth/ plastic coated cotton on one of my fabric missions, and thought perhaps I could make a smaller changing mat for toting around the place on all of our adventures. After many a google search, I found a few ideas I liked and decided to have a crack.
The result was probably my best sewing effort to date, mostly as it was also my first experience with bias binding, and I was very happy with the finished product.
What you need:
- One piece each of oil cloth (plastic coated cotton), flannelette, and thick cotton (or any fabric of your choice for the back side of the mat) each measuring 35cm x 60cm
- Matching colour of wide bias binding (mine was about an inch wide)
- Matching ribbon (cut into two lengths about 25cm each)
Stack you fabric with the backing fabric face down on the table (so pattern will be on the outside), then the flannelette, then the oilcloth face up on top. Pin together and cut to size (35cm x 60cm).
Using a rotary cutter, or good scissors if you don't have one, round the corners of the fabric. You can do this by tracing around a CD or saucer, but make sure you line it up the same for each corner so they will be even.
The next step is the bias binding and I was a bit shy of going straight to it so I ran a stitch around the edge of the stack so it would be held together while I attempted the binding. This isn't necessary, but made me less anxious about the binding bit. If you choose to do this, sew really close to the edge of the fabric, so that stitch will then be covered by the binding when you put it on, my seam was a bit wide and I had to trim back some fabric before folding the binding over.
To attach the binding you can pin it in place, though I actually took the pins out, as they weren't really necessary. Now, there will be a skinny side and a fatter side on the binding and make sure you sew with the skinny side first. Lay the binding on the oilcloth as shown below, with the skinny side pointing to the fabric edge. It would be best to align the binding edge with the fabrics edge, but because I have sewn around first, I placed just a little further back to cover the stitching. For a great, quick little video check out Angry Chicken's 'no swearing bias tape method'.
I was also concerned about sewing the binding round a curve and when I googled that too I found a great quote that said "How do you sew bias binding round a curve? You just do". It turns out that was pretty spot on. Because of the way it is made it has some give and just goes round the curves - don't pull it tight though, just let it go.
Before you start sewing, tuck one end of one piece of the ribbon in under the binding on the oilcloth side. Sew a seam on the narrow edge of the binding to secure it to you mat.
Then fold the binding completely over the top of the fabric edge, so the binding shows over the back side of the mat as well. Tuck one end of the second ribbon in under the binding on the back side of the mat in line with the first ribbon...
Then, with the oil cloth side up, sew a seam over the top of the binding right along the very inner edge. This seam will catch the binding on the under side as well and finish off your mat.
All done! Now roll it up and off you go.
A few notes:
If you decide to sew around the mat before adding the binding, use the narrowest possible seam or sew practically at the fabrics edge - I had to trim a little of the fabric at the seam to get the binding over evenly.
Don't forget to sew on the second ribbon when you are sewing the binding down.
Special thanks to the many great designs and tutorials out there, most notably Smashed Peas and Carrots and iCandy Handmade.
xx
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