Over the next few weeks, I will be working my way through the Sidekick Mini Suitcase pattern, sharing any extra tips that didn’t make it into the pattern directions, and answering questions. The printable pattern and complete directions for the suitcase are available for purchase here.
What? Wait? It’s Monday evening? oops. Lets blame daylight savings, or coffee, or children, and not my disorganization, k? I’ve been running around like a headless chicken all day. Except for the half an hour, I spent making this piping that is. Oh, blissful, pleasant half hour of sewing….
So, Day #4 of the sew-along is making piping out of the accent fabric. I covered the basics of making your own piping in my “Taking the Leap” post, but here is the quick run-down…
We want to make 3 yards (with, maybe, 1/4 yard or more extra to be safe) of piping. First, we turn the 20″ square into a 1 1/2″ wide bias strip using the super duper amazing “continuous loop method“. If you couldn’t find the recommended 5/32” piping, you can use Coletterie’s equation to find out the correct width. I will be using 4/32″ piping because they were out of the other sizes. I figure 1/32″ difference isn’t going to make that big of a deal and I am still going to use 1 1/2″ width on my piping. I know. I live life dangerously.
Then, we bust out a zipper foot, or an adjustable zipper foot, and baste our cording inside the bias type using a matching thread and a medium weight needle. Keep that needle and foot nice and snug next to the cording, but don’t sew through it.
How’d that go for you? Have you ever made your own piping before? Any questions? Or tips?
I’m getting ready to start this suitcase. When you follow the directions of the tutorial in the link, you have to fold it into a triangle – would there be any hangover or will this be an even triangle all around w/no hang over…?