Stash Buster Vol. 2 -- Fabric Bowl Cover

 

Today’s stash buster features PUL, or polyurethane laminate. We chose PUL for this project because of its waterproof properties, but you can make this project with cotton woven too.

 

Here’s a little introduction to PUL. It is commonly used in cloth diapers and feminine sanitary products, cosmetics bags, raincoats, picnic baskets and reusable food pouches. PUL is basically two layers bonded together. The printed outer layer is polyester and the reverse or back side is the polyurethane laminate. 

This layer, while waterproof is breathable due to tiny holes that don’t allow water to pass through. When water contacts the outer layer of polyester it will be absorbed and feel damp, but the water cannot pass through to the reverse, and vice versa. Moisture on the laminate side cannot pass through to the polyester side. PUL can also withstand hot washes up to 50°C and be tumble dried.

 

If you haven’t got any of our PUL fabric on hand, no worries, you can also make this project with cotton woven. The cotton woven can also be washed on hot cycle and tumble dried, but it is not waterproof.

These fabric bowl covers are perfect for covering salads or for transporting food for picnics and BBQs. Keep bugs off your food and taste testers out of the meal before it is served with these lovely looking washable ‘lids’. Besides being beautiful, these reusable covers can replace disposable cling film and help to reduce waste. Yay! Another way we can be more sustainable.

For this project you will need the following:

• The bowl you want to cover
• PUL or cotton woven fabric
• ¼” elastic
• Tape measure, scissors or rotary cutter, ruler, sewing machine, coordinating thread, safety pin, and pen/marking tool.

 

Select the bowl you wish to make a cover for. I chose this large salad bowl as it is perfect for BBQs but it doesn’t have a lid and is really difficult to transport without one. At this point, measure the circumference of the bowl and note the measurement for later.

 



Place your selected bowl upside down (rim side down) on the wrong side of the fabric.



Measure and mark 5 cm around the edge of the bowl. This will allow for enough room for the elastic casing and for our cover to overlap the edge of the bowl.

 

Use scissors or a rotary cutter to cut the shape out of the fabric. 

 At this point you can finish the edge with an overlocker or a small zigzag stitch. I chose to use an overlocker. This is very important if you use cotton woven for your project as the edges will fray over time. 

 

Now it is time to sew the casing for the elastic. Start anywhere on the round edge and fold over about 2.5 cm. You may choose to use wonder clips if you are sewing PUL, pins if you are sewing cotton woven or just manipulate the fabric over as you sew the casing. You should leave 8 cm of the casing open to insert the elastic in the next step.

Since you are sewing on a curve, and the (slightly larger) outside curve will be folded down toward a smaller circle edge, there will be some rippling. You will be adding elastic, this rippling will not be noticeable later on. Just keep sewing.

 NOTE about sewing with PUL.

We recommend you use a ball point needle and a longer stitch. We used a Size 12 ball point needle and a 3.6 stitch length. We also sewing with the right side of the fabric on the throat plate so that it passed over the feeddogs smoothly. 

 

 

Finally it is time to use the measurements you took when you selected your bowl. Cut your elastic 13 cm shorter than the circumference of your bowl. My bowl had a circumference of 88 cm, therefore my elastic measurement was 75 cm.

Insert this elastic using a safety pin or other similar tool and run it along until it comes out the other side of the opening.

 

Overlap the elastic 3 cm and use a zigzag stitch to close the loop. Then finish sewing to close the elastic casing. The elastic should now be completely enclosed in the casing. Your fabric bowl cover is finished! Test it out!

 

Remember to share your fabric bowl covers in the 852 Fabric Facebook group! We’d love to see your reusable covers!