Need a simple gift? Fabric trays are easy to make, even for a beginner sewist. This FREE pattern could also be used as a great little lesson for a youngster interested in learning to sew. Follow along as I show you how. Click here for a free copy of my pattern! And stay tuned, as I will be sharing several other “simple gift” sewing ideas in the near future.
Each fabric tray consists of just 4 pieces –
- 1 square of fabric for the top
- 1 square of fabric for the bottom
- 1 square of batting, slightly smaller than the top & bottom fabrics
- 1 square of a firm interfacing (4 inches smaller than the top & bottom fabrics) – and actually, this interfacing is optional
Place the batting on a table in front of you. If you want a firm bottom for your fabric tray, place interfacing in the center of the batting. (I used Pellon Sew-In Ultra Firm Peltex. And I lightly sprayed the Peltex with 505 Spray and Fix.) Next place the bottom square of fabric face up, followed by the top square of fabric face down.
After pinning in place, sew a 1/4 inch seam around all sides, leaving a 2-3 inch opening. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. Clip the corners, then turn right side out. Carefully push the corners out.
Press. Then stitch around all 4 sides, close to the edge, including where you left the opening.
Make a dot at each of the 4 corners that is 1 & 1/2 inches from each edge. For smaller trays, you might want to mark the dots at 1 & 1/4 inches from the edge. (I used a Clover purple air erasable marker.) Connect the 4 dots. (I used a Clover hera marker.) Stitch on this line, and then do some basic straight line quilting to keep all your layers attached. This could be as simple as an ‘X’, corner to corner.
Fold each corner, stitching from the stitched corner to the edge. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end to secure. (I found that using Clover Wonder Clips really helped with this step.)
And you are done! I find these little trays to be handy on my nightstand, especially in our guest room.
These trays can be addictive to make! In addition to using quilting cotton fabric, I have started to make them using vintage embroideries. Why waste these beautiful little works of art by leaving them in closets and drawers? They make nice gifts, especially when the embroidery was made by a family member. When using fragile linen embroideries, I first add a layer of Pellon SF101 Shape Flex to the bottom of the embroidery to help stabilize it.
Click here for a copy of this pattern, and have fun making your own fabric trays!
Clever, simple, smart, and fun!
Thank you!