Recently I’ve been sewing with some Better Homes and Garden Outdoor Fabric that I picked up at Jo-Ann’s. It’s for a project I’ll be posting as part of the Sew We Quilt “A Perfect Picnic” blog hop. I’ve had a stinky habit of waiting till the last minute to work on blog hop projects but forming the beginning of a good habit I’m ahead of schedule with this one!
I don’t want to giveaway too much but I wanted to share some things I’ve learned in sewing this fabric.
About Outdoor Fabric
- Outdoor fabric is designed to be durable and withstand use as well as the elements (within reason).
- It’s often treated and shouldn’t be preshrunk like cottons
- Many outdoor fabrics are also mold- and mildew-resistant, great if you live in a wet or humid climate. Check the labels on your fabric to verify
Tips for Working with Outdoor Fabric
Here’s a couple things I learned in my first time working with outdoor fabrics.
- Use a walking foot
I’m so glad I used mine, with the thicker and slippery fabric the walking foot kept the fabric moving perfectly through the machine. - You should jot down the washing instructions before you leave the store!
I had to look mine up online through the Jo-Anns website cause I didn’t take notice when I picked up the fabric - Store the fabric gently
To prevent my outdoor fabric form getting unnecessary creases while it waited to be cut and sewn I laid it out over the ironing board - Really consider the seams you use
I’d initially planned on just using a regular seam since I was joining two pieces of fabric but I ended up using a flat fell seam because the weight of the fabric seemed like it would hold up better with that stronger seam. Learn how to make a flat fell seam at SewNeau
Here are some articles I found about working with outdoor fabrics that you might find helpful!
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And I can’t help but point out these other posts about great outdoor sewing projects too.
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Check out home decour fabric at Jo-Anns or at Fabric.com if you want to use some for your summer projects this year!
[calltoaction]Are there outdoor projects you have in mind this spring/summer? Do you have tips form your projects?[/calltoaction]
Thanks for gathering up so many helpful tutorials. I actually do have some cushions upstairs that I need to finish and plop on the rocking chairs on the front porch before my house goes on the market next week. Gotta go for that curb appeal! I don’t have any tips though because I am literally just throwing together some rough cushions, no fancy piping or anything 🙁 My chairs hardly ever get any rain, so I wasn’t too worried about what I filled the cushions with. I wound up using old pillows that were no longer suitable for decorative shams. It was nice to clear out some space in the linen closet 🙂
Love these tips for working with outdoor fabric, thanks! I’ve never tried using it before but maybe I’ll give it a shot! This Spring/Summer I’m making a picnic quilt. I looked into different weather resistant fabrics for the backing, but decided on using recycled jeans with a fleece batting. I’m hoping that will be enough to keep our backsides dry 🙂
Thank you Terri! So helpful.. I’m about to go buy some outdoor fabric today for curtains for my kids’ playhouse. Thank goodness I read this blog post!!