Sleep mask tutorial

I am in prep mode for a much needed vacation! London, Mykonos and Athens here I come!!

As I was digging through my travel stuff I remembered how much I hate those icky sleep masks you get on the plane. So I decided to make myself a pretty little one using my Birds on a Wire fabric. It only took about 30 minutes or so and now I'll have a cute little mask for my long, long flight. Here's a quick tutorial:



Materials:
-Cotton fabric for front of mask: 5" x 8"
-Cotton fabric for covering elastic: 21" x 2"
-Flannel (or something soft) for lining and back: 2 pieces 5" x 8"
-16" of 1/4 elastic

1. Here is a link to the pattern.

2. Lay your fabrics down in this order and cut out your pattern.
Back flannel- facing up
Front cotton- facing down
Lining flannel- facing down

3. Take the strip for the elastic and sew using 1/8 seam along the long side. Right sides facing together. To turn the tube right side out, take a safety pin and pin one end. Feed the safety pin back through the tube. Work it through slowly. (It's sort of like putting on panty hose when it's hot and sticky outside...but just shimmy it through there gently and eventually it will pop out the other side.) Iron the tube flat.

4. Put a safety pin on both the ends of your elastic and feed it through the tube. Attach the pins at both ends so your elastic doesn't slip back through. To secure the elastic to the tube, sew a quick seam at each end. Take off your safety pins.

5. Now you are going to attach the tube to your mask. Pin the edges of your mask layers together. Now insert the covered elastic between the lining and the front. (See it all squished in the middle? It's like a little stuffed pie!) Make sure your ends are jutting straight out the sides when you are pinning everything together.



6. Sew 1/4 seam all the way around the mask. Go slow so your seams are straight. Leave an opening along the top so you can turn everything right side out. Make sure you reinforce your seams where the straps attach.

7. Clip your edges all the way around to keep it's shape when you turn it right side out. Make sure you don't accidentally clip your seam though!


8. Turn your mask inside out. Iron everything flat. Do a blind stitch to close. I was in a rush yesterday so I cheated and just stitched it closed on the machine...;)

9. Race to your couch and try it out! Since I couldn't self photograph this last step, Clara graciously offered to help.