March Quick Make – Eye mask

March 3, 2014 by steelyseamstress 4 Comments

I have been meaning for a while to sew some travel accessories. I bought some nautical-style fabric last month and this was one of my plans for it. There will be more!

You will need:

Paper to make template
Scissors
Fabric – patterned for the outside of the mask
Fabric – something soft for the inside
Measuring tape
Loop turner
Elastic (1 cm width)

1. First make a template for the eye mask. I made my own eye mask template as I find that the patterns on the internet a little on the big side. I think I have a child-sized head! You may want to try it out for size before you cut your fabric. If it is a little on the small size, just cut an extra cm around the template.
2. Cut out the fabric using the template. For the patterned fabric I made sure that the area I cut contained two of the nautical motifs. Cut out another eye mask shape using the template from the other fabric. I used an old towel. It is soft and I felt this would feel comfortable against the eyes.
3. Cut a length of elastic, adjusted to the size of your head.
4. Cut out a strip of fabric that will be the covering for the elastic, approximately 2.5 cm in width and about 10 cm longer than your elastic.
5. Fold the strip of fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together and sew approximately 12 mm from the folded edge.
6. Using the loop turner, turn the fabric right sides out. Next, feed the elastic into the tube.
7. Take the two pieces of fabric that were cut from the eye mask template. Place them right sides together. Insert the elastic at each side (Remember that the elastic should be on the outside once the mask is turned right sides out So insert them on the inside of the mask sandwich). Stitch around the mask with a 5 mm seam allowance. Leave a gap so that the mask can be turned the right way out.
8. Trim away any excess fabric all around. and clip the curves so that they turn better.
9. Turn the eye mask to the right side. Iron the mask so that it’s all flat. Turn in the edges where the gap was so they stay in.
10. Hand sew the gap closed.
11. Try it on!