Using a Duvet Cover for Clothing

 Hello Readers. I found this duvet cover at Goodwill months ago. I loved the colors and it was 100 % cotton. (Yay for natural fibers!) I didn't need a duvet cover, I just wanted it for sewing clothing. I took it home and now I can show you how I used it and what I made. 

Duvet cover or 2 piece set, you decide.  

Look at the beautiful design. It is light weight cotton and great for the heat of late summer/early fall but the color is perfect for the changing season's vibe and style. 

 

I used this pattern for my top. It is Very Easy Very Vogue 8062. I have made the t-shirt many times but this time I am making the sleeveless top. 

 

I used this pattern for the pants. It is Simplicity 8175. I liked the cropped wide leg on the cover. You can use any pattern you want but make sure you are using fabric that suits the pattern you want. This duvet cover doesn't have any stretch. It wouldn't make nice leggings or a great swim suit. 

 

The back of the pattern will tell you how much fabric to use but also what kind of fabric to use. The woven cotton of this duvet is cotton and a similar weave to linen, which is named in the pattern. I am all set. 

 

There should be plenty of fabric for both my pieces but choosing a cropped pant and a sleeveless top means I won't need quite as much fabric as longer pants and long sleeves. These patterns don't need a lining or double layer which would also take up a lot more fabric. When cutting my pieces with the rotary cutter I was careful to avoid the change in the design. It might look great as a border at the hem of the pants or at the waistband but an area of solid brown that ended up in the crotch would ruin the whole look. Be careful when you cut out fabric with a design, the pattern can look different when it is sewn into a garment. I used only the floral areas of the duvet cover so it would all be the same pattern. You should also watch out for the open end of the duvet cover. It may have buttons, ties, or a zipper to close it up. Make sure all of that doesn't get in the way of your pattern pieces.

 

I cut out and sewed up my pants completely before I made my shirt. I didn't want my pants half finished and then not have enough fabric to finish because I had already cut out my top.

When my pants were fully finished I cut out my top and sewed it together. I could have just cut everything out but if I made a mistake and needed an extra pant leg, I couldn't have been able to cut it out if I was out of fabric. 

When I was finished with everything, I had some extra fabric. I decided to make bias tape with that extra. I didn't do this until I was completely done with my pants and top. I could have used store bought bias tape if I didn't have extra fabric to finish the armholes or neckline.

 

To make your own bias tape you can cut stripes of fabric at a 45 degree angle and then sew them together. Line up the 2 pieces like this and sew diagonally at the corner to connect them. 

 

I cut off the excess fabric where I had sewn the strips together. You can see how they make one continuous strip of fabric. Connect as many pieces as you want or need for your project. 

 

Bias tape is single fold or double fold. You can fold and iron your bias tape based on what you need. It's easy to put together and costs nothing if you use fabric you already have on hand. 

  

My new outfit came together easily and you would never know it came from a duvet cover. This was a great source of fabric and more economical than buying fabric from a fabric store. Take your time and you can make some beautiful garments no matter where you source your fabric. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.