Ruffle Camera Strap with Maggie of Midwestern Sewing Girl!

On Friday, I promised you a great guest blogger. And I don't renege on my promises. (How obvious is it that I've always wanted to use the word "renege" in a blog post? Glaringly?)

I'm thrilled to introduce you to Maggie of Midwestern {Sewing} Girl! Have you and Maggie met? Ever since stumbling across her blog a few weeks ago, it has been my deepest sorrow that I haven't real-life-met Maggie yet. You will love her soft, romantic style (it always blows me away) and her incredible photography (I need her to come teach me how to take my camera off Auto, like, right this minute), plus she is a total sweetheart (seriously, every comment and email I get from Maggie is like Christmas morning. Only better.)

So here she is! Take it away, Maggie!

Thank you so much, Rachel, for having me as a guest on your blog!!! Eeek! My very first guest post…I hope I don’t mess it up…

OK, here goes…

Hi, Maybe Matilda readers! My name is Maggie & I write a little blog called Midwestern {Sewing} Girl… (and as you will see, I use far too many ellipses…)

This is me…

And these are some of my projects…

Today I have a super-fun (and easy!) tutorial for you...a ruffle camera strap cover! Yay! The best part about this strap cover is that it's easily removable...no taking your strap off of your camera and then having to work like the dickens to get the strap threaded through the cover...nope...this one attaches lickety-split...

Let's have a go at it, shall we?

(Click read more below to make your own ruffly camera strap cover!)

First you'll need to measure the length and width of your camera strap...mine is 20" long (not accounting for the little narrow strap thingys that actually attach the strap to the camera) and 2" wide.

Then gather up some fabric, some fusible fleece or fusible quilt batting & some sewable hook & loop tape (like Velcro)...I got mine at JoAnn for $.99.

{All seam allowances are 1/2"}

STEP 1:

Cut these pieces...

*1 piece of hook & loop tape, 1" shorter than the strap. For my 20" strap, I cut mine 19" long.

*2 pieces of fabric the length of your strap + 1" x twice the width of your strap + 1" (for the seam allowance) + 1 3/4" (for the closure) (my pieces were 21" long x 6 3/4" wide) - these are what I will call your "main" fabric pieces.

*1 piece of fusible batting or fusible fleece (or even just plain fusible interfacing if you don't need a soft, squishy strap) the length of your strap x twice the width of your strap (my piece was 20" long x 4" wide)

*2 pieces of fabric twice the length of your strap x the width of your strap (mine were 40" long x 2" wide)

STEP 2:

Let's prepare our ruffles...

I do mine this way (like I did in my ruffle pillow tutorial...start at STEP 10), but if you have a different way, go for it...

Then sew your ruffles to the right side of one of your main fabric pieces...and this is where I hope it doesn't get confusing...lay your fabric length-side (with the longest measurement at the top) up and measure down from the TOP of your main fabric 1/2" (for the seam allowance) and then down the width of your strap. So, for my strap I will measure down from the top 2 1/2". This will be where the top edge of your first ruffle will go. Attach your ruffle the same way I did here (STEP 11)...then attach your second ruffle right directly on top of your first one...

STEP 3:

Fuse your batting to your other main fabric piece per the instructions on the batting/fleece/whatever. Fuse it to the wrong side of the fabric 1/2" down from the TOP and 1/2" in from the side...you should have 2 1/4" of un-batted fabric left on the bottom...

Pay close attention to where the tops of both of your main fabric pieces are...it will become important in the next step...

STEP 4:

Now lay your two main fabric pieces right sides together with the tops matching...pin together and sew almost all the way around your rectangle with a 1/2" seam allowance. Make sure to leave a 3"-4" opening along one of the long sides so you can turn your strap inside out.

STEP 5:

After sewing the two pieces together, clip off the hangy-over ruffles and clip the corners close to your stitches (being very careful to not clip the stitches themselves)

STEP 6:

Turn your strap right-side out and push out the corners until they are nice & square.

STEP 7:

Iron your piece so it's nice and pretty...fold in your un-sewn seam allowances (where you turned your piece inside-out) and iron down. Now sew this area closed...

STEP 8:

Now lay your piece in front of you ruffle side up with the TOP side toward the top. Pin either the hook side or the loop side of your hook & loop tape close to the top of your strap...turn your fabric over and pin the other side of your tape close to the bottom of your strap.

Then sew the tape pieces down to your strap...

Almost done!

STEP 9:

Grab your camera and wrap your new cover around your strap with the closure toward the inside. All done!! Yay! Now put the strap around your neck & go admire yourself in the mirror...

That wasn't too bad, was it?

Now don't be a stranger...come by and visit sometime! I'd love to see you again!

And thank you so much for letting me come hang out today, Rachel!!!

Thanks, Maggie! Now go swing by her blog and check out more of her beautiful work!