Thread Rack Covers

I like to keep my thread on a rack on the wall.  It's really nice to see all of it at once and be able to pick just the right color or colors.  I used to keep my regular sewing thread in a box.  When I put it on a rack, it was amazing how many duplicates I had and also how many missing colors.

There's issues with keeping thread on a rack.  Continuous exposure to sunlight doesn't do it any good.  Dust accumulation isn't great for it either.  I used to deal with the problem just by keeping my sewing room dark when I wasn't actively using it.  Now, I've decided to make covers for the thread racks to protect the thread.

I used a heavy weight cotton fabric to keep the covers fairly light proof.  Using a heavy weight fabric means that fairly dense and elaborate embroidery designs can be used.  These designs are fun, so why not make the covers decorative as well as useful?

I started with a rectangle of fabric.  It's 11" wider than the thread rack and 36" long.

The design I chose was a Mandarin Duck, one of the prettiest of the ornamental ducks.  You can find this design here.  I used the largest version of this design.

After the design is sewn, I made corners for the top of the cover.  The side is folded over to meet the top, then a 5.5" seam is sewn perpendicular to the edges.

After sewing the seam, the excess is trimmed.

No corners are sewn in the bottom of the cover, it just hangs loose.

The final step is to hem the entire outer edge of the cover.

I have lots of thread, so I need more than one rack.  I also made one to cover a double rack (two racks hung together).  As you can see, I stuck with the duck theme.

Come back next week for more Fun with a Sewing Machine.