Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

When we think of sewing, we usually picture a woman sitting at a sewing machine. However, learning to iron properly is nearly as important as learning to operate a sewing machine properly when it comes to the art of fabric and thread construction. Unironed seams look sloppy and are the mark of an amateur, but crisply pressed seams will add an air of professionalism to any garment. 

As I sew constantly, my ironing board is usually a pretty permanently set up feature of my sewing room. I got this $10 board at Target when I was in college, but it was starting to show some stains from an ill-advised wax adventure and the teal just did not go with the decor I had planned for my new workspace.

The solution? Make a new ironing board cover out of the fabric I was using for the workroom curtains and other decor features. I looked up a few different tutorials online, cobbled together different suggestions and... well... keep scrolling!

Making the pattern was actually pretty easy. I'd been worried that it would be hard to fit, but that's the beauty of the drawstring construction. all I had to do was lay the board down on a folded edge and draw an overlap and seam allowance.

Easy peasy!

I serged the raw edges, then turned them under about 3/4ths of an inch all the way around.

Sewn and pressed!

I then removed the old teal cover, leaving the foam padding behind.

Other tutorials recommended using elastic, but my old cover had a nice sturdy cord that I just drew out and threaded through the seam allowance on my new cover.

I laid the cover over, making sure to position the foam evenly underneath.

I drew the cord tight, then added a ribbon across the middle, as I had noticed a tendency on the previous cover for the fabric to flip up a bit here (no such issues with the new cover!).

And voila! A gorgeous new cover, done in less than an hour. I was super pleased with how it turned out. The cotton upholstery fabric is just thick enough that I don't have to worry about the iron scorching it, as it needs the hottest heat to iron out its own wrinkles.

I love it and it really adds a nice touch to the sewing room, which is slowly coming together!