Start by layering your fabrics by making a “sandwich” with your two cuddle fabrics on the outside with right sides facing OUT, and your support interlining in the middle. I find it works best to cut out all three layers at the same time and pin IMMEDIATELY afterword without moving your pieces. This will keep them from shifting and will result in the nicest looking finished project since we will be leaving and exposed edge.
Cut out a rectangle 7″ x 10″. (You can make your cover longer or shorter than 10″, but you’ll need the 7″ width to fit around your seat belt and have room to add the Velcro.
Pin well (about every 2 inches). Trim corners to round them. I trimmed the corners free hand. Extra tip! Avoid all the extra cuddle fuzz by using a handheld vacuum or vacuum attachment around the edges of your fabric once it’s securely pinned.
If you have access to a serger, sergers work best because they will give a professional looking edge and trim all three layers to exactly the same spot. If you do not have access to a serger, you can use your regular sewing machine. See the next step for sewing machine directions.
I did my edge using both serger needles (4 threads) with all the tensions set to 4 (the normal tension setting on my machine.) I also had the stitch length set to the longest stitch length available on my machine. BE SURE TO REMOVE EACH PIN WHEN USING A SERGER. Serger’s cut the fabric as they sew and wrap the edge with thread and you DO NOT want your pins to ruin your blade.
Sergers do not have a backstitch, so instead you’ll stitch over your starting stitching for about 1 inch and then leave a long thread tail. Use a large-eyed needle to pull the thread tail through some of the stitching and trim.
Make sure your stitching went through all three layers.
Don’t have a serger? No problem. You can set your sewing machine to a very wide ZIGZAG stitch and sew around the edges that way. The right edge of the zigzag will be just barely off your fabric and the left edge will be about 1/4 inch onto the fabric.
Make sure to check that your stitching as caught all three layer.
At this point, either side of your seat belt pad could be the inside or the outside, so you’ll need to decide which side is which. I wanted the pretty purple pattern on the outside, so the Ash Grey was on the inside. Sew your velcro strips close to the outside edges on the INSIDE of your seat belt cover.
Have fun with all sorts of color combinations. (Pictured here is: Solid Cuddle 3® Teal, Embossed Star Cuddle™ Fuchsia, and Bubble Dot Cuddle Lilac/Hot Pink all from Shannon Fabrics.
The whole family will want them!
