Perfect for lazy Sunday mornings

I'm loving getting up to brighter (and often sunnier!) mornings. But as I still relish a sleep in on the weekend a sleeping mask can be very handy, so I decided to create a prettier one-, modeled here by my kind boyfriend. Once you try these you will be completely won over and it's a very simple project indeed!


So you need thread, elastic, fabrics for the back and front of your mask (so it's reversible), thin padding for the middle ( I used thin wool fabric) and your shape cut out on paper. Baking paper is a handy substitute for pattern paper.
To draw out your sleeping mask shape make sure its symmetrical by folding it down the center and cutting it out that way. You can find further shapes on google images- 'sleeping mask pattern'.


Lay down your fabrics and elastic-
Firstly your 2 fabrics with the print/correct sides facing in on themselves.
Inside your patterned fabrics is your elastic. For the length place it around the back of your head, reaching from one temple to the other and add a couple cms. You want it snug but not tight. So it's inside your fabrics with the ends poking out each side
Then on the bottom the wool fabric/padding.

Now trace around your mask shape. You can do this in pencil as you won't see it.
Keep in mind that if the printed fabrics are stripes or a geometric design that you have them laid out correctly.


Now a simple running stitch on the machine along the pencil line, taking the pins out before you reach them. Go nice and slowly around the curves, and leave a gap at the top or side of about 4 cm/3 finger width.


Now trim around your sewn shape, leaving about a cm of fabric remaining.


This is the back of the mask, with the wool fabric/padding. In case the fabric buckles a little later make some cuts ,through all the layers, at the tight curve where the nose will be. But don't get too close to the stitches!


Now turn your mask inside out! Little fiddly. Then iron it, also neatly ironing the unstitched edges in preparation for hand stitching.


Choose thread that blends in with your fabric, knot the end and insert it up under the fabric so the knot is hidden. You are now going to stitch neat diagonal tacking stitches the whole way along the gap. This is the same hand stitch as used in the make bunting project.


Keep the stitches nice and small! And try to hide the knot at the end. You can always push it between the fabrics with the head of a pin. Remember you can also leave your gap along one of the sides.


One of the fabrics I used was a print of my own, and this was fabric left over from altering a skirt. Enjoy your Sunday sleep ins and naps!