Tutorial: Fabric Tray

Hi, I’m Susan from Sewfeet.com and today’s project is made with two squares of fabric and a special interlining material that gives it structure. This simple fabric tray is easy to sew and can be used to hold jewelry, bath items, loose change and almost any small items that need a home. I’m using mine to corral my favorite fabric paints that I use to embellish fabric and projects.

Supplies

Outer fabric: 11” square of quilting cotton

Inner fabric: 11” square of quilting cotton

10” square of Dec-Magic Fusible Non-Woven Interfacing

Open Embroidery Foot

Select Self Erase Marker

RNK Precision Turning Tool

Deco-Magic

The secret to the shape of this tray is the interlining material that gives it body and shape. This unique leather- like product is flexible and makes it easy to shape your fabric into projects such as purses, belts, hats, fabric boxes, etc. The fusible adhesive on Deco-Magic creates a permanent bond to the fabric and is needle friendly so you can stitch through it to embellish your fabric if desired.

Place the Deco-Magic square in the center of the wrong side of the outer fabric. You should have a ½” seam allowance extending beyond the Deco-Magic on all four sides. Tip: Cut your inner and outer fabric squares slightly larger than 11” and once you fuse the Deco-Magic in place, you can trim the excess fabric edges away, leaving a precise ½” extending beyond the Deco-Magic. There are two weights of Deco-Magic, I used the heavier one (still flexible) but if you need something a bit softer, try Deco-Magic Lite.

Stitching the Fabrics

Place the inner fabric with right sides together to the fused outer fabric. Stitch along all four sides, just out the Deco-Magic square. Leave a 5”-6” opening along one side. Tip: Place the edge of the Deco-Magic next to the inside toe of the presser foot. Move the needle position to the far right. The needle will drop on the fabric, making it easy to stitch along the edges of the interlining.

Turning the fabric

Trim each corner to reduce the bulk. Turn the fabric to the right side. It may seem a bit stiff but just turn it until it is right out.

Square Corners

I used the RNK Point Turner to push out the corners to make them square. The small round ball on the end lets you get into the point of the corner without punching through the fabric.

Edgestitching

Once the fabric is right side out, edgestitch along all four sides, closing the opening in the process. Guide the fabric in the same way as you did when stitching the fabric pieces together, using the inside toe of the foot as a guide.

Marking

Measure 1 ½” from one side and draw a line using a fabric marker. Repeat for the remaining three sides. I used the Quilters Select Self-Erase Marker. It is air-soluble and will fade in 1-2 days.

Stitching the Base

Fold one side to the toward the inner fabric along the marked line. Edgestitch the fold, starting 1 ½” from the outer edge of the fabric (the marked line) and stopping 1 ½” from the opposite edge (the marked line). Repeat for the remaining three sides.

Stitching the Corners

Fold one corner flat to form a point (as shown in the photo above), matching the marked lines. Stitch straight down (this will be along the marked line on the inner fabric) to the corner of the base. Repeat with the remaining three corners.

Optional Corner Finish

You can leave the tray as is with the extending triangle at each corner. I chose to flatten the triangles, pushing them to the corner of the tray, using fabric glue to hold them in place.