How to make a stencilled draught excluder.

A creative way to keep chills at bay this winter is to make a draught excluder.

Start by measuring the width of your door. Your draught excluder needs to be longer then your door width. This is important as to ensure the draught excluder is a snug fit and keeps the draught out.

We chose a sausage style shape with drawstrings either side for a decorative style. We also made a removable cover, but that's just because we're posh. We used wadding as a filler, but you can just stuff it with old rags pushed into stockings or tights.

For our outer cover we used a black velvet to create a luxurious look.

Factory Fabrics of Prudhoe is an excellent source for lengths of velvet.

How to stencil the fabric:

Launder and iron your fabric. After ensuring the material is crease free apply a light coat of Spraymount onto a smooth work surface and smooth the fabric onto it. The slight tack on the surface ensures that the material stays in place while stenciling. Apply another light mist of Spraymount to the back of the stencil and position it onto the fabric.  Lining the stencil against the selvedge is handy if a straight line is needed. 

Work off any access paint onto paper towel, then stencil in light circular motions, building up the colour as you go. Repeat the stencil by using the registration marks. We used SIB19-S Elizabethan stencil. A slightly smaller version of the same stencil is included in 'Stencil It' by Helen Morris.  A matt off-white acrylic paint was chosen to contrast against the black velvet. 

Now you have stenciled the fabric , here is how to make the draught excluder...

We started by making our inner 'sausage' for the excluder.

Take a material such as cotton (an old pillow case or sheet could be ideal) cut out a rectangular shape, depending on how fat you want the draught excluder to be. Mark 1.5cm  inwards from both sides of the rectangle. This is the seam allowance. With right sides together pin and stitch the seams to make one long strip. Leave a gap for turning through. Cut out two circles, these will be the ends of the draught excluder. pin and stitch the circles to both ends. Turn though. Stuff it and stitch up the gap. You now have a smart,  lump free, sausage shape.

Make the cover: Take your stenciled material and wrap around the sausage shape. Not too tight, leave a lose fit. Mark where the ends meet, draw a line. Now fold over the top and bottom of the material. Pin and sew. This is where the drawstrings will thread through. Fold the fabric so stencilled sides are together. Pin and sew along the marked line leaving a 7cm gap half way. Iron seams and turn through. Stuff the basic sausage shape into the stenciled cover. Sew the gap using a blind stitch and matching thread. Cut out two neat circles from velvet, slightly bigger than the ends of the sausage shape. Choose a cord or a strong ribbon for your drawstrings. Turn through so the stencilled side is now showing. Thread drawstrings and tuck the circles into place over both ends. Pull tightly and finish with a decorative bow.

You can even get fancy and add a loop or a hanging tab for storage purposes.

The ends are ruched together to give a decorative effect.

Top Tips:

1. When ironing velvet, place fuzzy sides together so as not to crush the pile of the velvet. Alternatively press the fabric with the fuzzy side onto a soft towel. 

2. If spraying the work surface with the repostioning adhesive ( Spraymount) to stop your fabric moving whilst stencilling is not practical try this.. cover the work surface completely with lining paper. Spray the paper with a light misting of adhesive and smooth the fabric onto that. 

Ashley.

Comments

[stencil helen]

The how to make a draught excluder post was written by Ashley one of last years students. She made the draught excluder whilst on work placement last year. Since then I have used it in my house and it has been brilliant for reducing the chill factor. Ashley just returned to The Stencil Library for a week to do a 'top up'. We have another of her 'beat the chill' posts to share with you soon. Good luck Ashley and thanks.

[Theresa Cheek]

I love it when functional items can be taken to another level and made an object of beauty! Clever idea!!!

[stencil helen]

Thanks Theresa, probably not much call for draught excluders in Texas.
Readers, I have just visited Theresa's blog which is always a pleasure to do....check out her post on the folded linen napkins at the Chateaux Versailles http://artstheanswer.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-all-in-fold.html
How the heck did I miss these when I was there?