It’s no secret we’re crazy about tapestries at Mexicali Blues! These versatile swaths of gorgeous fabric come ready to be wall hangings, curtains, tablecloths, picnic blankets, and more! With a little bit of sewing and DIY skills, the options become even more vast! Duvet covers are usually SO expensive, so we decided to make one that is a bit more affordable AND completely bohemian, unique, and awesome! Plus it’s reversible, so you can easily change the look of your whole bedroom with a simple flip! Read on to find out how to make your own!
You will need:
The supplies for this project are straightforward: a sewing machine with thread in the color of your choice (we used green for a fun contrast, and so you would be able to see the stitching in this tutorial). You will also need scissors, pins, and two tapestries that are the same size.
An iron is also very helpful, although not required. The tapestries need to be the same size, and large enough to house the blanket you want to put inside with a little room to spare. At 88″ x 109″, our traditional floral tapestries can happily house a full-sized comforter even after they have been washed and dried. A good rule of thumb for any sewing project, you want to wash your fabric before you begin in case it shrinks. So start by washing the tapestries! Ready? Ok! On to our project!
Step 1: 
Evenly match the two tapestries, with the right sides together. What you have on the inside right now will ultimately be on the outside when you are done, so plan accordingly!
Step 2:
Pin the tapestries together, so they don’t slip while you are sewing. This is not a necessary step, although it makes things easier when you are sewing because you don’t have to be focused on holding the two pieces together evenly.
Step 3:
Sew the pinned (or held together) tapestries on three sides using a basic straight stitch, leaving the opening on a short end. Leave a generous seam allowance on the end that has a hemmed edge.
Step 4:
Cut off the hemmed edge on the bottom of each tapestry, making sure not to cut through your stitching! This part will become the ties for your duvet cover!
Step 5:
To make an even number of ties, fold the long tie in half and cut, then fold those halves in half and cut again. Continue this until you have the desired number of ties. We tied our cover in 8 places, so in total we needed 16 pieces for ties.
Step 6:
Mark where you want your ties to go with a marker or pins. Make sure to get both layers of fabric so that the ties end up evenly spaced on both sides.
Pin a tie to the RIGHT side of the fabric, facing towards the middle of the duvet cover. This will make more sense in the next step. Sew the ties individually to the edge. You might want to sew as much as an inch deep on each tie to make sure they are stable.
Step 7:
Fold the open edge towards the INSIDE of the duvet cover. You want to make sure this little fold you are now sewing has the wrong sides facing together. We ironed this fold to get a nice crisp edge, and to make sure we would stitch evenly along the top. Ironing is not required but makes things a LOT easier!
Step 8:
Sew along the fold, around the entire opening of the cover. Remember, this stitching will show on the top of your duvet cover, so try to make your stitching in as straight a line as you can.
After sewing the ties should look like this:
Now turn the whole thing right-side-out and bask in the glory of your creation!
Oh, wait, it wasn’t supposed to be a monster suit?
Good job!
We’d love to see a picture if you complete this project! Share it with us here in the comments or on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mexicaliblues !
