As the air gets crisp here in northern Wyoming, cozy activities like bread making, tea drinking, and slipper wearing are making their way back into life. There is nothing better than fresh bread and warm soup to bring cozy vibes into your home. A reusable bowl cover is an important addition to your bread making journey, and is a great way to bring sustainable, reusable products into your kitchen.
As the air gets crisp here in northern Wyoming, cozy activities like bread making, tea drinking, and slipper wearing are making their way back into life. There is nothing better than fresh bread and warm soup to bring cozy vibes into your home. A reusable bowl cover is an important addition to your bread making journey, and is a great way to bring sustainable, reusable products into your eco-friendly kitchen.
First, let’s talk fabric choices. While any breathable fabric will work for these projects (quilting cotton, gauze, linen, etc.), I prefer 100% linen. Linen is made from natural fibers in the flax plant, and is more durable than cotton fabrics. It is also breathable and wicks moisture from condensation, so bowl covers made from linen will last longer and are less prone to mildew. Regardless of which fabric used, I suggest avoiding fabrics with chemical dyes. Some colored linens use natural dyes, but most fabrics (especially quilting cottons) use chemicals to create colors and patterns. Even if the fabric is pre-washed — when condensation occurs, the colors may bleed and release unwanted chemicals and pigments into the contents of the bowl.
Now that you’ve chosen fabric, what else do need? Not much! This is one of the simplest projects out there.
Fabric Requirements:
What you need:
This tutorial will walk you through making covers, regardless of your bowl size.
To begin, cut a section of fabric that is 6” wider than the diameter of the bowl (so 3” wider on each side). Ex: My bowl was 14” wide so my starting fabric was a 20” square. Place the bowl upside down, centered on the fabric. Place your ruler against the edge of the bowl and measure 3” from the edge of the bowl. Mark around the circumference of the bowl to create a circular cutting guide— I marked every 2”. Cut along the marks.
Next, iron and pin the raw edges inward at 1/4” around the circle. Stitch along the folded fabric. Then fold the fabric 1/2” inward again (or whatever size will accommodate your elastic), to create elastic casing. Stitch down the edge of the fold again, leaving a 2” gap to insert the elastic. This time there will likely there will be creases along the seam, which may make your sewing-heart cringe — but it is inevitable if using a fabric without stretch, like linen.
Next, take the elastic and cut it to the diameter of the bowl. Secure a safety pin to the end of the elastic strip, then use the safety pin to feed the elastic through the casing created. Sew together the ends of the elastic. Stitch the gap closed to complete the project. Now make your dough of choice and use this new reusable bowl cover to protect it while it rises!
Your reusable Bowl Cover is finished and ready for your rising dough! If you are looking for a complimentary project, the Linen Bread Bag is a great addition to your sustainable, eco-friendly baking accessories. Tag me in your finished projects (@wellspringdesigns_co) so I can see the finished projects. As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to email me at wellspringdesigns@gmail.com, I love chatting quilting with you guys!
