Fabric Tube Maker

with Instructor Steve Butler

Class 155

What is it?

Jelly Roll™ projects of all types are more popular than ever. Home décor, fashion, fashion accessories, quilting, or any other application you can imagine. The three dimensional effect of the folded fabric tubes are particularly enticing. Add to that the unlimited selection of fabric colors, patterns and textures plus a vast array of thread colors and textures and the creativity quotient is off the charts. Okay, they’re great. We get it. So how do we make these fabric tube masterpieces? 

I Googled it. Let me see if I have this right. Place a strip of 2½” batting on the wrong side of our 2½” fabric. Then fold each edge of the now fabric encased batting to the center and hold all of that in place. And then fold that unit in half and hold that in position while manipulating everything into place at the point of permanence where our stitches are applied. Has to be perfect there. And keep in mind, these fabric tubes are yards and yards long so we’re constantly having to cease the sewing and return to the folding only to repeat this regimen over and over and over. Different types of binding mechanisms can be applied to speed up the process a little, but they still require us to remove them as we sew and relocate them before we can continue. Like the lady said, there’s got to be a better way. And there is. It’s Clover’s newest addition to your creative repertoire, the Fabric Tube Maker.

What does it do?

Simply put, Clover’s Fabric Tube Maker makes all the hard, tedious work go away while easily enabling the production of any fabric tube masterpiece we might envision. The Fabric Tube Maker’s unique multi-fold feature erases the tedium of any hand-made folds and accelerates the basic tube construction process and makes it perfect. Less work, no mistakes, more fun.

Parts – The parts of the Fabric Tube Maker are made of a high quality ABS resin that is both ultra-smooth and rigid. These qualities ensure that our fabric will pull easily through the device with perfect folds applied. Parts A and B form the first fold while parts C and D form the final fold at the needle plate.

Procedure – Place the batting strip on the top of your wrong side up fabric strip. Fold both edges to center and insert into part A. Slide part B along the fabric strip and lock into place on part A. Now held into place, this part of the device accomplishes the first fold merely by pulling it away from the point of stitching. Continue by folding that first fold in half and inserting it into part C. Next, as with part B, slide part D along the first fold ahead of parts A/B and lock into place in part C. Now the second fold is accomplished by simply pulling it away from the needle plate. The part A/B combination does the first fold and the part C/D combination does the second fold. Easily and precisely and we’re just left to implement our creative vision.

Insider’s tip – Depending on the fabric and batting you incorporate in your project it may present a challenge for some sewing machine needles.  The sheer bulk of the fabric tube may cause them to deflect giving us imprecise stitch placement or, worst case, break. The solution is to use a Jeans/Denim needle, either a 90/14 or a 100/16 depending on the thread used. A primary characteristic of the Denim/Jeans needle is that it is more rigid than other needles and less likely to deflect when penetrating heavy or multiple layers of fabric. That results in more precise stitching and no breaks.

How do I share it?

This is an easy one. Everyone is attracted to Jelly Roll™ projects, especially folded fabric tube projects. Unfortunately all of the fabric folding and manipulation intimidates all but the most ardent sewers. Of course classes are a must. Also, set out some great samples of what can be done and thread up Clover’s Fabric Tube Maker so everyone can try it. It will open up a whole new path of creative endeavor for them.