Couture Crafting: Make Your Very Own Linton Covered Clothes Hanger

The promotion and sale of our craft packs are one of our most important drives in reducing remnants of our fabrics going to landfill. Over the last year, we have literally prevented 100’s of metres of fabric from ending in the trash. Each craft pack contains 10 pieces of our fabrics measuring 40cm x 30cm. They come from end of line pieces, trade show hangers and development work in our design studio. We asked couture sewing educator Claire Shaeffer to think of some fun ideas for which our craft packs could be used. She came back with a fabulous idea (and one we have never thought of) – a Linton Tweeds padded clothes hanger. Read below to find out how to make yours!

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My closet probably looks like some of yours. It’s a mish-mash of odd hangers with only a few which I have padded and covered, even though I particularly like padded hangers. They hold the shape of my tailored jackets and prevent my silk dresses from sliding onto the floor.

I ordered a Linton scrap pack to cover some hangers for myself and a few friends. An unexpected benefit of my padded hangers in a closet with a lot of black Is that each garment has an identifiable fabric pattern on the hanger so it is easier to find.

Materials for each hanger:
Fabric- about 30 cm (11 3/4”) square
Claire’s Hint: Before cutting, check the length of your hanger to be sure 30 cm is long enough.
1 dress hanger—wood or non-slip slim [these hangers are available online)
Batting–polyester fleece, cotton batting, or polyester fiberfil
1 mm (1 yd.) ribbon or seam binding 1.2 cm (½”) wide
Thread

Directions:
1. Measure the hanger arm from the hook to the end.
2. Cut two rectangles 15 cm (5 3/4”) wide and 2 cm (3/4”) longer than the arm measurement.
Claire’s Hint: The rectangles can be cut on either grain.
3. Right sides together, fold the rectangle in half. stitch the long seam with a 1 cm (3/8”) seam.
Claire’s Hint: When the padding is soft, I usually fold the long seam to one side, but you can press it open before you stitch the seam at the end.
4. Right sides together, stitch one short end with a curve and a 1 cm (3/8”) seam.
5. Stitch the remaining tube. Trim the ends. Press.
6. Turn the tubes right side out.
Claire’s Hint: I started turning the cover at the closed end and used the eraser end of a pencil to push the end through.
7. Wrap and pin the batting around each arm of the hanger tightly.
8. Continue until the padding is 3-4 cm (1 ¼” -1 1/2”) in diameter.
Claire’s Hint: When wrapping, I extend the padding about 1 cm (3/8”) beyond the ends.
9. Trim the ends of the batting, if needed, so they are even.
10. Use long diagonal stitches to sew the padding securely. Sew the ends tightly so they are slightly rounded.
11. Insert the hanger into one tube so the long seam is on the bottom. Carefully pull the cover toward the hook. Repeat to insert the uncovered hanger arm into the remaining cover.
12. Pull the two sections together at the centre, lapping one edge over the other. It the sections are too long, carefully trim them allowing them to lap only 1 cm (3/8”).
13. Use matching thread and catchstitches to sew the raw edges flat at the centre.
14. At the ends, use short running stitches to sew the ends flat.
15. Use a soft ribbon or seam binding at the centre to cover the raw edges. Wrap the ribbon around the hanger; then around the hook. Tie a bow and trim the ribbon ends.