Beep. Beep. Something extra terrestrial landed in our garden on Sunday.
Well actually this was one of my weekend projects and it's not really a how-to because I can't really explain well how I made it. And maybe after seeing the top photo you are not interested in knowing.
Anyway my idea was to sew a cover for our seldomly used barbecue. A) Because it sits in the garage nine months a year collecting dust from our carpentry sessions B) Because it's an ugly barbecue so for the few months it can go outside I prefer not seeing it when it's not in action. And to be frank it rarely is. I don't think we even BBQ'ed once last summer. It's just not our first choice of food. We own one because when we have city dwellers over for summer dinners it's almost expected to have a BBQ. Last year we did not comply to any of those requests. I know, we are bad.
Anyway, to explain a little bit how I made the cover here are a few steps.
I started off by measuring the depth and width and height of the barbecue and bought the oil cloth for it. I then traced the corner shape by placing a paper pad under the hood and drawing around it.
I cut a square piece out of the oil cloth having added a tiny bit for seam allowance. I then cut out the corner shape and used it as a template on all four corners so I'd get the shape right.
I laid the cut out piece on top of the barbecue to make sure I'd cut it correctly and then made a mark with a pen for where I wanted the skirt to start at the handle.
I pinned the skirt onto my reluctant model on the reverse. This is where the how-to gets a little blurred because I just winged it all the way.... a little nip here, a little tuck there and quite a lot of blood shed on my part as I was pricking myself with the pins.
I can't really explain where to cut and how to do it and I only succeeded on my third attempt at pinning the skirt to the top. Let me put it this way. It's a trial and error process as your barbecue is probably not like mine anyhow and you need to figure out the hole for your particular handle etc.
The reason for the lack of close-ups is simply because this is not my finest work. And it's not a project for beginners. The oil cloth is both slippery at the same time as the presser foot gets caught in the rubberyness. Not the easiest material to maneuver.
I did finish it and did so by hemming the bottom and adding Velcro to the opening. I think the result is ok'ish and I like it better than the naked thing anyhow.
Oh and if you do decide to attempt this, there are probably similar ones you can buy ready made. And don't forget to wait until the barbecue is completely cool before putting it on or you're going to end up with something resembling melted cheese.
Miracle. Girl. !!!
Posted by: Sara | March 25, 2009 at 11:00 AM
What a labour of love!
Posted by: Chrissie | March 25, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Yes, our BBQ has a ready made cover. Still thanks for the tutorial! Great timing!
We bought a small garage recently, not attatched to our house. We are in the middle of planning our storage. One of the things I already thought of is to use the oilcloth (which I like but my sweetie not so much) to cover some bulky items. I didn't think of velcro before, but it will make the job easier I expect.
Thanxxx!
Posted by: Petra from the Netherlands | March 25, 2009 at 01:06 PM
We need to do something like this. We have a little birdie trying to make a nest in ours. I keep reminding hubby to check inside before he grills. We keep cleaning it out and the bird is getting quite mad. I hope he finds another spot.
Posted by: Tanna | March 25, 2009 at 04:56 PM
The cover looks great to me. What I'm confused about is how the heck you're supposed to wheel the grill when the handle is on the opposite side from the actual wheels! Do you lift the handle up and tilt the grill forward to roll it somewhere? What a terrible design! Is there a hidden handle on the side with the wheels? I hope so, for your sake. Otherwise, I can't blame you for not wanting to cook on it. :)
Posted by: Melissa of {craftgasm} | March 25, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Could you please paint eyes on the two knobs and a nice red pair of lips (or grinning teeth) on the two horizontal wooden handles? It would quickly turn into a happy bug or alien face with a brand new coat on!
Posted by: Samarra | March 26, 2009 at 01:31 AM
Very nice!! (I'm thinking my own grill looks a little naked now.) I posted a link on Craft Gossip Sewing Blog: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-sew-a…om-grill-covertutorial-sew-a-custom-grill-cover/2009/03/26/
--Anne
Posted by: Anne Weaver | March 27, 2009 at 05:18 AM
Yep, that's exactly what you do. It's horrible. Now it's hidden :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | March 27, 2009 at 05:11 PM