Row o' Bows Camera Strap Tutorial

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, hubby let me buy a new camera for my birthday. When not snapping 1000 pictures of each beautiful nva sunset, I've been plotting what camera strap cover I wanted to make. I mean, have sewing machine and camera, must make one's own camera strap, right?
(I really struggled over what to name this project. For any Dr. Who fans out there, it's secretly named the "Bowties are Cool" camera strap.)


And the best part about this project....all materials are recycled scraps! Khaki twill from an old skirt, chambray from an old dress, and ticking from a thrift store curtain.



Supplies

Note: these measurements are for a camera strap 1.5" x 23.5" Measure your camera strap from leather bit to leather bit to adjust the length. 

The Bows

Bows are one of the simplest things to make and I know there's a bajillion tutorials out there. If you're already an expert on bows, you can skip ahead to the next section. For those of you who need a little help or refresher....

Pin two rectangles with right sides together.

Stitch around a .25" seam the edge, leaving a gap along one long edge.

Turn right side out and stitch the open edge together.

Repeat for all five bows.

Accordion pleat the center of a rectangle. 

With needle and thread, run a few stitches through the center of the pleat.

Take a small strip of scrap material and center under pleat.

Tie and knot.

Trim the ends if they show from the front.

Repeat and make four more bows.

The Strap

Take one of the long strips. Double turn under between 1/4" - 3/8" on each end, press, and stitch. 

This next step is optional. If you want the contrast fabric on the ends, keep reading. If you don't, repeat the previous step with the other long strip.

For contrasting edges, cut two extra pieces 2.5" x 3". 

Double turn under one edge .25" and stitch. Align raw edges.

Double fold the raw edges under together .25" and stitch. Stitch again over your first seam to secure the  fabric in place. (I later realized this would have been a great place to make a pocket for the lens cover...whoops.)

Repeat on the other end.

With edges touching, pin bows in place.

I left about a one inch gap on either end between bow and contrast fabric.

Carefully edge stitch along the outer curve of each bow. 

Repeat for every bow. I adjusted and re-pinned as I went. Sometimes things just move!

After stitching all bows in place, it's time to close it up. With right sides together, pin the strap pieces together. Stitch a .25" seam on both sides. If you centered the bows correctly, your seam should miss them...buuuut if you accidentally sew them into the seam it's not noticeable. 

Lock the edges with a zig zag stitch (or serge). 

And now for the hardest part....turn the darn thing right side out. 

Ok, it's not too bad. My advice - don't tug on the bows. Pull on the back (sans bows) side rather than the front. It's slow going, but it comes through eventually. 

Gently press and voila!

One last bit of advice....you might want to make yours a teensy bit wider. I did not consider that the leather bits are ever so slightly larger than the strap and had a panicked moment. Thankfully they pulled through, but you could spare yourself the stress. :) But it does fit nice and snugly - no wiggle room!

twelveOeight

Whipperberry