This summer we bought our daughter a cute bike from our neighbor’s garage sale. My husband is planning to take the pedals off and make it a balance bike. My job was to mend the handle bar cover, which was torn.
Using my trusty seam ripper, I picked out the hem and removed the velcro. With a cloth on top and low heat, I pressed it flat and used this as my pattern.
The cotton I chose was too lightweight on its own, so I backed it with some denim. Here’s how I did it:
- Traced around the pattern on both fabrics adding 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- With right sides together, I stitched around leaving a gap for turning.
- Clipped my corners, turned right side out, and top stitched around, closing up the gap along the way.
- Reattached the velcro.
I think it looks better than the original, especially since my daughter doesn’t even know about Strawberry Shortcake.
mend: Simple sewing projects can make me so happy. I love being able to say, “I can fix that!” Cotton fat quarter from my stash, denim from thrifted jeans.
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6 Responses to a little bicycle mending
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about
Julie is a freelance designer and writer. She has a passion for finding new uses for old, loved things, and will sew anything: sweaters, shirts, jeans. Nothing is safe if it fits under her presser foot!subscribe
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It looks awesome! I’m confused by the balance bike concept, though. What’s the point of a bike with no pedals?
It helps them learn balance and coordination without having to worry about pedaling. Also, no training wheels! They just scoot and glide!
Of course you can fix it!!! And it totally matches!! Nice…
xo Steph
[...] Julie from Julie-K shows how to give a bicycle a facelift by creating a new handlebar cover. Brilliant! Go to the tutorial. [...]
This is such a great idea!! I posted a link to your project on Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-kids-bicycle-handlebar-cover/2009/09/20/
–Anne
like it, well done, i have pimped my big new brand yellow wheelchair with mexican oilcloth and i was and still proud so i understand why you were so happy to say i can fix it.!!! I have the same feeling about my own chair.