Sew a Lisa Stickley suit carrier

• Add monochrome ribbon to a pillowcase
• Add a picot edge to a plain pillowcase
• Add a Paisley border to a plain pillowcase
• Add a Liberty-print border to a plain pillowcase
• Sew a quilted floor cushion
• Sew a decorative duvet cover
• Sew a silk scarf curtain
• Liven up the laundry with easy craft ideas
• Sew a ruffle cushion, as seen on 'The Great British Sewing Bee'
• Make a handy clothes-peg holster
• Sew a floor cushion, as seen on 'The Great British Sewing Bee'
• How to make a gardener’s kneeler
• Make something for your home with a metre of fabric
• Brighten up your garden with bunting
• Sew a laundry bag, as seen on 'The Great British Sewing Bee'
• Sew a sewing machine pincushion
• Sew a beach-hut doorstop
• Sew an Easter bunny
• Sew an Easter chick
• Make a lined basket
• Sew drawstring storage bags
• Take an old tea-towel...
• Make a jewellery frame
• Sew decorative fabric hearts
• Make a cushion with zips and piping
• Sew a ladybird pincushion
• Sew a sheer rose-petal-filled heart
• Roll up: craft ideas for ribbon
• Sewing projects using fabric scraps
• Sew a hanging tidy for the hallway
• Take a coat-hanger...
• Take an old jumper...
• Make a fabric Christmas wreath
• Make home accessories by Vanessa Arbuthnott
• Make a pretty ironing-board cover
• Sew a gathered lampshade cover
• Make a padded headboard
• Make a tailored tablecloth
• Sew a piped cushion
• Sew reversible placemats
• Sew a love heart cushion
• Sew a fleecy heart hot-water bottle cover
• Sew a country-style Santa sack
• Make a fabric pouch advent calendar
• Sew a handmade lampshade
• Sew a wipe-clean lunchbag
• Turn old jeans into a cushion
• Sew a Christmas stocking cutlery pocket
• Make cushion covers from blankets
• Design a dip-dye cushion cover
• Turn a cardigan into a cushion cover
• Sew an appliqué teatowel with birds, cupcakes and teacups
• Sew a buttoned lavender bag
• Sew a house tea cosy
• Sew a pretty cosmetic bag
• Sew fabric fish decorations
• Sew a roll-up toiletries bag
• Sew patchwork-square bunting
• Needles and pins: cushions and cases
• Give books a new cover
• Sew smart oven gloves
• Make a patchwork needle case
• Sew an outdoor cushion cover
• Sew celebratory seating for the Jubilee
• Sew an outdoor tablecloth
• Machine embroider a monogrammed napkin
• Machine embroider a table runner
• Machine embroider a cushion
• Keep your clothes in good condition: craft projects for your wardrobe
• Sew matchbox mice
• Make a flower wall-hanging
• Make a play sail
• Make a clothesline playhouse
• Make a Swedish blind
• Revamp your garden chairs
• By the sea: coastal craft projects
• Make a cube footstool
• Cushion-making for beginners
• How to make bunting (plus free Union Jack bunting to print)
• Sew a fat hen
• Sew a felt flower cushion
• Make bunting from old clothes
• Protect your gadgets: cases to sew
• Keep the pot hot: tea cosies to make
• Stitch a Union Jack felt cushion
• Stitch a heart-design needle case
• Sew a Union Jack cushion
• Take a metre of fabric...
• Make pretty placemats
• Sew Christmas bunting
• Sew a Cath Kidston patchwork laundry bag
• Sew a Cath Kidston appliqué tea-towel
• Sew a Cath Kidston patchwork star throw
• Sew a Cath Kidston rose linen pillowcase
• Pretty patchwork projects, from Cath Kidston
• Sew an iPhone cover
• Make felt Christmas decorations
• Sew personalised Christmas sacks
• Make it personal: great gifts to make
• Organise beauty essentials: make a beauty basket
• Sew embroidered Christmas stockings
• Sew some scented sachets
• Sew a personalised pillowcase
• Sew pretty heart keyrings
• Sew a Christmas table runner
• Sew a felt snowflake Christmas garland
• Sew a mouse pincushion
• Wrap cash and vouchers in style: fabric bags
• Sew a fleece hot water bottle cover
• Make a padded felt iPad case
• Sew a tweed doggie cushion
• Sew a tweed pencil case
• Sew a tweed doorstop
• Sew a tweed heart
• Sew a Kindle cover
• Sew a present-pocket advent calendar
• Sew a present-pocket advent calendar
• Sew a doorstop
• Make a personalised Christmas stocking
• Sew Santa's sacks
• Make a country-style Christmas stocking
• Make a little fairy Christmas stocking
• Make a snowflake Christmas stocking
• Make mini Christmas stockings
• Make a luxury Christmas stocking for grown-ups
• Make Christmas stockings and sacks to suit everyone
• Make a lightweight summer quilt
• How to make a traditional lavender bag
• Add appliqué hearts to hand towels
• Sew cushion covers for garden chairs
• Make a Sophie Conran handkerchief cushion
• Make a Sophie Conran picnic box cushion
• Make a Sophie Conran ruffle cushion
• Make a Sophie Conran button monogram cushion
• Make a Sophie Conran silk scatter cushion
• Make a Sophie Conran simple scarf cushion
• Make a Sophie Conran patchwork cushion
• Sew a pretty patchwork tea cosy
• How to cover a lampshade
• Sew a memory heart
• Sew a patchwork pin cushion
• Sew a patchwork-trimmed pillow case
• Sew a room tidy with storage pockets
• Make Easter egg-hunt bags
• Sew appliquéd egg cosies
• Sew Easter chick and bunny decorations
• Make a cross-stitch toadstool pincushion
• Create a cross-stitch coat-hanger cover
• Create a cross-stitch lavender bag
• Create a cross-stitch heart cushion cover
• Create a tailor-made towel - with cross-stitch
• Sew a personalised cushion
• Sew a heart button cushion
• Sew a 'home' appliqué cushion
• Make a patchwork throw
• Make a tea-towel storage bag
• Sew a Christmas star decoration
• Make a Christmas fairy for the tree
• Make a padded coathanger
• Make a Christmas decoration doll
• Transform a plain white pillowcase
• Sew a tissue box cover
• Sew an under-bed storage bag
• Make a toy bag
• Make a gift-wrapping storage bag
• Sew a reversible duvet cover
• Sew a shell-trimmed tablecloth
• Sew a patchwork quilt bedspread
• Sew an appliqué boat cushion
• Sew a Lisa Stickley bolster
• Sew a Lisa Stickley suit carrier
• Re-cover a chaise longue
• Sew a pretty drawstring washbag
• Make sweet-smelling lavender-filled birds
• Make a pretty cushion - from a tea towel
• Create an embroidered picture
• Transform an old jumper into a hot-water bottle cover
• Transform an old jumper into a footstool cover
• Transform an old jumper into a cushion cover
• Sew an ironing-board cover
• Sew a festive fabric chain decoration
• Dine in style: simple slip covers
• Dine in style: table runner and place mats
• Sew a draught-excluder
• Sit in comfort: make a beanbag
• Sew a love-heart cushion
• Transform a teatowel: peg bag
• Transform a teatowel: lavender pillow
• Sew pretty padded hangers
• Sew a waterproof washbag
• Make a stylish door curtain
• Create a drawstring-bag advent calendar
• Make a tie-fastening cushion cover
• Sew quick and easy curtains: trimmed panel
• Sew quick and easy curtains: puffball header
• Sew quick and easy curtains: wave-pleats finish
• Sew quick and easy curtains: bay-window curtains
• Turn a tablecloth into a Roman blind
• Make a pet photo cushion
• Sew love-heart lavender bags

Are you tired of travelling with smart outfits squished into your suitcase, making them creased and crumpled? Well, this very easy to make suit carrier not only holds suits but also coats, dresses, blouses and posh sweaters too! Even when you aren't going anywhere, it is a great way of protecting your favourite clothes while they are hanging in the wardrobe.

You will need

● oilcloth fabric, 150cm x 150cm will be plenty, cut to size (see template, below - cut 2 pieces)
● 1 upholstery zip, 110cm long.
● 1 piece of cotton fabric for the zip end, 3cm x 4cm or thereabouts.
● 1 wire coat hanger
● 1 piece of cotton for loop, 4cm x 10cm or thereabouts.
● 3m length of bias binding, 2.5cm wide.

Make the loop
Fold a 1cm hem over to the wrong side along each long edge of the fabric piece and press. Then fold the fabric down the middle lengthwise so the two turned edges meet. Press and pin. Stitch along the open side, stitching as close to the edge as possible for a neat finish. Backstitch at the start and finish to fasten the seam. Stitch the same line along the opposite side to finish the loop.  

Add the bias binding
Fold the front piece in half widthways and cut along this line. Fold the bias binding in half lengthwise and press. Starting on the straight edge, pin the bias binding all the way round the first front half. Fold the bias binding lengthwise and pin in place over the raw edge of the fabric. Stitch as close to the turned edge of the binding as possible, taking care to catch the underside of the binding as you sew. Tuck the raw edge of the binding under for a neat finish at either end, and backstitch the start and finish to secure the seam. Repeat this on the corresponding straight edge of the second half. 

Add the zip end
Before fitting the zip, add the zip end. Place the small zip end piece and the cut end of the zip right sides together. Stitch in place with a 5mm hem. Fold the unstitched side of the zip end back 1cm, then fold the whole piece around to the back side of the zip being careful to keep the raw edge tucked underneath. Stitch in place sewing a little to the right of the first seam just sewn, making sure to catch the tucked side of the zip end in as you stitch. 

Fit the zip
Fit the zip to the two front panels: the open end of the zip needs to start at the top of the suit carrier and should line up with the top of the bound edge. Pin the zip in place along each edge in turn. The zip should finish 10cm short of the bottom edge. Add a zip end, a small piece of fabric 3cm x 4cm, which will cover the raw end of the zip. Place the small zip end piece and the cut end of the zip right sides together. Machine in place with a 1cm hem. Fold the unstitched side of the zip end back 1cm, then fold the whole piece around to the back side of the zip being careful to keep the raw edge tucked underneath. Machine in place sewing a little to the right of the first seam just sewn, making sure to catch the tucked side of the zip end in as you stitch.

Prepare the two pieces of fabric the zip is to be fitted to by folding and pressing a 1cm hem along the edge of each panel. Change over to the zip foot on your machine. Starting with one panel, line the pressed edge of the panel up with the open end of the zip. I find this easier to machine without pinning in place and with the zip open by only a couple of centimetres. Depending on the type of zip foot you have on your machine, it is often easiest to stitch the panel to the zip with the fabric on the left of the zip, then turn the zip around to attach the second panel. Machine the zip in place making sure to backstitch at the start and finish to secure the seam. Repeat this on the opposite side of the zip, this time machining the other panel in place. Make sure to line the panels up with each other, and the open end of the zip.

 Join the panels
With right sides facing, place the front and back panels together so the raw edges meet. The two pieces of oilcloth may stick together so it can take some time to line them up exactly. Unzip the zip to over half way so you will be able to turn the cover right side out once stitched. Pin all the way round. Fold your prepared loop in half widthways. Then slot it in between the front and back panels at the centre of the bottom edge, with the fold facing inwards and the raw edges lining up. Pin in place. stitch around the outside edge with a 2cm seam allowance, trapping in the loop as you sew. Backstitch at the start and finish to fasten the seam. Trim the excess seam allowance all the way round with pinking shears. 

Add the hanger
Turn the suit carrier out to the right side. Fit the suit carrier over the wire hanger, taking the hanger's ‘neck' through the hole at the top where the zip finishes. Now fill the carrier with your best outfits. I highly recommend taking a weekend away to test your new suit carrier fully! 

This project is taken from 'Made at Home: a Guide to Simple Sewing' by Lisa Stickley (Quadrille, £16.99) Click here to buy the book for £12.99, from the Allaboutyou bookshop

You might also like...

Keep your clothes in good condition: craft ideas for your wardrobe

Take a coat-hanger - and turn it into something gorgeous

See all of our vintage-style sewing patterns for your home