Friday, February 1, 2013

DIY Project: Quilt Carry Strap

This Quilt Carry Strap is of my own design. In fact, I dreamt I made this exact strap last night. I woke up with the design on my mind this morning, and quickly scribbled the idea down on the note pad I keep by my bedside table, for instances just as these. I got up, and put this together. I wanted to see if this would actually work as well in reality as it did in my dream.


Good new! It works! This little Quilt Carry Strap is super easy to make, simple to use, can be made to fit a specific size quilt, or it can, like this one, be adjustable to fit any size. It makes any quilt easily portable, simultaneously keeping it compact and contained, while also supplying a comfortable carrying handle for sensitive hands. It can also be used with a shoulder strap. All without attaching any straps, or handles, to the actual quilt. And it took 20 minutes to make.

Thick, padded carry handle for my sensitive hands. 
And, of course, I had to add one of my fabulous labels.

To carry a quilt using the quilt strap, just fold the quilt lengthwise into thirds (or suitable size, depending on size of quilt), and roll it into a tight roll. Wrap straps around the quilt roll, making sure the handle piece is positioned flat in between them, and then secure straps through the metal loops, and tighten. Repeat with remaining strap. Now the quilt can be carried securely using the handle, or by attaching a shoulder strap.

Quilt strap in action

I did not make a tutorial yet, as there are still plenty of room for improvements. For one, I want to make it in a heavier webbing, and use larger, easier hardware. Perhaps even snap latches. I'll post a tutorial as I've figured those things out. So, while it's not perfect, as a first try, I'm quite happy with this project. I actually used it yesterday, and that made me even happier with it. No more tied-together-with-rope, stuffed-into-bags, or worse; loose, quilts in my car on the way to a picnic or a day at the beach.

Contained, portable, and hand-friendly, thanks to the Quilt Carry Strap.

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