How to Sew a Sun Umbrella
Sun umbrellas, also known as parasols, are popular all over the world for protecting the face from sunlight. Historically, parasols were made out of whalebone or cane, and were used to keep the skin pale and freckle-free in accordance with the beauty standards of the time. Today's sun umbrellas are most often made using a modern metal skeleton, much like normal rain umbrellas, and are covered in an array of bright fabrics. You can sew your own sun umbrella using any aesthetic you like, from plain cotton fabrics to decorative sheer lace and ribbons.
Things You'll Need
- Old umbrella
- Lightweight fabric
- Home sewing machine
- Thread
- Measuring tape
- Iron and ironing board
- Fabric pencil
- Scissors
- Pins
Instructions
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Create the Parts
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1
Take an old umbrella, or a new umbrella you do not mind destroying, and remove the end caps from each rib. Set the end caps aside. Remove the cap on the top of the umbrella, if possible.
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2
Remove the fabric from the umbrella. Carefully work the middle of the fabric out from under the top cap without tearing if you were not able to remove the cap in Step 1.
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3
Open the umbrella fully and measure the distance between each rib at the bottom of the umbrella. Mark down this measurement on a sheet of paper.
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4
Iron the umbrella's original fabric so that you have a flat piece to work with. Use this piece as your pattern.
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5
Lay out a single layer of the fabric you have chosen for your sun umbrella. Place the original umbrella fabric on top of this layer.
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6
Trace around the outside of the pattern piece with a fabric pencil, 5/8 inch away from the edge. Cut along this circle. Discard the pattern piece.
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7
Find the center of the new umbrella fabric piece and cut a small hole there.
Assemble the Sun Umbrella
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8
Fold the outside edge of the sun umbrella fabric piece under 1/4 inch and iron it flat. Clip any edges that bunch or pull.
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9
Fold the outside edge under another 1/2 inch and pin it in place. Sew along the folded edge, all the way around the piece. Iron the edge flat.
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10
Make marks with the fabric pencil along the outside edge, making sure that each mark is separated by the distance you measured in Step 3.
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11
Open the umbrella ribs and lay the new fabric over them. Push the top cap through the hole in the center of the fabric, if you could not remove the cap initially. If you removed the cap initially, reattach it over the hole.
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12
Match up the markings on the bottom edge of the fabric with the bottom of each rib. Reattach the end caps over the fabric.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If the fabric will not stay in place around the top cap on its own, you may need to handstitch the fabric around the cap to hold it there.
You may also need to sew the bottom edge of the fabric to the end caps, if they are the type that have holes in them. You will see on the original umbrella fabric whether it has been stitched to the caps.
