Fabric watch-strap cover

Step 4 Choosing fabric

Select the fabric you're going to use. It is a good idea to iron it before you start.

I've always used cotton for this project, because it's easy to work with and can be washed if it gets dirty. As always with sewing projects, wash your fabric beforehand if you're worried that it might shrink in future. Use woven rather than knitted fabric - you want something that won't stretch too much. T-shirt fabric is probably too stretchy, but an old cotton shirt or blouse will be fine. Heavy fabrics like denim are very tough to sew in small pieces.

Textured fabrics like seersuckers are harder to sew. A light flat cotton is easiest. Quilting fabrics would be ideal, so long as they are washable.

Think about how the fabric will look in a small area - large prints will get lost. A small all-over motif will be the most forgiving if you think your seams might turn out a bit wonky. Stripes look very good, but are tricky to match up neatly (ask me how I know!)

There's no reason not to use scraps of luxury fabrics if you want to, but you might want to use cotton for the part next to your wrist, since it won't be seen and needs to be soft and breathable.