This Thursday is our first meeting of local friends for Sewing Through the Year.  Aria and I took advantage of the afternoon to test out the project - fabric dish covers a.k.a. eco travel lids, tutorial by Allyson Hill. 

We each made one, hers fitted for this large bowl and mine for a 9" x 13" baking pan. 

I wanted to see where the tricky parts might be and how long it would take us both, sharing an iron and sewing machine, to complete the project.  We didn't try to rush.  I even hung out a load of laundry when she was taking her time sewing around her circle!  Both covers were finished after an hour and a half.

I think the trickiest part was the very first step - making a cutting line 3" larger than the dish on all sides.  We used a short, stiff quilting ruler and a regular pen.  After that it was pretty much just make a casing, stuff the elastic and voila!

The sewing is pretty forgiving.  Aria did all the cutting and sewing and... well everything herself!  This would totally be a great project for kiddos or anyone new to sewing.  And, it makes a practical cover that replaces plastic wrap or foil for transporting a dish to a party or for short-term food storage.

I already have a pair of circular covers I made years ago, so this 9" x 13" dish cover rounds out my collection.  They're washable and kind of cute.  You could buy ripstop nylon for the lining, as Allyson suggests, but I've just used fabric on hand.  I've used tight-woven synthetics in the past, thinking they're less breathable than cotton.  Today I used a plastic-coated fabric from Ikea. It won't come in contact with the food, so I figure it's a safe enough choice.

Both plaids are from Denyse Schmidt's Florence collection.  Since FreeSpirit kindly sent me remnants of their fabric on hand, I'll be sharing these goodies with the ladies in my sewing group.  Looking forward to seeing what they make!