Patchwork Watchband: Free Pattern!

I must confess that I am a certified watch-wearer. Always. I always wear a watch. I’m time-obsessed and I’m picky: it needs to be big and it needs to include the date. So it’s no surprise that I finally made a fun and funky watchband for my old (really old) watch. I stopped wearing it about 14 years ago when I purchased a new watch with a stainless steel band. I never much cared for the black band but I loved the size and the glow-in-the-dark face. I guess readability is important with bifocals!

This band is made by sewing scraps together. The watch is secured by piece of fabric that is woven through the watch pins and sewn in place. Once on your wrist, the end of the band loops through a ring, folds back on itself, and snaps in place!



MEASURING:

1. WIDTH: (a) Determine how wide you want the band to be. These can be from about 3/4” (pink band) to 1 1/2” (brown/green band). (b) Then take that number and multiply by four. This is how wide you’ll cut your fabric. 

2. LENGTH: Determine the length of the band. Measure around your wrist and add 4” – it doesn’t have to be perfect. I have tiny wrists (6”) and my band was 10” long. But if it’s too short, it will be difficult to put on. If it’s too long, there will be too much excess.

SUPPLIES:
1. Hardware: this needs to be as wide as your width (a) measurement. For my pink band, I used a 3/4” D ring. For my brown/green band, I used a 1 1/2” rectangle slide. You can find these in two areas at JoAnn Fabrics – with the notions and with the purse-making/hardware.

2. Scraps of fabric: they will need to be as wide as your width (b) measurement. My pink band used 3” wide scraps whereas my brown/green band used scraps that were 6” wide. 

3. Sheerweight fusible interfacing (Pellon 906F): this needs to be the size of your band. I cut this after I sewed my band together.

3. Snaps: I used #16 snaps from SnapSource. I recommend these snaps, along with the SnapSetter, because the prongs are longer and will go through the fabric and stay put. And I LOVE my SnapSetter. It’s so much easier to use than pliers!

4. Turn-It-All: this is optional, but it’s a tool that I can’t live without! It will help you turn the watch holder inside out.

MAKE BAND:


Cut your fabric to the correct width. I have several pieces here – they are all 6” wide (and 2 1/2” long). Using a 1/4” seam, sew them together along the 6” side.









Press seams open. And cut to correct size – I cut this down to 6” x 10”.












Following manufacturer’s directions, fuse sheerweight interfacing to the back.









Fold 6” ends in about 1/4” and press.










You will now fold the band:
Fold in half (WST) and press.










Open back up. Fold up one side so edge touches the crease you just made, and press.











Repeat on the other side.











Fold it in on itself and press. It should look like this. The raw edges should all be on the inside.







If you find that it’s a bit bulky in the folds, cut small notches in the creases.













Top stitch around the entire band. You’ll want to be close to the edge. I increase my stitch length to 3mm and pivot at the corners. 

I love my Bernina #10 foot! Read more about edge-stitching feet.







Add your hardware.











WATCH HOLDER:


This is the piece of fabric that holds the watch to the band. This involves a little math.
























LENGTH: Take the length of your watch face and multiply it by 2. Mine was 1 1/2” x 2 = 3”.

WIDTH: You have two options: (a) Make it the same width as the watch (the pink band) or (b) make it wider so it gathers (the brown/green band).

(a) Measure the width of the pin. Double that number and add 1/2”.
So mine is 3/4” x 2 = 1 1/2”. Then 1 1/2” + 1/2” = 2”.

(b) Measure the width of the pin and double it. Then take that number and multiply by 2.
So mine is 3/4 x 2 = 1 1/2”. Then 1 1/2” x 2 = 3”. My final width is 3”.

Cut your fabric.

I cut mine:
(a) 3” long by 2” wide (pink band) (b) 3” long by 3” wide (brown/green band).

Fold in half RST and, using a 1/4 seam, sew around the holder as shown. 

Leave the middle open about 3/4”. This is where you’ll turn in right side out. Make sure you back stitch! 

Clip corners and cut seam down to about 1/8” – as shown.







I used a Turn-It-All to turn this right side out. Press flat.










Here’s my holder.











Mark the placement of the watch. I put the band on and got a feel for where I wanted it. I then put the watch on the band and used a marker to note where the pins were. 

The distance between the two blue lines is 1 1/2” – which is also the length of the watch.





I wove the holder through the pin and lined the pin up with my mark. Make sure your watch is facing the direction you want it to face! The top of my watch is near the hardware!

I got an idea of where to sew the holder to the band.






Center it, line it up, and sew close to the edge. 

TIP: start sewing in the middle, sew to the edge, backstitch to the other edge, then sew back to the middle. This buries the ends of your threads!







Turn the band around; push the watch up to give yourself some room. Sew the other end to the band.









All done with that! See how it gathers a bit?!


And yes, the batteries are dead!









ADD SNAPS:



Here are my snaps.











Put the watch on. Pin it to hold it in place. Mark where you want your snaps. Come in a bit from the seam – the snap prongs won’t go through the bulk of the seam.

I will confess that my snaps are really crooked!











See..yikes. Crooked!

OK. So the pretty side of the snaps are underneath. The stud is on top. It seems backwards but it isn’t!






You can see the snaps here – on the end to the right.
Now add the prong and socket.

Put the watch back on. Determine how tight you want it. 

Take a marker and put a dot where you want the socket to go.

Take the watch off and add the prong and socket. Please note that the SOCKET is on the right side of the watch!




WOW. It looks like time stood still! Sometimes it feels like that when I sew. 

Now I need to take the watch apart and install a new battery.

Happy New Year!

UPDATE: Want a PDF of this pattern? Go to my CRAFTSY Pattern Shop and download it for free!