Fish extender designs, patterns and pictures...

GrumpyGoat

Disney Curmudgeon
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
My wife and I are a week away from our first DCL cruise (actually our first cruise of any kind if you rule out my years in the Navy ;) ) and making our fish extender fell to me.

I found some plans and photos that I was able to download, but the information on how to make these things is hard to find. I thought I'd start a thread (that perhaps might end up a sticky) that would be a central location where people who made their own FEs could post their plans, diagrams, patterns and, most of all, pictures of their fish extenders.

If this has already been done, then would someone point this towards that thread. I searched and really couldn't find much information.

EDIT, 9/13/11: I neglected to mention that my FE was finished at the time I made the above original post. What I hope to accomplish here is create a central repository of information about how to make fish extenders for all those who come along in the future. The information that is available now is scattered throughout the DCL board and the internet in general and is somewhat hard to find.
 
I did a google search for fish extender images, and several photos turned up for ideas. And, I got online and found a fish extender seller. I asked her if she'd sell me a pattern. She said no, but she'd give it to me. I'll go get that information and post it.
 
Here it is ...

I there - I don't sell the pattern, but will share how I make mine with you.

I start with the background - it is an 8" wide strip that is selvage edge to selvage edge (about 45 inches long).

Then back this with an 8" strip of Pellon Deco Bond that is the same length.

The pockets are 11" squares that I back with a 5 1/2" X 11" piece of deco bond that I iron to half the pocket and then fold it in half to finish both sides. I do the embroidery on the top and pockets at this point.

The trim is 1 1/2" strips - 2 to 3 strips sewn together is what I use.

To prepare the trim I iron the edges into the middle then fold the whole thing in half leaving a 1/2 inch (ish) binding. I sew the binding to the top raw edge of the pockets first - this gives me a finished bottom - the sides will be covered with the final binding.

Then I pin the pockets to the background and sew the bottom of each pocket. I fold the extra background to the back of the FE and sometimes need to add extra fabric to make it fit.

I use the binding to finish the edges of the FE.

I fold the top down about an inch and sew a casing for the dowel rod.
 
I just found these instructions buried in my email inbox. I really wish I would have found them before I made up ours with a whole lot of fabric glue and swearing!

Supplies:

2 yards of fabric (two colors – one yard each)
Double fold bias tape
Dowell Rod
Iron-On Patches
1 Package of Iron-On Interfacing
1 Package of Heat-n-Bond No Sew Ultra Hold 7/8 in. hem
1 Package of Heat-n-Bond No Sew 1 Yard
Various Colors of Ribbon

1. Cut fabric to be used as the body of the FE to be 8 in. wide by 58 in. in length. When folded the FE will be 29 in. in length.

2. Cut fabric for the three pockets, cut each pocket 11 in. wide by 12 in. in length. When folded each pocked will be 6 in. in length.

3. On the inside of the FE body piece and each pocket iron on the interfacing. Once cooled completely I ironed on the sheet of Heat-n-Bond cut 8 in. by 29 in. to the inside of the body of the FE.

4. On each of the 3 folded pockets I made pleats so that the pockets were 2 in.-pleat-4 in.-pleat 2 in. To secure the pleats I used the Heat-n-Bond Ultrahold hem. This was done on the cut side so that the top edge would be folded and clean.

5. Next I used the heat-n-bond hem to add 8 in. strips of the double fold bias tape to the bottom of each pocket.

6. Next I lined up the pockets on the body of the FE starting 8 in. from the top and then about 1 in. apart. I market the spots with a pencil and secured the bottom and sides of the pockets using the heat-n-bond hem.

7. Once all cooled. I used the double fold bias tape for the perimeter of the body of the FE which again was secured using the iron on hem.

8. Once cooled I ironed on the patches to each of the pockets.

9. I then folded down the top of the FE about 2 inches and secured to the back of the FE by the iron-on hem creating a little opening to insert the dowel rod.

10. Using the multicolored ribbon I made it long enough so that the FE would hang approximately 7-8 in. from a hanger.

11. For our names I bough iron-on computer paper and printed the names on the computer. Then I cut and surrounded the paper with double fold bias tape attached using the iron-on hem. Finally I ironed on the name piece.
 


Thanks everyone that has posted so far. This is good information. Now if we can just get this made a sticky... (Hint, hint, Mods...)
 


Sorry no new sticky needed....all the info posted has already been in the DCL FAQ sticky thread for months!!!

MJ
 
Sorry no new sticky needed....all the info posted has already been in the DCL FAQ sticky thread for months!!!

MJ

I figured it had all been posted somewhere else. It just didn't show up in the search I did.

Feel free to close, delete or whatever with this thread...
 
Here it is ...

I there - I don't sell the pattern, but will share how I make mine with you.

I start with the background - it is an 8" wide strip that is selvage edge to selvage edge (about 45 inches long).

Then back this with an 8" strip of Pellon Deco Bond that is the same length.

The pockets are 11" squares that I back with a 5 1/2" X 11" piece of deco bond that I iron to half the pocket and then fold it in half to finish both sides. I do the embroidery on the top and pockets at this point.

The trim is 1 1/2" strips - 2 to 3 strips sewn together is what I use.

To prepare the trim I iron the edges into the middle then fold the whole thing in half leaving a 1/2 inch (ish) binding. I sew the binding to the top raw edge of the pockets first - this gives me a finished bottom - the sides will be covered with the final binding.

Then I pin the pockets to the background and sew the bottom of each pocket. I fold the extra background to the back of the FE and sometimes need to add extra fabric to make it fit.

I use the binding to finish the edges of the FE.

I fold the top down about an inch and sew a casing for the dowel rod.
Thanks so much for this tip!
 
Is there a PDF that i can print somewhere so i have it for future use, my friend is making it for us and were not leaving till 2019, thanks everyone.
 
Is there a PDF that i can print somewhere so i have it for future use, my friend is making it for us and were not leaving till 2019, thanks everyone.
If you google DIY fish extender, you will find a lot of different patterns. I made ours up last week and having the dimensions is probably the biggest part.
 

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