BLOG 177

CHRISTMAS WALL HANGING continued

FINISHING

The cut edges of the black fabric need to be sewn. This can be done by hand using a blanket stitch, or by machine using a zigzag, blanket stitch, stippling stitch or straight stitch. (TIP: I usually place my batting and backing fabric behind the prepared panel to machine-stitch the cut edges. This gives body to the panel so that the stitches don’t distort it.) Here are some samples.

                                                         Satin stitch

                                               Buttonhole stitch

                                       Stippling stitch

 Quilt the wall hanging to your personal satisfaction. The samples above show three different approaches to machine quilting: a marked 1 ½” grid, a curly stitch with a thread to match the background and a loopy stitch in a variegated tread. Anything goes really, but as this is only going to hang for a few days over Xmas, you don’t want to spend masses of time quilting it.

Cut away the excess batting and backing from around the outside edge. At this stage you can shape one end or both ends to a point, using the line on the pattern or the 45 degree line on your cutting ruler. Or you can leave it as a rectangle, as you prepared it.

                                      Finished samples

The edges of the wall hanging need to be finished with a binding fabric. You can bind with a 1 ¼” straight strip remembering to mitre the corners (above left). Or you can round off the corners for a softer edge and use a 1 ¼” bias strip (above centre). Here is the speed method used for an unshaped rectangular hanging (above right). Back a 22” x 4” strip of your chosen fabric with fusible web. Cut it in half down the middle with an ordinary cutter to give 2 strips at 2” x 22”. Cut down the middle with a pinked cutter or pinking shears to give 4 strips at 1” x 22”, each with 1 straight edge and 1 pinked edge. Use a pin to start to release the paper and remove it.

                                                    Remove the paper

Cut 2 strips at 7” and iron them (make sure you have used cotton batting) along the top and bottom edges so that ½” of the pinked edge is seen on the RS of the hanging and ½” of the straight edge is seen on the WS.

                                               Fuse the short edges

Trim away the excess. Overlap at the corners and cover the long side to complete.

                                               Fuse the long edges

Add an optional tassel and a hanging ring to the back to complete. And now I have 3 wall hangings completed to give as presents; all that’s needed is wrapping paper and a label. Job done!