Hey everyone! Today you're going to learn how to turn an apron panel into a panel wall hanging for your kitchen or coffee corner.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This is the Black And Red Perfect Brew Apron Panel 36" x 44" from Benartex.
It is a single panel.
It measures approximately 36 inches by 44 inches.
It comes from the Perfect Brew collection.
It was designed by Andi Metz.
The colors are black and red.
It was printed as an apron panel.
That means the design is already laid out for you.
The tags list it as cotton and as a coffee panel.
And y'all, that is exactly why I love it for the wall.
You do not have to piece a picture.
The picture is already there.
Just like that, the panel becomes the art.
Why this fabric suits a panel wall hanging
A panel wall hanging is simple.
You keep the panel whole.
You add batting and backing.
You quilt it lightly.
Then you hang it where folks can see it.
This panel suits that job really well.
At 36 by 44 inches, it is a nice size.
It is big enough to read from across the room.
It is small enough to quilt at home.
The black and red have strong contrast.
That contrast helps the design pop on the wall.
And the coffee theme feels right at home.
Hang it by the coffee maker.
Hang it over a breakfast table.
Completely up to you.
I like it where morning light hits it.
It makes the whole corner feel finished.
Materials list
- Black And Red Perfect Brew Apron Panel — 1 panel, approximately 36 by 44 inches, used whole
- Batting — 1 piece about 42 by 50 inches
- Backing fabric — 1 piece about 42 by 50 inches, about 1 1/4 yards of 44/45 inch fabric
- Optional border fabric — 1/2 yard for a 2 1/2 inch finished border; hanging then finishes about 41 by 49 inches
- Binding — about 1/3 yard, cut into 2 1/2 inch strips
- Hanging sleeve fabric — 1 strip about 38 inches long by 4 inches wide
- Matching all-purpose thread
- Sewing machine with an 80/12 universal needle
- Wood dowel about 38 to 42 inches long, pins, ruler, and fabric marker
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Brief steps
- Press the panel well. Lay it flat and check it is square. Trim only the outer edges if needed, and keep the design centered.
- If adding borders, sew 2 1/2 inch strips to the sides first, then top and bottom. Press seams away from the panel.
- Layer the sandwich. Backing wrong side up, batting in the middle, panel right side up on top.
- Baste the layers. Pin every 4 to 6 inches, or spray baste in small sections.
- Quilt it simply. Stitch in the ditch around the main shapes, or echo the outer edge about 1/4 inch in. Use a 2.5 mm stitch length, about 10 stitches per inch.
- Go slow around curves. Travel where you can, and tie off your ends neatly.
- Trim the sandwich square. Check both diagonals so they match.
- Make the hanging sleeve. Fold the long edges under 1/4 inch, then fold the strip in half lengthwise. Sew it to the top back edge.
- Attach binding with the 2 1/2 inch strips. Miter the corners and stitch it down.
- Slide the dowel through the sleeve. Hang it up and check it hangs straight.
Practical tips from my table
Take your time pressing.
It's not a race.
A panel that starts flat hangs flat.
I have rushed this step before, folks.
Oh my goodness, my first panel bowed in the middle.
The fix was easy, though.
I took it down, pressed it again, and re-basted it.
It hung straight the second time.
Keep your quilting light on a panel.
You want texture, not a fight with the print.
A little echo quilting is super duper fun here.
Slow down on the binding corners.
Slow down or the needle can push through those thick layers and snap.
Test your quilting on a small sandwich first.
Use the same batting and the same thread.
Check your tension there, not on the panel.
And here is the permission part.
It does not have to be perfect.
A wobbly line in the black will barely show.
You are your own worst critic, I promise.
From a few feet away, it will look warm, bold, and really really good.
Alrighty, thank y'all so much for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Black And Red Perfect Brew Apron Panel 36" x 44" at Linda's Electric Quilters.
