Hey everyone! Today you are going to learn how to turn alphabet rows into a cheerful wall hanging.
Meet the fabric
This one is the Green Patch Perfect Alphabet Rows Cotton 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard.
It comes from PBS Fabrics.
It was made by Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.
It is part of the Patch Perfect line.
The width of fabric is 43/44 inches.
The fiber type is 100% cotton.
The color in the name is green.
The print is alphabet rows.
That means letters, lined up in rows.
Easy to read from across a room.
Easy to fussy cut, too.
The product notes call it a lightweight quilting cotton.
It tends to hold its shape after washing.
That makes it great for quilting.
It also suits structured craft projects.
It carries an OEKO-TEX certified tag too.
And it is sold by the yard.
One yard gives you a lot of letters, folks.
Why it suits a wall hanging
A wall hanging is a small quilt for the wall.
It teaches, it decorates, it makes folks smile.
This fabric already does the design work.
The alphabet rows are the whole show.
You do not need tiny piecing here.
You do not need appliqué letters either.
Just frame those rows and quilt them.
That is why this print suits the project.
The cotton holds a crisp edge under binding.
It stays flat against batting nicely.
I am making mine 30 inches wide.
It will finish about 34 inches long.
That fits a classroom or a playroom wall.
It also fits a narrow hallway spot.
Completely up to you on the size.
Measure your wall space before you cut.
Materials list
- 1 yard of Green Patch Perfect Alphabet Rows cotton for the front
- 1 yard of a plain cotton for the backing
- One piece of batting, about 34 by 38 inches
- 1/4 yard of cotton for binding, or one packaged binding
- Matching thread for piecing and quilting
- A wooden dowel or thin rod, about 32 inches long
- Two small wall hooks or nails for hanging
- Rotary cutter, ruler, mat, pins, and your sewing machine
Brief steps
Here we go.
First, press the alphabet fabric nice and flat.
Look at the rows before you cut anything.
Pick the rows you want to show off.
Trim the panel to 30 1/2 inches wide.
Keep full letter rows inside your cut.
Trim the length to 34 1/2 inches.
That half inch is your seam allowance room.
Slow down at this step, folks.
Cutting through a favorite letter hurts.
Ask me how I know. Oh my goodness.
I once trimmed right through a row I loved.
The fix was simple, thank goodness.
I shifted the cut down one row.
Just like that, the letters were whole again.
Next, layer backing, batting, and the front.
Pin or baste the layers so nothing shifts.
Quilt with a simple stitch in the ditch.
Follow the lines between the alphabet rows.
Use an 80/12 needle in your machine.
Set your stitch length to about 2.5.
That is roughly 10 stitches per inch.
Echo one row if you want extra texture.
Completely up to you, as always.
Trim the quilted piece to 30 by 34 inches.
Cut binding strips 2 1/2 inches wide.
Join them, press them in half lengthwise.
Bind all four edges with 1/4 inch seams.
Then make a hanging sleeve for the back.
Cut a strip 4 inches wide by 29 inches long.
Hem the short ends, then sew it on.
Leave the middle loose for the dowel.
Slide the dowel through and hang it up.
Practical tips from my sewing table
Read the alphabet out loud once.
Really really handy for catching a backwards row.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Straight rows and straight stitching do it.
Press after every step, not just at the end.
Flat layers mean flat quilting, y'all.
If a row puckers a little, ease off.
Loosen your presser foot pressure just a touch.
Here is the permission part.
It does not have to be perfect.
You are your own worst critic.
Kids will read the letters, not your seams.
Take your time. It is not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Make one for a reading corner first.
Then make a second one as a gift. Alrighty.
Super duper fun, and super duper easy.
Thank you so much for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Green Patch Perfect Alphabet Rows Cotton 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
