Hey everyone. Today you will learn how to make a simple patriotic wall hanging for your front hall.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This is Homespun Patriotic Navy Stars on Antique White from Santee Printworks.
It is a 100% cotton quilting fabric.
It measures 44"/45" wide.
It is sold by the yard.
The brand is Santee Printworks, from TC Studio.
The collection is called Homespun Patriotic.
The color is antique white.
The print is navy stars on that soft antique white.
It has that warm, homespun look I love.
The product notes say it suits patriotic quilts.
It suits low-volume Americana sewing too.
And it works with other Homespun coordinates.
Low-volume just means the background stays light and quiet.
So those navy stars get to do the talking.
Why it suits a wall hanging
We are making one finished hanging, about 30" wide by 36" long.
A wall hanging is a kind project, folks.
This fabric does most of the decorating for you.
One large panel shows those navy stars beautifully.
No tiny piecing is required to make it special.
Super duper cute over a bench or beside the front door.
Materials list
- 1 yard of Homespun Patriotic Navy Stars on Antique White — enough for the front panel, with room to square up
- 1 yard of backing fabric, in a solid or a small print you already have
- One piece of low-loft batting, about 34" by 40"
- 1/4 yard of fabric for binding, or about 3 strips cut 2 1/2" wide
- Thread to blend for piecing, and navy thread for quilting if you like contrast
- A small dowel or hanging rod, about 32" long
- Rotary cutter, mat, and a clear ruler, or fabric scissors
- Pins or clips, a marking pencil, and a safety pin for turning the sleeve
- Your sewing machine and an iron
Brief steps
First, press your fabric well before you cut.
Wrinkles will lie to your ruler, every time.
Cut your front panel 30 1/2" wide by 36 1/2" long.
Layer your backing wrong side up.
Lay the batting smooth on top of it.
Then lay your star panel right side up.
Pin or spray baste the three layers together.
I like a simple stitch in the ditch around the edge first.
Then I echo those lines out across the panel.
Keep your quilting lines about 2" apart.
Use a stitch length of about 3.0 millimeters.
That is roughly 8 to 9 stitches per inch.
Slow down if the layers start to creep.
Go too fast and those layers can shift on you.
Trim the quilted piece square at 30" by 36".
Next, make a simple hanging sleeve for the back.
Cut a strip 6" wide by 29" long from your backing fabric.
Hem both short ends with a 1/4" fold, twice.
Fold the strip in half the long way, wrong sides together.
Pin that raw edge along the top back of your hanging.
Stitch it in place when you add your binding.
Join your binding strips and press them in half.
Bind all four edges like you would a small quilt.
Stitch the sleeve's lower edge down by hand or by machine.
Leave a little slack in that sleeve, folks.
A too-tight sleeve makes the top pucker and bow.
Slide your dowel through, and hang it up.
Just like that, your wall hanging is done.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Practical tips from my sewing table
Test your quilting tension on a scrap sandwich first.
Two minutes of testing saves an hour of picking stitches.
I know, because I have skipped that test.
I picked out every stitch and started over.
We learn, and we laugh, and we keep sewing.
Press the finished hanging from the back.
That keeps your quilting texture nice and puffy.
And here is your permission beat, folks.
It does not have to be perfect.
If one quilting line wobbles a little, breathe.
You are your own worst critic.
Everybody else will just see navy stars and feel welcome.
Take your time.
It is not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty. Go hang those stars where they can shine.
Thanks for spending a little time with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Homespun Patriotic Navy Stars on Antique White Cotton 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
