Banner Tutorial and Three Fabric Giveaways

Monday April 18, 2011
Banner Tutorial

I've been asked a few times to blog a banner tutorial.
I've tried to make this thorough and simple but if you have a question leave a comment.

1. Gather a pile of music you like and get ready to rock some banners out! YEAH

2. What you need: template plastic (can be purchased at quilt or craft stores) fat quarter's of material (also available precut at quilt and fabric stores) a marker (i like Sharpies) fabric and paper scissors rotary cutter self healing mat long clear ruler pinking shears (if you don't have the last four and plan to sew quite a bit you should invest in them)


3. Make a template A 4 by 4.5 triangle is the perfect size to get the most triangles out of a fat quarter. To make them any size determine the width and length. Find and mark the center of the width. From the middle draw a line to the length size.

Connect the two lines and cut out the template with paper scissors.

4. Iron the fat quarter in half longest sides together. (a fat quarter measures 22 x 18 ") Iron fat quarters in half again.

5. Using your template as a guide draw a line at the top and bottom of the fabric.

6. Trace and flip and trace your template until you come to the end of the fabric. (later you will pink these lines off so don't worry about your marking lines.

7. Cut off the tops and bottoms of the fabric.

8. Cut out the triangles. A fat quarter of fabric yields 18 pairs of triangles so make a bunch of banners.

9. Stack the triangles staggered for easier pick up as you sew them together.

10. Using a 1/4 seam allowance (the width of your presser foot) sew down one side of the triangle, pivot at the bottom and sew up the other side. You do not need to back stitch at the beginning and end nor sew the top as they will be sewn between ribbon in a later step.

Your presser foot is 1/4".

11. Cut your threads. Messy threads mean an unfinished project.

12. Pink the edges. If you don't own a pair of pinking shears you should. I use mine all the time.

Have an inexpensive pair for paper and a nice pair for fabric.

Always marker your scissors 'fabric' or 'paper' and make sure your family knows the difference especially your husband!

13. Cut two lengths of ribbon to your desired length of banner plus 24" for tails.

14. Sew the ribbon tails together using a zigzag stitch then start sewing the triangles between the ribbon using a zigzag stitch.

Before coming to the end of a triangle place another triangle between the ribbon. Continue until all the triangles are sewn.

15. Sew a zigzag stitch along the other side.

A larger template.

Giveaway # 1

I didn't want to throw away the scraps from the large triangles I made because you can use a small template and make another banner.

Fabric scraps and small template Giveaway #1

Giveaway #2

42 10 x 10 squares from Moda's 3 Sisters spring line and big template.

Giveaway #3

12 fat quarter and small template.

Please leave a comment to enter and your giveaway preference.

Also if you link my tutorial on your blog let me know and you'll get double entered.

Thanks everyone.

Cheers to a new week!