And the winner is.......

The lucky winner of these yummy Christmas fabrics courtesy of Makower is..........

 

as chosen by my random number generator........lucky number 7!

Congratulations Kate! An email is on its way to you!

Thanks for all your lovely comments.

Let's do this again sometime shall we?

 

Fabulous Festive Makes!

To coincide with the launch of this year's special issue bookazine, we have a little giveaway for you!

 

 

Fabulous Festive Makes is ......well it is rather fabulous for starters and features over 25 festive projects for you to make, including some quick makes for those of you who don't have much spare time on their hands and lots of lovely decorations.

The bookazine will launch at the Festival of Quilts next week so pop along to our booth, E32 to pick up your copy and get those festive preparations started early this year!

 

Both Judi and I have made projects for the magazine and here is a sneak peak of mine.......Christmas Bunting with a difference!

 

 

The fabrics for my project were kindly donated by Makower UK Ltd Ltd and they were generous enough to give me a little bit extra so I could give some away to one of our lucky readers!

 

So we have a bundle of six long quarters just waiting for a new home.

 

 

For your chance to win, just comment on this post telling us what is your favourite festive thing to make, be it cards, decorations or even baking. We'll pick a comment at random. Closing date is 6pm Monday 5 August (BST)

Bunting.......how much can you make?

Our colleagues at the British Quilt & Stitch Village show need bunting! And LOTS of it! They want to decorate all the buildings and entrance at Uttoxeter racecourse with bunting to create that village show feel.

 

If you would like to take part, simply make a minimum of 2m (or 6ft) of bunting, any colour, as simple or complicated as you like and send it to Patchwork & Quilting Magazine, Traplet House, Pendragon Close, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1GA to arrive by 1 April 2013. A team at Traplet Publications will choose their favourite length of bunting and the maker will receive a pair of tickets to the show and a surprise package of goodies!

Come to the show and spot your bunting!

 

There are plenty of tutorials on the web showing you how to make bunting, but here's how I have made mine. 

 

 

Note: As I am left handed some images may look the wrong way round to most of you!



 

You will need:

A4 piece of paper

25cm assorted fabrics

1/2" wide double fold bias binding or 2" strips of calico

 

Make a template

1. Take A4 paper and fold in half lengthwise.

2. Cut diagonal line from open corners to fold at bottom.

 

 

 

3. Open out triangle and trim so that it is approx. 8" high.

 

 

 

Make your flags

1. Trim fabric strips so that they are approx. 8" wide. Keep them folded.

2. Place template on one fabric strip and either using a rotary cutter and ruler or pair of scissors, cut around template.

 

 

3. Turn template around and cut a second triangle.

 

 

(thank you blogger for rotating the image)

 

4. Continue cutting triangles from your strip. You should be able to cut six pairs from a regular width fabric.

5. You now have a choice of how to make your flags:

a. Put triangles right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam on both long sides, turn flag right side out and press flat to make a flag like this:

(trim the ears at the top before inserting in the tape)

 

b. Keep triangles wrong sides together and stitch 1/4" seam on both long sides to make a flag like this:

 

(thank you again blogger)

 

6. Continue making flags with all your triangles.

 

Make the 'string'

Skip this step if you have ready made bias binding

 

1. Cut several 2" x WOF strips from calico.

2. Join strips together end to end.

3. Fold and press calico strip in half along its length.

4. Open strip out and press and fold each raw edge towards centre fold.

 

 

5. Fold strip in half again and press.

 

 

 

Make your bunting

1. Start stitching about 1/8" inch in from open folded edges at end of your folded strip.

2. Make sure you leave a tail of at least 12" before inserting your first flag within the folds of your strip.

3. Insert flag and pin.

 

 

4. Continue stitching along folded strip, ensuring all of flag top is within the strip.

5. Add second flag. I left a gap of about 4" between the tops of the flags.

 

 



 6. Stitch along top of flag as before.

7. Continue adding flags leaving a similar gap between each one, remembering to leave a tail of at least 12" again as you near the end of your folded strip.

8. Add a second line of stitching for additional strength.

 

 

9. I made a length of approx. 150" of bunting with 15 flags from 3 long quarters of prints and 4 strips of calico.

 

And there you have a string of bunting.

 

Have fun!

 

 

Joanna