Author: michamarie

This is a lovely little project to put together quickly. It is also the perfect way to introduce children or beginners to some simple sewing.

You will need

A Backyard Happenings Bunting kit

Thread to match the panels (off white or beige) plus thread to match the bunting tape.

Sewing machine and general sewing notions, scissors, pins etc

Press all your fabric before starting. This ensures accurate cutting and piecing.

Cut all pieces of fabric into 8″ squares to match the size of the images.

Arrange the flags that will face forward in an order that you like and take a photo for reference. I alternated an image with a patterned fabric piece. You will have 9 flag fronts.

Next arrange the fabrics for the back of the flags to also make a pleasing display that spreads the colours and patterns evenly.

Pair up each front and back with right sides together and pin or clip to hold in place. Make sure any directional designs are facing the right way up.

Sew down the right hand side, across the bottom and up the other side on each flag. DO NOT sew across the top.

Trim a small triangle off the bottom two corners making sure not to cut through the seams. This makes the turning out easier.

Turn the flags the right way out, easing out the corners to make neat squares.

Making sure the flags and seams are straight, press each flag neatly. At this stage you can top stitch the three sewn sides if desired but it is not essential.

Lay the bunting tape down and finger press in half as you lay each flag into the fold, face up in the desired order, use your photo for reference. Remember to leave a tail each end of the bunting tape approximately 45cm/18″ long for ease of hanging later. Place each flag about 2″ or 5cm apart. Pin or clip the flags in place.

Tucking in the end of the tape, start sewing all the way along the tape anchoring down both sides of the tape and the flag as you go. Sew as close to the lower edge of the tape as possible but check that you are catching both sides. You can use a straight running stitch or a zig zag or decorative stitch if you prefer. Sew all the way along. Check for any stray threads and hang with pride and a little smile.

We will update this page regularly to add more photos so don’t forget to come back to check it out for inspiration. If you would like to share your creations pop in so we can photograph it or email us a clear picture and we will let the world see how fabulous you are.

Alicia has been super productive and has made three versions of Life’s a Journey for gifts.

Which is your favourite colour way? We think it is hard to choose as they all look beautiful.

Siobhan put her own twist on the lovely Garden Gathering Bag by Gail Pan. She used a variegated thread in place of redwork to create a superb result.

Trish has made this festive table runner using the Blizzard range of fabrics.

She made a pieced back too, lovely.

Alicia has been very busy. These two beautiful quilts brought a smile to our faces.

Heartstrings by The Birdhouse Here, There & Everywhere by Hatched and Patched made with a fabric pack from us.

Michelle bought the Market Garden Quilt Fabric pack from us. After making it up and gifting it to her mum she is about to buy a second pack to make one for herself. We can see why. Her quilt is stunning. A blend of mainly Hatched and Patched Market Garden fabric and Lanacot Wools.

Sally  plucked up the courage, after a little persuasion from us, and made the Tilda Lazy Gardener quilt using a kit from us. She is pleased with it and we think deservedly so.

Claire made up the Cottage Garden Kit from Beaks and Bobbins. She says she has not worked with ribbon and beads before and loved the process of learning and developing new skills while she was recovering from illnesses. We love her work and the way it is displayed.

Gill made her Little Dresden Quilt entirely from Lynette Anderson scrap bags. We are in awe and love it so much. No piece of fabric is too small to be utilised!

Lorraine designed this quilt herself using mainly Blume and Grow fabrics. Some of the blocks are by Thimble Blossom and Lori Holt. What a triumph this is.

Mel showed us her absolutely stunning landscape, titled The Meadow, using fabric and lace scraps. We love her use of all the tiny bits of fabric and lace and the mix of stitch and appliqué.

Look at this lovely example of the Willowbrook Market Garden Quilt. Designed by The Birdhouse and pieced by Tess using her stash.

We love Tilda here at Coast and Country and look at this beautiful example of the Embroidery Flower Quilt. It is a Tilda pattern and uses Tilda Solids to give the impression of an embroidery design.

We like the way the quilting has been done too.

Sylvia dropped by to show us her simply gorgeous Celtic Knot quilt made using Liberty fabric. Such a lot of hard work using hand applique and hand quilting. Utterly beautiful but she says it will end up in her wardrobe. This needs to be displayed for all to see, a proper heirloom.

Look at this joyous photo of little Lane sat on the Seagull Quilt made by his Great Grandma Valerie in Canada using a fabric pack from us. The Seagull Quilt pattern is in the Nautical Quilts Book by Lynette Anderson. We are in love with both Lane and the quilt.

Look at this stunning version of Hatched and Patched BOM The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey and Me. Jacqueline visited us to show us what she’d created using her stash of felt and fabric scraps from our popular scrap bags. We love the original design that uses wool applique, but we adore this version too. Look for the fussy cut images and the clever use of a variegated thread for the meandering hand quilting.

Kim showed us her deliciously colourful quilt made by combining Kaffe Fasset fabrics from a fat 1/4 bundle, with a bright white sashing. Stunning.

Look at Lorraine in her gorgeous patchwork jacket from the Great British Sewing Bee Book. She used a selection of our fabrics plus a quirky birdhouse end of roll bargain for the lining and a bright pop of colour for the binding. She said she went way out of her comfort zone making this but is so happy she did. We love it Lorraine.

Jill says she is a relative newcomer to quilt making but we are thoroughly impressed by her perfectly pieced Spoondrift Quilt by Janet Clare. She has used the To The Sea Fabric kit. Absolutely stunning.

Look at this beautiful lockdown quilt from Sarah, using her stash bought in a hurry before we closed the first time. It is a gorgeous blend of needle turn applique using William Morris fabrics and superbly quilted by Sandy Chandler.

Look at this labour of love from Anne.

She made this Noah’s Ark quilt for her grandson from a Jo Colwill

pattern in the Cowslip Country Quilts Book

We were thrilled when Brenda brought in her Bluebird Quilt by Janet Clare that she’s had as a kit & was given as a gift last year, how gorgeous!

Michelle used the Cottage Garden Stitch Kit from Beaks & Bobbins to create this delightful wall hanging. She has teamed it with pretty Liberty fabrics and we all love it. It reminds us of warm summer days and the heady smell of flowers dancing in the summer breeze.

To replicate this idea you will need the following-

the Beaks & Bobbins kit of your choice

Strips of fabric for the piecing and a piece for the backing to fit the size you make. Michelle used a fat 1/4 for the back, hanging sleeve, and one of the frames around the embroidery, plus a fat 1/8 for one frame and the binding, then three other strips of fabric for the remaining frames, approximately 1″strip x width of fabric or a fat 1/16 or fat 1/8 will do it

An 8″ or 10″ embroidery hoop if you like to use them

wadding approx 12″ square

a wire hanger, Michelle used the Flower Garden hanger

general sewing notions

Complete the stitch kit as per the instructions included.

Trim the completed panel to a neat square leaving at least a 1/4″ seam allowance all around. Approximately a 6 1/2″ square.

Cut 2 strips 1″ x 7″ and stitch to the sides of the panel

Cut 2 strips 1″ x 8″ and stitch to the top and bottom of the panel

Press and trim to a square.

Continue to add 1″ strips in this way until you have 5 frames around the panel. Each strip will increase by 1/2″ in length on each round ie frame two strips will be 1″ x 7 1/2″ and 1″ x 8 1/2″.

Layer up the finished top with wadding and the backing. Quilt as desired. Michelle stitched in the ditch between frames one and two, two and three and four and five.

Now add the binding and a hanging sleeve or tabs depending on preference. If adding a hidden hanging sleeve, sew this on before adding the binding. Cut a strip of fabric 11″ long x 2 1/2″ wide. Wrong side up fold over the short ends by 1/2″ and sew down, next fold in half wrong sides together down the length and stitch in place at the top of the back. *You can only use this method if you are using a dowel hanger otherwise you will need to add the wire hanger into your hanging sleeve before stitching the sleeve down. Hand stitch the sleeve down if needed to ensure it is hidden from the front.

Michelle added binding using the mitred corner method. Cut binding strips 2 1/2″ wide joining if needed depending on if you have width of fabric or fat 1/8s to work with. With raw edges matching sew your binding on, mitring the corners as you go. Hand sew the edge down on the back of your quilt.

Slide your dowel through the hanging sleeve and admire your summery creation.