Ghostly Greetings Garden Flag Welcome trick-or-treaters to your front door with a fang-tastic garden flag. A boo-tiful blend of holiday fabrics and spooky Halloween embroidery make it a fun addition to your spooktacular decor. Project Needs & Notes - 17" x 39" flag yard stake - 1/2 yard solid-colored outdoor canvas for front and back panels - 1/4 yard print quilter's cotton for borders and patches - Small pieces of canvas and quilter's cotton for patches - Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer - Temporary spray adhesive (Gunold's KK100) - Air-erase pen for marking - Needle and thread for some hand sewing The designs used in this tutorial include: F6085, Crafty Spirit F6059, Button-Down Boo! (Add Buttons) F6091, Stitchin' Spider Finished Size: 13 1/2" x 18 3/4" This project was featured in the following: Spooktacular Halloween Lookbook Measure the arm of the flag yard stake to determine the flag width. The arm of the stake in this example is 15 1/2". Subtract 2" from that measurement to decide the width of the flag. Add 1" for a seam allowance. In this example,
the measurement is 14 1/2". The length of the flag depends on the height of the stake you are using. In this example, the flag will be 18" tall. Add 4" to the top for a pocket on top of the flag. Draw a rectangle on the canvas to the dimensions that you calculated. In this example, the rectangle is 14 1/2" x 22". Cut out the rectangle. Draw a line 4" down from the top of the flag for the pocket. Working within the area below the top line on the fabric, measure and mark in 1 1/2" around the entire outer edge of the rectangle. Draw lines to connect the marks, creating a 1 1/2" wide frame. A template is a printout of a design, and it's an excellent tool to plan where to stitch. Print a template of the design from your embroidery software. If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is a free program to use. Arrange the templates on the flag where they'll be stitched. When arranging the templates, make sure there is at least 1" of space between the outer edges
of the designs and the inner edges of the frame. After the templates are where the designs will be stitched, use an air-erase pen to mark the center points as well as the vertical and horizontal axis lines. Draw lines to connect the marks - - these marks will be used for hooping.
Hoop the fabric with a piece of cutaway stabilizer, lining up the axis lines for the first design with the marks on the hoop. Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric. Embroider the design. A size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle is a good choice when embroidering on sturdy outdoor fabrics. Repeat the hooping and embroidering process for the second design. After embroidering, trim the stabilizer away from the back. For color contrast, embroider a design onto a different fabric, then applique that fabric to the flag. To do this, cut a piece of stabilizer and canvas a bit larger than your hoop. Hoop together, and embroider the design.
Trim the fabric of the patch leaving about 1/2" of excess around the outer edges of the design. Experiment with shapes and decorative shears for the look that you like. Spray the back of the patch with a small amount of temporary adhesive and then press it in place on the front fabric. The outer edges of the patch fabric can overlap over the inner edges of the frame if you'd like.
Using a zigzag stitch, sew around the entire outer edges of the patch to attach it to the fabric. Cut shapes out of the cotton fabric in various sizes to create small patches to fill the open spaces. Attach the small patches just as you did for the embroidered patch. To prepare the fabric for the sides of the border, cut two pieces of print cotton 2" x 15". Lay the fabric pieces on top of the front fabric with right sides facing, and the outer edges of the borders overlapping the edges of the frame by 1/2". The top and bottom ends of the fabric pieces should overlap just slightly over the top and bottom edges of the frame. Pin in place and sew a 1/2" seam along the outer edges of each of the border pieces.
Fold the border pieces over to the right side, aligning them with the outer edges of the front fabric. Press with an iron. To prepare the fabric for the bottom border, cut one piece of cotton to the width of the front fabric by 2" high. Lay the fabric piece on top of the front fabric, with right sides facing. The bottom edge of the border should overlap the edges of the frame by 1/2" and the ends should be aligned with the outer edges of the front fabric. Pin in place and sew a 1/2" seam along the bottom edge of the border piece. Fold the fabric over to the right side and press. To prepare the fabric for the top border, cut one piece of cotton to the width of the front fabric by 2 1/4" high. Fold one of the long sides in 1/2" to the wrong side and press.
Lay the border piece on top of the front fabric with right sides facing together. The raw edge of the border should overlap the edges of the frame by 1/2", and the ends should be aligned with the outer edges of the front fabric. Pin in place and sew a 1/2" seam along the top edge of the border piece. Fold the fabric over to the right side and press. Sew a 1/4" seam along the inner and outer edges of the border fabric. To prepare the fabric for the back piece, cut a piece of the outdoor canvas the same size as the front fabric. Align the back fabric on top of the front fabric with right sides facing. Pin in place, and sew a 1/2" seam along the sides and top edges only. Leave the bottom edge open for turning. Turn the fabric right side out and press the seams. Also, turn the fabric of the opening in 1/2" and press. Pin the bottom edge and sew a 1/4" seam along the side and bottom edges only.
To create the top pocket, fold the top edge over 2" to the back and pin in place. Hand sew the back edge of the fold in place with needle and thread. Sew through the bottom edge of the fold and the back fabric only. Slide the flag onto the stake by inserting the stake arm into the top pocket of the flag. Hang this garden flag in your front yard as a brilliant way to welcome guests to your home haunted home.
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