GO! Big Electric
GO!
GO! Me
Studio 2
Hello! I'm Missy Shepler, a designer, illustrator, and author in central Illinois. When I'm not creating how-to illustrations for various publishers, I design quilts and sewing projects, some of which are shown here.
Since many of my clients are publishers, I'm always working months ahead of release dates. It's not unusual to be conjuring up summery scenes in mid-winter or gathering holiday props in July. So, it makes a certain kind of sense for me to make a wintry window treatment in the middle of August. Either that, or someone has set the AC too low again.
For this project, I used the snowflake shapes on these AccuQuilt Dies:
GO! Sleigh & Snowflakes (55322)
If snowflakes aren't your thing, you can substitute any of your favorite AccuQuilt die shapes. A herd of reindeer would make a nice holiday decoration, or you could hang a field of flowers to brighten your view.
Materials
Note: All quilting-weight cotton fabrics were provided by Timeless Treasures Fabrics, and are from the Soho Solids collection. Thank you Timeless Treasures!
- 1/2 yard each of White and Milk
- 1/4 yard each of Cream and Pool
- 3/8 yard of Turquoise
- 7/8 yard of 20"-wide heavyweight double-sided fusible stabilizer
- White, off-white, or blue buttons in a variety of sizes. You'll need two buttons for each snowflake, plus any additional decorative buttons as desired.
- Monofilament thread
- Tension rod (22"-36", or desired size)
Note: Yardages are given for a window treatment 22"-36". For a wider project, increase yardages and tension rod size as necessary.
Make the Hanging Sleeve
1. Cut one 4-1/2" x width-of-fabric strip from the Turquoise fabric. Square each short end of the strip, then fold each short end 1/4" to the wrong side and press. Fold the pressed edges another 1/4" to the wrong side, and press again. Topstitch each short end along the first folded edge.
2. Fold the strip lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press the fold to mark the lengthwise center of the strip. Open the pressed strip, and place the buttons in a random arrangement down the length of the strip, in an area extending to 1" on either side of the pressed center. Sew the buttons in place.
3. Fold the strip lengthwise, right sides together. Pin, then sew the long raw edges together, using a 1/4" seam allowance to avoid sewing over any buttons. Turn the hanging sleeve right side out and finger press the seam.
Make the Snowflakes
1. Each snowflake is made from two layers of fabric fused wrong sides together to heavyweight double-sided fusible stabilizer. Use the same or different fabrics for each fabric layer. Follow the manufacturers' instructions to fuse the fabrics to each side of the stabilizer, mixing or matching fabrics as desired. Let the fused fabric cool completely.
2. Place a clear acrylic quilting ruler on top of the die to quickly determine the fabric size needed, including at least 1/4" around the outer edges of the die. Rough cut the fused fabric to this size, then sandwich the fused fabric between the die and cutting mat, and roll the die through the cutter. Don't double up! The fused fabric is very thick. For best results, cut one layer at a time.
Cut a variety of snowflakes as desired, or as many as yardage allows.
3. Using a hand sewing needle, attach one end of an 18"-24" clear monofilament thread to the tip of each snowflake. Sew a button to the opposite end of the thread.
Finishing
1. Adjust the tension rod to fit the window or doorway where you'd like to hang your Winter Window Treatment. Slide the hanging sleeve over the rod, gathering the sleeve as needed to fit the rod, and put the rod in place.
2, Hang each snowflake on the sleeve, looping the button end of the thread around one of the buttons on the sleeve. Vary the length of the threads so that the snowflakes 'fall' at different heights, and enjoy!
Please note: This project may be a little too tempting for some feline friends. Be sure to keep kitty in mind when choosing where to hang your Winter Window Treatment.
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