Advent Calendar
To create the casing cut a piece from the back fabric that is 28” wide x 3” tall. Turn each short end over ¼”, press, and fold again ¼” and press. Top stitch each of these ends in place. Fold the piece in half, right sides together the long way. Stitch through the long edge of this tube with a ¼” seam allowance. Turn right side out. (This can be tricky. I find the easiest way to do this is to baste one of the short ends shut and use the eraser end of a pencil to push the tube right side out. Afterwards, be sure to rip these basting stitches out.) Position the casing 2” down from the top and centered on the back. The casing should be about 2” narrower than the back fabric. Topstitch in place by sewing ¼” from the top and the bottom. Place the back piece on top of the advent calendar, right sides together. Pin around the exterior. Sew around the outside, leaving a 6” opening along the bottom in order to turn the entire thing right side out. Clip the corners and turn. Open up the seams well and press. Tuck in the raw edges of the bottom, press and pin in place. Topstitch around the entire calendar ¼” from the edge. Attach a ½” grommet in each of the top corners to hang the calendar if you wish. Other hanging alternatives would be to run string through the dowel casing or sew small rings to the back and run string through them to hang. Write in the numbers and hang it up! Some ideas on how to use your advent calendar: - Place an ornament or a stuffed animal in the pocket and move it according to the date. Create a routine of moving the item to the next day every morning. - Place small gifts or treats in each pocket. - Place small notes in each pocket that contain special things you are thankful about or activities to do as a family.
Advent Calendar
Make the countdown to Christmas happy and handmade!
Supplies: Background fabric: 1-1/8 yards (5) Coordinating fabrics for the pockets: 1/3 yard each Backing fabric: 1-1/4 yards (we used muslin) Chalkboard fabric: ¼ yard Featherweight fusible interfacing: 1-1/2 yards Batting: 30” x 40” piece Black thread and a coordinating color of thread for quilting the background and topstitching the pockets Optional:
¼” dowel, 27” long (2) ½” grommets
¼” seam allowance assumed throughout unless specified otherwise. Cut the background fabric to 30”wide x 40-1/2” tall. Back with the quilt batting and baste it in place (you can do this with safety pins, quilting spray adhesive or by hand stitching it together. For this small of a piece I thought it was easiest to safety pin the layers together.) Quilt as simply or as intricately as desired. After quilting the background piece, trim it to 29” wide x 40” tall, straightening any uneven edges as you trim. Cut the pocket pieces to 12” x 25”. Fold in half, right sides together, the long way and press creating a piece that is 6” x 25”. Cut the featherweight interfacing into 5 pieces that are each 6” x 25”. Apply to one side of each pocket piece.
Sew one short end and the long end of each pocket. Fold ¼” seam allowance
Raw Edge
Turn right side out through the short end of the pocket that you left open. Open up the seams well and press flat, tucking in the raw edges on the short end that was left open. Press and pin the opening. Top stitch along the top edge of the pocket, ¼” from the edge. Repeat these steps for all 5 pockets. Cut chalkboard fabric into (25) 3-1/2” x 4” pieces. Mark placement on each pocket with a fabric marking pen (we love the Frixion pens – markings just iron off!) Chalkboard pieces should be roughly 1” from the top, the bottom and the sides, but the most important thing is to position them straight across the pocket and to have even Topstitch along the top spaces between each chalkboard piece. 1” down
Evenly space chalkboard pieces across the pocket
edge of the pocket
Use these guides to pin the top and the bottom pocket in place. Then evenly distribute the other three pockets. Pin the pockets in place.
Arrange pockets 2” in
2-1/2” down 2” in
Position the top and the bottom pockets, then evenly space the three remaining pockets. Pin and top stitch the sides and bottoms of each pocket. top stitch the individual pocket markings.
1” in
Mark individual pockets between each chalkboard piece
Sew all the way around the chalkboard pieces using black thread. Mark individual pocket placement by drawing a line with your fabric marking pen between the chalkboard pieces. Arrange pockets on the background piece. Pockets should start 2-1/2” down from the top, 2-1/2” up from the bottom and 2” in from each side.
2-1/2” Up Top stitch the pockets in place by stitching the sides and bottom of each pocket ¼” from the edges. This will close up the open end of the pocket as well. Stitch through each individual pocket line that you marked earlier. Cut the back fabric piece to 29” x 40”. An optional step in the construction of the Advent Calendar is to add a casing on the back to insert a dowel. This will help the calendar hang even and straight without bunching in the center.
Advent Calendar
Make the countdown to Christmas happy and handmade!
Supplies: Background fabric: 1-1/8 yards (5) Coordinating fabrics for the pockets: 1/3 yard each Backing fabric: 1-1/4 yards (we used muslin) Chalkboard fabric: ¼ yard Featherweight fusible interfacing: 1-1/2 yards Batting: 30” x 40” piece Black thread and a coordinating color of thread for quilting the background and topstitching the pockets Optional:
¼” dowel, 27” long (2) ½” grommets
¼” seam allowance assumed throughout unless specified otherwise. Cut the background fabric to 30”wide x 40-1/2” tall. Back with the quilt batting and baste it in place (you can do this with safety pins, quilting spray adhesive or by hand stitching it together. For this small of a piece I thought it was easiest to safety pin the layers together.) Quilt as simply or as intricately as desired. After quilting the background piece, trim it to 29” wide x 40” tall, straightening any uneven edges as you trim. Cut the pocket pieces to 12” x 25”. Fold in half, right sides together, the long way and press creating a piece that is 6” x 25”. Cut the featherweight interfacing into 5 pieces that are each 6” x 25”. Apply to one side of each pocket piece.
Sew one short end and the long end of each pocket. Fold ¼” seam allowance
Raw Edge
Turn right side out through the short end of the pocket that you left open. Open up the seams well and press flat, tucking in the raw edges on the short end that was left open. Press and pin the opening. Top stitch along the top edge of the pocket, ¼” from the edge. Repeat these steps for all 5 pockets. Cut chalkboard fabric into (25) 3-1/2” x 4” pieces. Mark placement on each pocket with a fabric marking pen (we love the Frixion pens – markings just iron off!) Chalkboard pieces should be roughly 1” from the top, the bottom and the sides, but the most important thing is to position them straight across the pocket and to have even Topstitch along the top spaces between each chalkboard piece. 1” down
Evenly space chalkboard pieces across the pocket
edge of the pocket
Use these guides to pin the top and the bottom pocket in place. Then evenly distribute the other three pockets. Pin the pockets in place.
Arrange pockets 2” in
2-1/2” down 2” in
Position the top and the bottom pockets, then evenly space the three remaining pockets. Pin and top stitch the sides and bottoms of each pocket. top stitch the individual pocket markings.
1” in
Mark individual pockets between each chalkboard piece
Sew all the way around the chalkboard pieces using black thread. Mark individual pocket placement by drawing a line with your fabric marking pen between the chalkboard pieces. Arrange pockets on the background piece. Pockets should start 2-1/2” down from the top, 2-1/2” up from the bottom and 2” in from each side.
2-1/2” Up Top stitch the pockets in place by stitching the sides and bottom of each pocket ¼” from the edges. This will close up the open end of the pocket as well. Stitch through each individual pocket line that you marked earlier. Cut the back fabric piece to 29” x 40”. An optional step in the construction of the Advent Calendar is to add a casing on the back to insert a dowel. This will help the calendar hang even and straight without bunching in the center.
