On 1 December, with nothing better to do and lamenting the fact that December was already upon us and I hadn't bought an advent calendar, I decided to make one that I could knock out in a couple of hours...
I searched online for some ideas and patterns and loved this one but couldn't find the small papier mache boxes... so I decided to sew my own as my first sewing project. How tricky could it be, I asked... I found this tutorial and used the layout from the box calendar with some ideas from the sewing tutorial to create my own. It's not perfect but it turned out better than I thought it would. I should have taken some photos of each step as I went along but I got carried away. Anyway, this is the finished product:
A rough outline of how I made it:
Step 1: Find some assorted Christmas fabric - I used fat quarters from Spotlight at $13. It was more fabric than I needed but I'll find a use for the leftover pieces. Cut out 24 pieces 4 inches square - this allows for a 1/4 inch seam allowance - although my measurements weren't that accurate :) Or buy pre-cut charm squares.
Step 2: Press the pocket pieces then fold and press the seam allowance. At this point you can also fold in the excess fabric at the corners for a mitred edge. I did this - it took me ages....but the edges were neater as a result.
Step 3: Run a straight stitch along the top edge of each pocket piece, reverse stitching at each end. I also hand stitched some tacking stitches round the other three sides of the pocket to hold all the folds in place.
Step 4: Numbers. I cut mine out from pieces of red and white felt in different sizes. Very time consuming. If I was doing it again, I'd look at easier options for numbers.
Step 5: Attach the numbers to the pockets. I thought about sewing the numbers to the pockets and had a couple of trial runs but my machine skills weren't up to the task. I used craft glue in the end.
Step 6: Prepare the background fabric. I used pre-cut Calico from Lincraft, simply because I had bought some for experimenting and I didn't really mind if I ruined it on this project. I laid out the pocket pieces on the fabric to work out how much I would need and ended up with a rectangle 90cm x 62cm, allowing for seams. I cut out two pieces of Calico - one for the background for the pockets and one as a backing piece. I also cut a slightly smaller piece of fusible interfacing to make the background for the pockets a bit sturdier.
Step 7: Iron on the fusible interfacing. Interfacing has a shiny speckled surface on one side (the speckles are the glue) and a duller surface on the other. Place it speckled side down on to the WRONG side of your background fabric and press it down using a damp pressing cloth and lots of steam from your iron. Don't try to iron directly on to the interfacing - it can't cope with the heat.
Step 8: Pin the numbered pockets to the front of the background fabric. Straight-stitch the two sides and the bottom of each pocket to the background fabric. Use reverse stitching when you start and stop. The tutorial I mentioned above recommends using a walker foot for this task. I haven't got a walker foot with my machine so used the regular foot and the pockets did go on a bit wonky in places - it all adds to the charm... Remove the pins and tacking stitches as you go. I found it a bit difficult to manipulate the fabric around at this step - I haven't got any suggestions to make it any easier other than rolling in the sides - no idea how quilters manage...
Step 9: Pin the backing fabric to the background fabric RIGHT sides together so that it looks inside out. Sew the pieces together around the two side edges and the bottom edge, leaving the top edge open. Reverse stitch as you start and stop. Snip off the excess fabric at the two bottom corners - this will make it easier to shape your corners when you turn it the right way out. Turn the calendar the right way out.
Step 10: Add hanging tabs. Cut out two rectangles of coordinating fabric 20cm x 12cm. Fold each one in half lengthways with the RIGHT sides together and stitch a straight seam down the raw edge to form a tube. Press the seam and turn out the right way. Press to form a tab and repeat with the other rectangle. Fold in half to make the looped tab.
Step 11: Finish off the top edge of your calendar. Fold the raw edges of your calendar inward (like a hem) and press. Insert the two tabs into the open end of your calendar, hiding the unfinished edges of the tabs inside and making sure that the exposed tabs are the same length. I positioned my tabs 4" in from the top corners and used tacking stitches to hold them in place. Run a straight stitch all the way along the top edge of your calendar, taking care when stitching over the extra layers of fabric at the tabs. Go slowly.
Step 12: Cut a piece of wooden dowelling the same width as your calendar and loop the tabs through. Tie a piece of ribbon to the dowelling to hang your calendar. Fill the pockets with treats or ideas for things to do each day of the holidays and let the countdown begin.
Ehm, I do realise that I'm posting this way too late to be of any use to anyone....but maybe you can save it for next year. Next up is a pair of Christmas Stockings to use up more of that Christmas fabric...
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