Quasi-Tutorial: Quilted Fabric Letters

A gift for a great-niece...

Since "Christmas in July" is now a big thing, I thought I'd break out a post that's been waiting around since last December. (Personally, however, summer — at this point one month down — has been elusive this year and to think further on what is a winter holiday is depressing to me. Oh, and spare me the holiday movies that are making the rounds on some of the sappier TV channels.)

The week before last Christmas could have been a bit hectic, considering that we took a seven day trip south to warmer climes right before that, but I found the inclination and inspiration to put together a special gift for a great-niece that I'd like to share with you as a quasi-tutorial.

Fabric letters are not new and I'm not suggesting that this project is radically different in any way.

As a gift, however, I think they're always appreciated as being personal when the letters spell out a name or a set of initials.

---

Check out crafty classes at Creativebug! [affiliate link]

---

To make this, you'll need a set of templates for whatever letters you need, some fabric and some batting or equivalent. If you don't have quilt batting, I would suggest fusible fleece interfacing or some actual fleece like I chose to use (an old blanket that I've been recycling again and again).

Step 1: Create Templates

I used a combination of Word and Paint Shop Pro to produce my letters. Choose a "thick" font and size each letter to fill up a whole sheet of paper.

Create full page size templates...

Step 2: Make a Quilt Sandwich

Place your fabric wrong sides together and slide your choice of batting in between. Arrange your letters on top and pin the templates directly to the quilt sandwich or trace around them with an appropriate marking pen and then pin the layers together.

Make a quilt sandwich and pin or trace templates...

Note that depending on your need to fussy cut, you may end up with large areas of unused materials, but the pieces can be retained to fulfill some future purpose. I ultimately arranged the letters so that the elephants marched diagonally upwards.

Cut out each letter (leaving room around each) and take them to your sewing machine.

Step 3: Stitch

Sew along the perimeter of each template (or along the lines if you've traced the letters onto the fabric). If your letters have openings in them (like the "B" and the "R"), stitch along those openings as well.

Stitch along the outside of each letter...

Step 4: Trim

Trim all pieces to within approximately 1/8" or 3mm of your stitching.

Trim to within about 1/8" or 3mm of your stitching....

Again, if the letters have openings in them, use a pair of sharp pointy scissors to get in there and remove the fabric.

If your letters have "openings", be sure to stitch along those areas and then cut out...

Step 5: Quilt

Apply some squiggly quilting to each letter as you see fit. If you've never done this before, this is a great opportunity to be brave and give it a try.

"Free motion" quilt along the surface of each letter...

Step 6: Finish Raw Edges

Set your machine to a tight zigzag stitch (not quite a satin stitch) and sew along all of the raw edges, including around any interior openings.

Zigzag stitch along all raw edges, including interior openings...

Trim off any loose threads when you're done.

Press with a hot iron and you're finished!

Give it a good press with a hot iron and your letters are ready for display.

Options? Using decorative pins or thumb tacks from the discount store is one simple way to get these up on a wall or bulletin board. Fishing line is another method if you want to "float" them from the ceiling or in front of a window. Each letter can dangle independently or they can be strung together in banner fashion.

---

Watch live classes for FREE at CreativeLive! [affiliate link]

---

The recipient was just a little over a year old at the time of the gifting, so I don't know that she has any colour preferences yet. In any case, this Bungle Jungle Elephant fabric by Tim and Beck is the only kid-oriented fabric that I have.

Apparently elephants are symbolic of many positive things, including knowledge and academic success when placed where a child does homework. It'll be a few years before that happens, but any head start is a good thing!

Finally, to close off this post with the theme of Christmas in July for those who are enthusiasts of the concept, let me remind you of my Hanging Christmas Tree project. Mine has hung in my front window during the holiday season for the past two years.