Patriotic 3-D Banner

Here's a picture of 3 of my students in the upstairs classroom at the store.  We have 6 sturdy, metal tables that don't vibrate when you're sewing.  If the class isn't too difficult, I can have up to 12 students.  We also have 3 other tables (for cutting stations or displays), 3 ironing boards with irons, one white board wall (for Power Point presentations), a small refrigerator for water bottles, and you can see the Handi Quilter Fusion in the back.

In this class, I'm teaching my Patriotic 3-D Banner.  If the students pre-cut their fabric, they can usually get their blue "field" finished and some of the red stripes, before the class is finished.

The quilting is very minimal, so with a bit of instruction, they are ready to finish the project on their own.  

The stripes are very much like an accordion, so special instruction is needed here.  To help you get a nice squared-up banner when you're finished, it's a good idea to draw the outline of your finished banner directly on the batting.  Then as you pin baste, you have a guide to keep the banner in its proper parameters.

The Patriotic 3-D Banner is a little tricky, but a fun project to make.

Get the pattern at Craftsy or Etsy.