Hello Riley Blake Readers!!! This is Melissa from Happy Quilting and I am so excited to be here today with another fun tutorial for Riley Blake Designs!!! I have a son that has just about earned his Eagle Scout Award, so as soon as I saw the new Modern Scouting line that hits stores this month, I just knew I had to create with it!!! And wouldn’t you know it, Modern Scouting has a super fantastic quilt panel and pennant banner panel that makes creating easy for us all 😉
How fun is this Modern Scout quilt!!! You can choose from three different colorways of center quilt panels, and then I am going to show you how simply adding a few borders transforms the panel into a fanatic modern quilt just perfect for your scout.
And using the Pennant Banner Panel we are going to make us this adorable banner perfect for decorating at all your scout awards ceremonies!!! So let’s get to it!!!!
STEP 1 – CUTTING
If you are using a 10″ stacker, cut 12 Dark pieces into (4) 5″ x 5″ squares each for a total of (48) Dark 5″ x 5″ squares and cut 12 Light pieces into (4) 5″ x 5″ squares each for a total of (48) Light 5″ x 5″ squares.
If you are using 5″ stackers, the cutting is already done. Simply choose (48) Light 5″ x 5″ squares and (48) Dark 5″ x 5″ squares.
From your Inner Border Fabric cut (4) 1 1/2″ x Width of Fabric Strips
From your Outer Border Fabric cut (7) 2 1/2″ x Width of Fabric Strips
From your Binding Fabric cut (7) 2 1/2″ x Width of Fabric Strips.
Trim the Center Quilt Panel to measure exactly 34 1/2″ x 42 1/2″. There won’t be much to trim from the top and bottom, and pay close attention to the trimming on the sides as there is not a lot of extra left over from the sides of the panel.
And just like that, the cutting is done and you are ready to start piecing.
STEP 2 – HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES
We will start piecing by making the Half Square Triangles. Take your two piles of 5″ squares, one light and one dark. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 48 Dark 5″ squares. Place a marked Dark square and a Light square with right sides together. Pin if you like. Sew a 1/4″ seam on either side of the drawn line.
The easiest way to do this is to chain stitch all 48 sets. So start by sewing a 1/4″ seam along the right hand side of the drawn line. When you reach the end of one square set, don’t clip your threads, simply feed the next set of squares through your machine. Continue in this way until you have sewn a 1/4″ seam along the right hand side of the drawn line on all 48 sets.
Then simply clip the threads between the 48 sets sets. And you are ready to do it all over again. Now, simply feed all 48 sets through your machine again, this time sewing a 1/4″ seam along the left hand side of the drawn line. Clip the threads between the sets when you are done sewing.
Align your ruler along the drawn line and cut directly on the drawn line to create 2 triangles. Cut all 48 sets along the drawn line.
Press your seam allowances towards the Dark fabric. I like to press from the front of my fabrics when I press HST’s. Press all 96 Half Square Triangles.
Trim your 96 Half Square Triangles to 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ square using the diagonal seam as your guide. If you are new to trimming Half Square Triangles you can see this little Half Square Triangle tutorial to help you along. My personal preference for trimming HST’s is the Bloc Loc rulers 🙂
STEP 3 – MAKING ROWS
And now with your HST’s all sewn and trimmed, you are ready to start making rows from them.
Layout 44 Half Square Triangles into 4 rows of 11 HST’s as shown below. 2 Rows with the Dark on the top left, and 2 Rows with the Dark on the top Right. Using a 1/4″ seam, sew the 11 HST’s together into 4 rows.
Once again, chain stitching here will save you a whole lot of time. You can simply add one square at a time from each row, stitching all 4 rows at the same time. Then simply clip your threads and add another square. Continue in this fashion until you have sewn all 11 HST’s in each of the 4 rows together.
Now with your remaining Half Square Triangles, repeat the same process, only this time, there are 13 Half Square Triangles in each of your 4 rows.
Press all 8 of your Half Square Triangle rows to one side or open, whichever you prefer.
And finally, take your (7) 2 1/2″ X Width of Fabric outer border strips. Trim the selvage and then using a 1/4″ seam, sew the strips together end to end to make one long outer border strip. Press the seam allowance to one side.
STEP 4 – ADDING BORDERS
And now, you are ready to start adding all of your sewn borders or rows to your center quilt panel. We will start with the Inner Border.
Layout the (4) 1 1/2″ x WOF Inner Border strips along the edges of the center quilt panel as shown below.
Place the 2 Side borders onto the center quilt panel with right sides together. I like to put a pin along the edges and the center to avoid stretching the panel. Sew a 21/4″ seam along the pinned edge.
Press the seam allowance outwards towards the inner border and trim any excess fabric from the edges.
Now, place the top and bottom Inner Borders onto the center quilt panel with right sides together. Once again, I like to place a pin in the center and edges to avoid stretching. Stitch a 1/4″ seam along the pinned edge.
Press the seam allowance outwards towards the inner border and trim away the excess fabric from the edges.
And just like that, the first border is added. Now we are just going to repeat that process with an additional 3 borders.
Well start with the (4) 11 Half Square Triangle Rows. Layout the 4 Rows as shown below taking note of the light and dark placement. Repeat the same process as adding the Inner Border, pinning and sewing the sides first, but press inwards towards the Inner Border. Then pin and sew the top and bottom second and once again, press the seam allowance inwards toward the Inner Border.
And then, you are ready to add the next (4) 13 Half Square Triangle Rows. Layout the 4 Rows as shown below, again taking note of the light and dark placement. Repeat the same process as adding the Inner Border again, pinning and sewing the sides first, but pressing the seam open. Then pin and sew the top and bottom second and once again, press the seam allowance open.
And finally, the last border. Take your Long Outer Border and cut it into (4) 2 1/2″ x 70″ strips. And now it is just like adding the Inner Border all over again. Pin and sew the sides first, and pressi outwards towards the Outer Border. Then pin and sew the top and bottom second and once again, press the seam allowance outwards toward the Outer Border.
STEP 5 – BASTE, QUILT, AND BIND
And now your quilt top is done and all that is left is to Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!! Which is a whole lot in one little sentence. If you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of Video Tutorials that will walk you through Basting, Quilting and Binding step by step.
STEP 1 – BASTE AND QUILT
The fun thing about making the Banner is it starts where your quilt left off. The first thing we need to do is Baste It and Quilt It. Again, if you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of Video Tutorials that will walk you through this step. I choose to use a lot of straight lines to quilt my banner 😉
STEP 2 – CUTTING
And with your banner panel all quilted, you are ready to cut it apart. I like to use a Crinkle or Pinking Blade in my Rotary Cutter for this step, but if you don’t have one, your straight blade will do just fine. Align your ruler along the edge of each pennant flat. Cut along the edge of your ruler. I found it easiest to cut the panel in half first, then cut out each individual pennant.
Continue cutting until you have cut out all of the flags. Aren’t they so cute!!!
STEP 3 – ADDING HANGING ELEMENT
Now, layout your flags in the order you want them in your banner and find the center. Then, grab your hanging element and find the center of it as well. Your hanging element can be Ric Rac of any size, or Double Folded Binding Tape, or anything along those lines that you want to use to sew your banner together. I had a little extra yardage, so I made my own Double Folded Binding Tape. (and not, it isn’t on the bias, but it can be if you want to make it that way 🙂
Starting at the Center of your Pennant flags and the Center of you hanging element, place the hanging element on top or around (depending on what you are using) the top of the first pennant flat. Stitch along the top of the flag, securing the hanging element to your pennant flag.
Continue stitching and adding pennants as you move outwards towards the end of your banner.
When you reach the end of the flags, go ahead and finish the rest of your hanging element. If it is ric-rac you can simply backstitch and clip your threads. If it is Binding Tape you will want to continue stitching along the edge to close it up.
Then, go back to the center of your banner and repeat the same process stitching outwards in the opposite direction until all of your flags have been added.
