Add a punch to any party or room decor by creating a fun backdrop or wall hanging using your Baby Lock serger! It is easy to make using some colorful thread and pre-cut strips of fabric. Add a few whimsical flowers using the differential feed and elastic foot add some pizazz to this project which would look great for a first birthday or a shower!
Materials:
- Pre-cut fabric strip sets
- Miscellaneous fabric for fabric flowers
- Felt fabric for attaching the fabric flowers
- Shapeflex
- Baby Lock Ultra Soft Stabilizer BLC204
- Madeira serger thread
- 12 Gauge wire or floral wire
- Madeira Aerofil sewing thread
- Fray Check or Fray block
- Rotary cutter ruler and mat
- Curtain rod
- Basic Sewing Supplies
Tools:
Steps:
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FABRIC STRIPS: Set-up the Serger for a 3-thread overlock wide stitch with gold thread in the upper and lower loopers.
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Set the stitch width to the 7.5 and the stitch length to 3-4.
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Locate your 2.5” fabric strips
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Serge along the edges of the fabric strips
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Change your machine to a try different overlock stitches.
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Set-up the Serger for a narrow hem with a stitch length of 2.
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Serge along the edges of the remaining fabric strips.
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Apply Fray Check or Block to the ends and once dried trim the excess serger threads.
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Make a casing on each of the fabric strips by turning over the edge of the fabrics over about 2”.
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Stitch along the tops of each fabric to create a casing.
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Press any creases out of the fabric strips (if needed).
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Slide the folded edges of the fabric strips onto the curtain rod in the color order of choice.
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FABRIC FLOWERS: Cut 2 strips by the width of the fabric. Sew the two strips together to make one long strip.
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Large flower=12 in strips Medium flower =10 in strips Small flower= 8 in strip.
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Cut the fusible stabilizer the length of the strip and ½ the width. (i.e. large flower would be 2X the WOF and 6” wide)
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Fuse the stabilizer to one half of fabric and press the fabric in half with wrong sides together. Pin to hold in place.
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Along the raw edge side of the folded fabric cut a waved edge to simulate a flowered edge.
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You can skip this step and use the serger cutting knife to cut a curved edge while stitching
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Set-up the Serger for a 3-thread overlock wide stitch with gold thread in the upper and lower loopers. Set the stitch width to the 7.5 and the stitch length to 2-3.
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Serge along the curved edge of the flowers and the two shorter ends.
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Attach the Elastic Foot
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Adjust the stitch length to be 4 and the Differential feed to 2.
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Cut a piece of the 12 gauge wire the length of the fabric.
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Insert the wire into guides on the left side of the foot.
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Lay the folded non-serged edge of the flower under the foot.
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Serge along the edge ensuring that the wire is encased in the serged stitches.
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After stitching along the entire edge use the wire to further gather the fabric
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Form the gathered fabric into a flower shape.
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Either hand-sew or hot glue the gathered fabric to secure the flower shape.
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These can be attached to a piece of felt and pinned or secured to the fabric strips to add decoration to the fabric banner.
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Add a stiff stabilizer if needed to prop up your flowers.
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Hang your banner to create wall art or as a fun fabric backdrop.