I got this panel in 2020 right when lockdown began. The sentiment on it appealed to me at the time, and I did a phone order with my local quilt shop, Beginnings, and picked it up with curbside service. I wanted to do my small part to help keep them in business, so it worked nicely. This was the first of few additions to the stash that year. I pulled it out recently to finish, so I could add it to an article I was writing for MadamSew’s blog on using panels.
Originally, I got the panel to make placemats. The size of the motifs looked just right for a square center, and then I could add side panels with flying geese or a floral fabric. Great idea, right? And there it sat for two years.
When I pulled it out again, the idea of placemats didn’t appeal anymore. So, a wall hanging it would be. I began by squaring it up, straightening the sides.
Then I added two borders, one in gold to set off the center, and a second one in grey with words from the same fabric line.
Next, I loaded it on the longarm for quick quilting.
The backing is a remnant of a wide back also grey, so I decided on grey thread. The top thread is a medium grey Glide, with grey Bottom Line in the bobbin.
The pantograph is a nicely dense one with a bit of a heart motif called Je t’aime from Urban Elementz. I thought it went well with the sentiments on the panel. This pantograph is wide and has two passes printed, so I can quilt two rows without advancing the quilt. This made quilting go really fast.
The batting is Warm and White, the remnant from another project. It is great when a leftover piece is just the right size, isn’t it?
I like the way it turned out. The quilting adds texture to the background and disappears on the motifs.
The backing remnant was a great color match, showing the quilting nicely.
With the leftovers of the backing, I made binding and put it on by machine.
All finished. The lighter grey binding picks up the background in the panel. Here’s a closer view of the bottom.
The top has the Cultivate Kindness wording. I like the trucks full of flowers.
I’ll add a small sleeve to the back for hanging, and it will be for sale in the booth our longarm group is doing at the quilt show in May. To read my full article on using panels in quilting on MadamSew’s blog, click HERE. And check out their new arrivals and sale deals.
Whoopee, I’m counting four yards out for Stashbusters. Our next check in will be May 6th.
So, what is the Stashbuster Challenge 2022 you might ask? Well, it couldn’t be easier. Once a month, on the first Friday of the month, I’ll publish a post for us to log our fabric in and fabric out. You’ll do this in the comments. The goal at the end of the year will be to have more fabric out than fabric in. You don’t have to register, and you don’t have to take inventory of what you have now. Just keep track of how much fabric you buy or are gifted each month, and how much you use or give away. The totals will be monthly, and also cumulative, so at the end of the year you will know if you had more come in or more go out. At the end of the year, I’ll send a non-fabric prize to a random participant, the more months you participate, the more entries you get.
Do you like to sew with panels?
There is space available in my next Well Loved Quilt Repair class now scheduled for May 10, 2022. Class time will be 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time (3 pm Central, 2 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific) The class pulls together my tips and tricks, and organizes the program according to the types of repairs needed. Everything from small holes, and dog chewed corners up to major damage is covered, with advice on starting your own repair business. Class time runs about 75-90 minutes, class fee $30 invoiced from Paypal to the email address you provide. Click on this form and fill out if you’d like to register for the class on May 10. If that day/time doesn’t work for you, sign up HERE for the wait list for a class sometime this summer. Thank you!
From My Carolina Home 
I do have a few Christmas themed panels that I could pull out and work on. Maybe I will dive into them this week and see if I get some ideas about how I want to use them. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Just so darn cute!
Don’t you love it when you pull out something that’s been languishing & give it a new life?
Very nice finish! Doesn’t it feel good to pull something out and get it DONE ? I think so. Lately I am drawn to smaller projects because it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I have a tote full of panels that I bought, just because….. 😉 Thinking of you. Off to my Queen Bees today where we will continue a group effort for a QOV.
I have hard bad luck with panels and the ones I have gotten which always seem to be included in a package for free are so crooked on to the point that I tossed it as I couldn’t really do anything with it because of that. Yours turned out great. I have a Xmas one that was included in a fq bundle I need to take a closer look at it and see if I can use any of that one – that one is the best I’ve had included in a purchase as it looks like there was 8 designs (if I remember right) on a large piece and you could cut them apart not like the others I have gotten free where it was one design
Beautifully done, as always! I would hang this particular one somewhere I could see it first thing in the morning so I would start the day with positive thoughts.
That turned out beautifully, Carole! I bet it will be a popular item at your sale. I’ve never done much with panels except for one based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar book that I turned into a baby quilt for a co-worker. That was a fun project! I was just thinking about my April Stashbuster stats the other day – time to figure that out!
Love your panel quilt, Carole.
Great stash busting! Love the panel.
Great inspiration! I love the simplicity of this as it doesn’t overwhelm the panel. BTW, I enjoyed your class on repairing old/ragged quilts. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. On a different topic, my husband and I just bought a MINI and we will be riding the Tail of the Dragon this weekend! I hope your husband is recovering.
That was a wonderful article, Carole. I just received a snowman panel and have to decide how to design a wall hanging, pillow or two with it. I love your ideas. Lois
Oh how I love this panel and the wall hanging you created. Great job.
I love the panel, Carole, and what you did with it! I really like the pantograph, very pretty! We are finally having a sunshiny day.
Love the finished wall hanging, and great stash busting! The quilting you chose really goes well with the panel. Great job
How simple that was to put together and pretty on top of it. Loved the Madam Sew article you wrote. I remember several of those projects. Always nice for a refresher as well as inspiration. I’ve been enjoying your articles. Thank you.
Panels make for quick projects. They come in some very pretty designs, cuties for kids, splashes of color, and wordage pieces – so many choices today. Love a project that uses up a lot of left overs.
That’s a great way to use a panel. We all have far too many of the in our stashes.
This is really cute, Carole! I love the little trucks!
Hi Carole, The truck panel is just what my son the lives here would love. The is restoring his red pick-up truck he has had for so many years I can’t remember its year but it is over 22 years old I know.He wants to sell it and another really old red pick-up he has had and just have the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fae I will be leaving for him.
Great fabrics, and your wall hanging is perfect. That border fabric fits it perfectly too.
That’s a great quick project, Carole! So nice to see you on your long arm!