Summery Garden Flag

Ever notice how those store-bought outdoor seasonal flags all look so cheesy? I bought this flag pole years ago, but I never found a flag that I liked enough to actually use it. Until now! I realized I could make my own!

I was at Joann's the other day and I found these discontinued outdoor upholstery sample swatches on clearance for $1. Perfect! I would definitely suggest using fabric that can handle the weather or your flag won't last very long. I also found some matching nylon fabric that would also be able to handle the Chicago weather.

I designed this flag to have a quilt-like look, so this is the layout I worked from.
(Darn, I worked so hard to get these to enlarge when you click on them and now it's not working. If you want a pattern, just email me!)
To follow this design, you'll need:
(using a 1/4" seam allowance)12.5" x 20.5" nylon for the back
Two 2" x 16" nylon strips for the sides
2" x 12.5" nylon strip for the bottom
3.5" x 12.5" nylon strip for the top
9" x 16" upholstery fabric for the middle section
extra nylon for applique letter
matching thread

First, I cut out all my pieces and pinned the side strips to the middle section. Sew using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Then I pinned and sewed the top and bottom strips on. Note that the top strip is taller because it will be folded over later. Press open seams with a warm iron.

I printed out my letter T on the computer in a simple font. Then I placed a piece of nylon on top and traced the outline of the letter.

To stiffen the letter, I ironed a thin piece of interfacing on the back.

To applique the letter onto the flag, I set the sewing machine to a zigzag with the stitched very close together. It took a couple tries to get the ideal size stitch, so I would suggest playing with it beforehand.

Pin the letter securely to the flag.

Carefully stitch around the letter. This was pretty scary for me because it was my first real applique, but it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

Once I stitched around the entire letter, I left some extra thread hanging so I could tie off the ends. I used a needle to bring the extra threads to the back side of the flag.

Then I tied a few knots to hold the stitches in place.

To attached the back side of the flag, I pinned the back piece to the quilted front piece with right sides together. Then I sewed around 3 sides, but left the top open. Flip the flag around so the right sides face out and press with an iron.

On the top of the flag that was still open, I folded over about 1/2" and pinned.

Then I folded over another inch and pinned. Sew across the width of the flag using a straight stitch and be sure to reinforce at both ends. This will create the pocket for the flag to hang from.

So happy with how this came out! I can't wait to make another one!

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Frugal Mom x 3