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Star-Spangled Banner

Sew and show your patriotic pride with a beautifully embroidered banner featuring the U.S. bird and flower medley and national anthem designs. It'll add a stately addition to any Fourth of July party or picnic and can also be proudly displayed in your home year-round.

Stitch a banner for Canada too, using the Canada bird and flower medley and Canada national anthem designs.

Read below for these free project instructions and get started today!

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Supplies Needed: **1 1/4 yards print lightweight canvas (for front and back)

**1/2 yard denim (for embroidered top panel)

**3/4 yard sturdy fabric (for embroidered bottom panel - we used suede cloth)

**1 yard print canvas (for front and back)

**Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer

**Temporary spray adhesive

**Air-erase pen (or other marking tool)

**30 inch length of decorative cord (for hanger)

**2 1/4 yards - 3/8 inch decorative cord with lip (for outer banner trim)

**2 1/2 yards - 1/4 inch decorative trim (for outer edge of embroidered panels)

**18 inch long wooden dowel - 3/8 inch wide and two dowel caps (with 3/8 inch holes)

**One decorative tassel

**Small hand saw

**Straight edge

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Designs used: United States American Eagle and Rose Medley (Large) United States National Anthem (Split) (Medium) These designs are also available in the following design packs: A U.S. Birds & Blooms Design Pack - XL, Large, Medium, Small

The medley and national anthem designs are also available for Canada: Canada Common Loon and Maple Leaf Medley Canada National Anthem These designs are available in the following design packs: A Canadian Birds & Blooms Design Pack - XL, Large, Medium, Small

Finished Size: 16 1/2 inches wide by 36 inches high

To begin, we'll prepare the bottom embroidered panel. Cut a piece of fabric (we used suede cloth) 20 inches wide by 25 inches high.

Create paper templates of the designs by printing them at full size using embroidery software. We are stitching the United States National Anthem design, which is available in both regular and split versions. The split versions finished sizes are a bit larger than the regular anthem designs -- we used the medium-sized split design for our banner. Split designs contain two files, an "a" and "b" file.

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If you don't have embroidery software, you can cut a piece of paper the shape and dimensions of the design to help with placement and centering. If you'd like a recommendation for an embroidery program that can make templates, consider Embird from www.Embird.com.

Place the templates at the top of the fabric, leaving a few inches of excess fabric around the top and sides of the templates. Place the "a" file template above the "b" file template.

Using an air-erase pen (or other marking tool), poke a hole in the center of the top template (file "a") and mark the fabric. Mark the horizontal and vertical axis points as well. Then, align a straight edge along the left edge of the design and draw a vertical line starting at the bottom edge of the template - this line will be used to align the second template.

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Trim the second template on the left side, right along the outer edges of the design. Then, align the outer edges of the design with the line you just drew. Also, leave an equal amount of space between the top of the design to match the spaces between the lines of text on the top template. Poke a hole in the center of the template, mark the fabric, and mark the axis points.

Remove the templates and draw lines to connect the marks - these lines will be used for hooping.

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Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric. Attach the hoop to the machine and load the first design. Move the hoop so that the needle is aligned with the center point on the fabric. Embroider the design. After the first design has finished, rehoop the fabric just as you did for the first design. The embroidery of the first design will be hooped - this is OK - the design will not be damaged. Attach the hoop to the machine, load the second design, and begin embroidering.

When the designs have finished, unhoop the fabric and trim away the excess stabilizer on the back of the embroidery.

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Measure and mark 2 inches out around the entire outer edges of the designs. Then, draw lines to connect the marks.

To create the "v" shape at the bottom of the panel, measure and mark the center of the bottom line by measuring and dividing by two. Draw a 6 inch vertical line down from the mark. Draw lines to connect the bottom of the line you just drew, with the ends of the bottom line (the line underneath the designs). Then, cut out the shape.

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To prepare the top panel, cut a piece of denim 16 inches by 16 inches and mark the center point. Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Embroider the design in the center of the hoop. When the design has finished, trim away the excess stabilizer on the back of the embroidery. Measure and mark 2 inches out from the top and bottom outer edges of the design. Draw horizontal lines along these marks. Then, measure the width of the bottom panel and divide by two. Take that measurement and measure and mark out along the top and bottom lines starting at the center points at each side. Connect the marks by drawing vertical lines - doing this will form a rectangle shape around the design. Cut out the shape.

Now it is time to assemble the banner. Lay the bottom panel flat with the right side facing up. Align the top panel on top, right sides facing, with the bottom edge of the top panel aligned with the top edge of the bottom panel. Pin in place and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edge only. Press the back seam open with an iron and top stitch 1/8 inch seams along both sides of the front seam.

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Fold the outer edges of the panels over 1/2 inch to the wrong side and press.

Now, lay the panels on top of the print canvas. Measure and mark 2 1/4 inches down from the top edge of the canvas, then draw lines to connect the marks. The area above the line will be folded later on to create the hanger pocket. Position the top edge of the embroidered panels 2 inches down from the line you just drew and pin the panels in place. Measure and mark out 2 1/2 inches along the side and angled bottom edges of the panels. Draw lines to connect the marks and cut out the shape.

To create the back banner fabric, lay the front fabric you just cut, on top of the print canvas, trace, and cut out the shape.

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Tack the panels in place by sewing a 1/4 inch seam along the entire outer edges of the panels.

Add the 1/4 inch wide trim along the outer edges of the panels and along the seam in between the panels. Pin it in place and sew a seam along the center of the trim.

To add the outer trim, align the lip of the trim with the outer edges of the front fabric, with the trim facing to the inside, and pin in place. Start the trim with about 1/4 inch extending past the line on the top edge of the front fabric. Cut the lip at each corner (so the trim can bend), and end with about 1/4 inch of the trim extending past the line on the top edge of the front fabric when you reach the other side. Tack the trim in place by sewing a 1/4 inch seam along the outer edge of the lip.

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Align the back fabric on top of the front fabric/trim section and pin in place. Also, tuck the tassel in between the layers at the bottom of the banner (at the bottom of the "v" shape) with about 1/4 inch of the hanger extending out past the outer edges of the fabric. Sew a seam along the side and bottom edges only - leave the top edge open for turning, sew as close to the outer edges of the rope portion of the trim as possible (we used a zipper foot).

Turn the banner right side out and press the seams. Then, top stitch as close to the inner edge of the trim (again we used a zipper foot to do this) around the side and bottom edges of the banner.

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To create the "pocket" for the dowel hanger, turn the top edge of the banner over to the wrong side 1/2 inch and press. Turn the top edge over another 2 inches to the wrong side, press, and pin in place. Sew a 1/4 inch seam along the outer edge of the fold.

Cut a 3/8 inch wide wooden dowel 18 inches long. Insert the dowel into the top pocket and add a dowel cap at both ends. Cut a piece of cord 30 inches long and tie the cord at each end of the dowel to complete the banner.

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Hang with pride and let freedom ring throughout your home!

Click here for a printable version of these project instructions.

You'll need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. If you don't have it, you can download a free copy by clicking on the icon above.

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