Lanyard Tutorial for Quilt Shows

I didn’t have a lanyard last year at QuiltCon, and my pins slipped and slid everywhere, beside the fact that I jingle-jangled as I walked.  I wanted one of those spiffy ones, where I could pin on my pins.

I patchworked up a strip 3 3/4″ wide and 37″ long, took it to my ironing board and pressed it in half, lengthwise.

Open it up, and to one side of the center fold, lay down a 1″ wide by length-of-lanyard strip of fusible interfacing; iron that into place.

Fold both raw edges in, almost to the center, but not quite.  The side with the interfacing should be folded over that interfacing, and the side without interfacing should match when all folded up.  With the interfacing UP (not to the feed dogs), stitch first along one long side about 1/4″ away from the fold, then the other.  Make sure you’ve caught all the folded edges when you stitch it down.  Then stitch down the center.

Arrange the strips so that it will hang around your neck (see top photo), then mis-align the lower raw edges, setting the top one 1/4″ beyond the bottom strip.  Slip on the lanyard clasp.

Zigzag the extended top strip over the bottom strip, to hold it in place.

(View from the underside)

Again, for ease in wearing, slightly splay the two strips apart, then stitch along the finished ends (refer to photos).

(View from the top side)

Yes, I’m headed to QuiltCon West 2016 this week (held in Pasadena, California), along with some friends from the Good Heart Quilters, the small monthly sewing group I belong to here (which is why there is heart fabric on our lanyards).

That Friday night class is taught by Jacqueline Sava.  I hope to meet a lot of my online friends, trying to make “real” the digital friendships I’ve enjoyed.  There should be more than a few a whole mess of photos on my Instagram feed (button is to the right).  If you are going, find me and swap me a button!