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Continued From Page 2

use 1/4" seam allowance

Iron between each step. Read through all directions completely before beginning.

4. Pocket Sections

Bottom Pocket:

Place one 14.5" x 11.5" piece of background right side up. Lay lower pocket right side up on top of background piece, aligning side and bottom edges. Baste sides and bottom edges together, close to edge.

Middle Pockets:

Repeat process for bottom pocket to create the two middle pockets ("Kevin" and "Christina" pockets in our organizer). Use one 14.5" x 11.5" piece of background fabric for each middle pocket section.

Top Pocket:

For the top pocket, repeat the same process as for the lower three pockets, except use the 14.5" x 14.5" piece of background fabric.

Stitch Pocket Sections Together

You now have four front pocket sections completed. Stitch the sections together, using a 1/4" seam allowance. Press all seam allowances DOWN (toward the bottom edge of the front piece). The inside of your pockets are finished (no seam allowances inside pockets). All raw edges are on the back side of the piece and will be covered by the backing fabric.

ASSEMBLE, BIND AND ADD HANGING SLEEVE and STABILIZER SLEEVES

Create hanging sleeve
Cut hanging sleeve 3" x 11.5". Press under each short end 1/4" to create hem on each end; stitch hems.

Fold sleeve lengthwise and press with iron. Place the sleeve right sides together on the right side of your backing piece so that it is centered along upper edge of the backing piece.

NOTE: There is an important reason that the backing and batting was cut slightly larger than needed. You can trim away the excess once all three layers are basted. If the batting and backing are too small, however, there is nothing you can do. Start by aligning the upper edges; the excess on the sides and lower edges of the batting and backing will be trimmed away.

The edge with the sleeve will be the TOP of the backing piece. Pin in place along edge. Stitch along fold line. Remove pins. See photo above right (stitch line is enhanced in red).

Fold lower edge up and press; pin along edge of piece. Baste raw edges of sleeve to raw edge of backing.

Stitch from edge of piece down 1/2", stitching close to edge of sleeve. Stitch the length of the sleeve, parallel to fold line, 1" from fold line. Stitch back up to top edge of piece, stitching close to edge of sleeve.

The photo below shows the stitching enhanced in red.

Add Stabilizer Sleeves
Cut three pieces of backing fabric, each measuring 14" x 2". Press short ends under 1/2". Press long ends under 1/4". Fold sleeve in half lengthwise. Press. Set sleeves aside.

Pin backing to front piece, wrong sides together. Mark three horizontal lines on backing, to represent where the stabilizers will be. The stabilizer sleeves will be stitched to the backing. The bottom stabilizer sleeve should be a few inches from the bottom; the other two should be evenly spaced. Be sure they do not align with seams on the front piece, because these seams will be stitched over to hold the three layers together. These stabilizer sleeves will add strength to the front piece, preventing the piece from folding outward when mail is piled into the pockets.
Remove the backing from the front piece. Lay the stabilizer sleeves on the horizontal lines you have drawn, centering them between side edges of backing. Stitch along top and bottom edges of sleeve.

Layer, Quilt
Lay down the backing piece, wrong side up. Place the fusible fleece or batting on top of the backing. Place the finished top piece on top, right side up. Pin along edges; baste edges together around all four sides. Make sure hanging sleeve is exactly horizontal (if it is not, your wall hanging will not hang straight). Trim away excess batting and backing.

Turn piece right side up. Stitch in the ditch along pocket seams (seams along bottom edge of upper three pockets).

If you wish to divide a pocket into two smaller pockets, do so at this time. Stitch a vertical stitch, dividing the pocket, through all three layers.

To help hold my three layers together, I added a few quilted stars to each pocket section. BE CAREFUL! If you add quilting, make sure you are not quilting through the hanging sleeve or stabilizer sleeves!

Bind & Hang
Cut binding 1.5" wide and long enough to go around piece (perimeter measurement plus about 10" - in this case about 135").

Add binding to your mail organizer.

For more information on adding binding, go to: Assemble & Bind Quilt

Run a wood dowel through the hanging sleeve. The dowel should be 2" longer than the sleeve. The sleeve measures 11"; cut the dowel 13".

Screw two 5/8" brass cup hooks into your wall at a distance that is 1" greater than the length of your sleeve. If the sleeve is 11", the dowel is 13" and the hooks are 12" apart. Place the wood dowel with wall hanging onto the hooks. The photo below shows a finished sleeve with the dowel in the sleeve.

Cut dowels to fit inside the three stabilizer sleeves. The dowels should fit inside the folds on each end of these sleeves. The sleeves are 13.5", so cut the dowels approximately 13.25" - 13.5" long.

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