DASHWOOD ADVENT HOUSE PANEL SOLD OUT

Thank you to everyone who bought the Dashwood Advent House panel but we are currently out of stock, sorry. 

However, you might find this blog useful as it goes into a lot of detail as to why sewing your own fabric Advent calendar is a great idea, so please feel free to continue reading!

The Advent House panel print is a Christmas fabric panel that makes it easy for you to sew your own fabric advent calendar and fill it with your own delicious surprises. Designed by Wendy Kendall for Dashwood Studio, the Advent House Christmas panel features a home lovingly decorated for the Christmas holiday. Each advent calendar pocket lets you take a peek inside the house, where cute animals and Santa are celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.

Advent House Finished Dimensions

The Advent House Christmas fabric panel print is approximately 80cm x 112cm (31" x 44") but the finished advent calendar is approximately 75cm x 70cm (29" x 27"). Here is a finished mock-up made by Dashwood Studio.

Advent House Sewing Instructions

The Advent House Christmas panel includes the sewing instructions on the print itself, but if you happen to lose the instructions or accidentally throw them away please find the sewing instructions listed below:

1.) Cut out the back house panel following the outer edge of the mint seam allowance

2.) Cut out each pocket around the outer edge of the white seam allowance

3.) Press over the seam allowance on the top edge of each pocket and stitch

4.) Press and tack the side and bottom seam allowances on each pocket

5.) Pin each pocket to the back house panel and tack in place

6.) Stitch the pockets onto the back house panel - remember not to stitch along the tops!

7.) Layer the panel with wadding to give somebody and choose a coordinating Christmas pattern or complementary solid to back the panel with

8.) Quilt the panel as desired

9.) Make loops or a sleeve along the top edge of the panel to hang the finished advent calendar

10.) Fill each pocket with treats and enjoy!

How to Pick a Backing Fabric for Your Advent Calendar

To finish off your fabric advent calendar you are going to need a backing piece. As the finished advent calendar is approximately 75cm x 70cm (29" x 27") you don't need to worry about finding an extra-wide fabric like you do with ordinary quilts. Instead, find a complementary Christmas fabric or a matching solid colour. To finish off the Advent House you only need to buy 3 Units, which is 75cm x 112cm.

Christmas Fabric

It's only fitting that your advent calendar is finished off with a Christmas backing fabric. You will want to pick a Christmas fabric with similar colours or festive motifs. For the Advent House panel print, we suggest using a Christmas fabric with animals or Christmas presents to tie it all together. Here are a few examples:

Matching Solid Fabric

If you can't find a coordinating Christmas fabric, or you would prefer a more simple and more affordable option, then you can choose a matching solid colour instead. We have a huge selection of Moda Bella Solids that are perfect for a simplified finish. Here are a few of our recommendations that go perfectly with the Advent House Christmas panel:

Complementary Blender Fabric

Another great alternative to using a solid colour is to use a blender fabric instead. Like solids, they're mostly one colour but with the addition of a small repeating print. The Ruby Star Society Basics are an extremely popular choice, so we have picked the ones we think go best with the Advent House Christmas panel:

Why You Should Make a Fabric Advent Calendar

Fun and Easy

One of the best things about a Christmas fabric panel is how convenient they are designed. All of the hard work has been done for you, so all you need to do is cut out the shapes and sew it all together! Sewing your own advent calendar is a fun and festive activity kids and beginners can get involved with too, as fabric advent calendars are super easy to make. As making one only requires basic sewing techniques, sewing an advent calendar is a good opportunity to teach children how to use a sewing machine and is good practice for amateur sewers.

Get Creative

Sewing your own advent calendar means you can let your creativity flow and make it personal to you. Decorate your pockets with bells, buttons, ribbons, applique - whatever you like really. You could even decorate it with Christmas family photos if you wanted to. Take this time to make your advent calendar a one-of-a-kind!

Eco-Friendly and Reusable

Typical advent calendars can be wasteful as you have to throw away the cardboard and plastic once Christmas Day arrives. By lovingly sewing your own fabric advent calendar you're going to want to reuse it year after year, and it is a wonderful way to celebrate the build-up to Christmas in a sustainable way. So if you want to be more eco-conscious, it's definitely worth taking the time to sew your own fabric advent calendar.

Choose Your Own Treats

When you make your own advent calendar you have the freedom to swap out the chocolates and replace them with anything you like. If your child has an allergy, for example, you could fill the pockets with dairy-free chocolates instead. You could ditch the idea of chocolates entirely, and use hard-boiled sweets or candy canes. You could even replace the chocolates with little presents, like a toy car or some pocket-money. The possibilities are endless and are only limited by your imagination.

Conclusion

The Advent House Christmas panel is a super fun and easy way to make your own fabric advent calendar, and because it only requires basic sewing techniques it's the perfect Christmas project for children and beginners. By sewing your own advent calendar you can customise it to your hearts delight with decorations and personal touches, and your homemade advent calendar also gives you the flexibility to choose what treats go inside. 

So what are you waiting for? Kick off the festive season with an Advent House Christmas panel!

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