Liberty Lane Lantern Pattern

Craft your very own fictional Liberty Lane, complete with cute Cotswold houses, an old Tudor-style shop and village church. Building details are made using the fun free-motion machine stitching technique for a textural finish. When the tealight is lit the light will catch on the coloured fabrics sandwiched between the layers, creating a warming, stained glass effect in every building.

You can make these lanterns two different ways, either with a pre-made Need Craft brand Lantern Making Kit, or using thicker interfacing. The Lantern Making Kit comes with all of the materials and tools required to make four lanterns with a neat finish. You could follow these instructions each lantern and vary the coloured fabric scraps used for each, making a pretty set of four. Or, simply use thicker interfacing which creates a sturdy base on which to apply your fabrics, stitch and then hold its cylindrical shape around an electric tealight. Both construction methods are detailed in these instructions.

For our sample, we have used Liberty Tana Lawn® fabrics which are both beautiful and fine, perfect for letting light pass through. Mitsi White on White provides a lovely floral, neutral base for the coloured scraps, although any Tana Lawn® White on White would work just as well. The small colourful scraps are a selection of off-cuts in rainbow fabrics, so one of our Multi-Coloured Ribbon 100g bags (or another one of our smaller scrap packs) would be a perfect match!

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: Only ever use with electric LED tealights. Keep away from naked flames.

You will need:
Iron, black thread (100% cotton looks a bit thicker and is nice to use for the free motion embroidery), contrasting coloured thread, sewing machine with free-motion sewing foot (or darning foot), pins, grid ruler, erasable fabric pen (such as the Pilot Frixion Gel Pen),  cutting mat and rotary cutter, small fabric scissors, large protective scrap fabric (such as a calico off-cut), tape, hand sewing needle or double sided tape.

Optional:
Need Craft Lantern Making Kit (if using), white thread (if using thick interfacing), baking paper or silicon baking sheet (if you cannot lower your machine’s feed dogs), fray stopper.

If making using a Lantern Making Kit:
White on White fabric: two 8×16” (20.3×40.6cm) pieces
Coloured fabric scraps: small scraps in a variety of colours and prints, enough to cover an area approx. 8” x 16” (20.3cm x 40.6cm)
Double-Sided Fabric Adhesive: one 8×16” (20.3×40.6cm) piece

If making using thicker interfacing:
White on White fabric: two 8×16” (20.3×40.6cm) pieces
Coloured fabric scraps: small scraps in a variety colours and prints, enough to cover an area approx. 8×16” (20.3×40.6cm)
Double-Sided Fabric Adhesive: one 8×16” (20.3cm×40.6cm) piece
Medium Weight Single-Sided Iron-On Interfacing: one 4¾×13¼” (12×33.6cm) piece, must be stiff enough to stay standing when in a cylinder shape

You will receive an instant digital download for the instructions and pattern. You can use this as-is digitally or print it out in order to use the stitching and cutting template. Happy sewing!