Not a quilting project...but fun!

When I went to a quilt show in June, I saw a beautiful panel depicting a digital city skyline. I don't usually use panels, but I had to have this one. The booth selling it had used it in a wallhanging, but I decided that I wanted to mount it on a canvas. The panel is width of fabric and about 28" wide, so I couldn't find a premade canvas that it would fit. Luckily I knew that they had the individual stretcher bars available at Hobby Lobby to make your own as I've done this before.

 So I got two 26" and two 40" bars. They have a sort of tongue and groove assembly, so are easy to put together with a staple gun and a bit of glue. As I assembled it, I brushed some wood glue on the wood that slips inside of the groove. I think the staples would probably hold it ok, but just wanted that extra security.

Stapled and ready to mount the canvas!

I bought some white duck cloth at a local shop and the next step was pressing both it and the fabric panel so that they were wrinkle free. 

I then carefully measured the canvas so that I had enough to roll over the edge of the stretcher bars and fold under to staple. No raw edges, please!

When you are making your own canvas, you have to start in the middle of a side and secure with a few staples. You then have to go to the opposite side, pulling to stretch slightly and secure with a few staples. Now you can work your way towards the corners on each side, making sure it's straight and slightly stretched. ( This is my way, it could differ from the way a painter preps and stretches the canvas.) I stop about 6" from the corner and do the same thing on the other two sides.

To fit the corners, I pull the corner in, fold over and staple. Then fold the edges of the corners in, sort of like wrapping a gift box.

All ready to go.

I had to square up the panel too as they are never really straight, so it wasn't 28" anymore. I had to add a strip of fabric on each side of the panel so it would fit properly. I knew I would have to do this as the next bar width was 24" and I thought that would be too narrow. So I went with the 26" and planned on adding fabric. I cut two 4" strips and folded them in half lengthwise so that I would have the folded edge to staple down. No ragged edges. I didn't need to add fabric to the top and bottom as the width of fabric was long enough to wrap around and fold under.

I attached it the same way that I attached the canvas.

All finished and ready to hang. I want to hang it at school, but I haven't decided for sure where I will put it. I've tried it out in several spaces, but not decision yet. I will take a picture of it once it's hanging.