Ha! You opened this because of the chocolate, didn’t you?
A few months ago I posted about some minor modifications I use to make hanging sleeves more easily. Most of my quilts are bed or throw size, so I don’t include the sleeve in the top binding as would be done for a wall hanging. I attach a hanging sleeve only if a quilt is going to a show or if I’m taking pictures of it.
This baby quilt, 50″ x 50″, is about as small as my usual quilts get
I make up hanging sleeves from leftover backing fabric and have the finished tubes ready to be cut to the needed length so there’s no time crunch when I want to hang a quilt. If the quilt is going to a show I sew the sleeve on, often with rather large stitches because it’s temporary.
However, if the sleeve is going to be on the quilt only long enough for me to take photos, I’ve found that straight pins work just fine to attach the sleeve! I put the pins fairly close together along the top of the sleeve and space them out a bit more along the bottom edge. On both edges I bury the tips of the pins–you know why!
This seems to be working, so I’ll probably pin the sleeve on for future photos.
This bar is from Tony’s Chocolonely, a Dutch brand of fair trade chocolate
And now, I discovered a quilt block design in a chocolate bar last week. Obviously this company understands that chocolate and quilting go hand-in-hand!
Zippy Quilts 
You’re very organized when it comes to sleeve prep and making. I don’t put a sleeve on a quilt unless I KNOW it’s been accepted into a show. Don’t want to jinx the quilt by putting a sleeve on “just in case.” Pinning a quilt to my design wall for photo-taking is as much pinning I do.
That Chocolonely bar is interesting. Such a name, which sure has some significance. A lonely chocolate-maker? And the grooves cut into the bar must also mean something. The shape looks caterpillar-ish. Maybe the bar is broken from another bar with more of the shape revealed?
That bar came from Fresh Market, so you probably should check it out for yourself–ha! And I, too, wait until I know a quilt is going to a show to sew a semi-permanent sleeve on. Seems like the jurying-in process is at least as idiosyncratic as the judging.
Yep. It was the chocolate. LOL. i also make detachable hanging sleeves on art quilts when I face them instead of binding them. Glad to know bid stitches work for temporary . . . I had tended toward small since hand stitching didn’t have the same strength as machine stitching.
And besides, Mother told me to make small, neat stitches!
Good thing you posted a photo of that choco-bar inspiration. You’ll be needing it for reference as I’m sure the real deal is long gone by now! 😉
About that design: it looks like the bar itself shows that a rectangular block might work best? Would that be how you’d tackle it?
Yes, and I would need to eat several more of the bars just to be sure I got the rectangular bar right 😀
Care to share?!? HA! Sorry, couldn’t resist!
Thanks for the tip about straight pins for temporary sleeves. I used a bedsheet for quilt back and when I cut off the top band/hem I realized that could be a hanging sleeve.
Oh, even better, because I sometimes use sheets for backing as well! Thanks for the idea!
I don’t hang most of mine but like the idea of a pinned on one for if I want to photograph it.
I love chocolate. I have seen the Tonys Chocoloney around in stores but didn’t realise it was fair trade. Might have to give it a try.
Umm, yes, must try because it’s fair trade–smile!
We go through Chocoloney bars at a very fast clip. We’ve found them also at Whole Foods, and very occasionally, at Walmart (!) but check the expiration date. Our favorite is the green label, with almonds.
Cool explanations on your hanging sleeves!
Thank you. Life is short; we may need more chocolate.
Creative solution and you earned your quilt design chocolate 🙂
Thanks 😀 (Yes, I’m waaaay behind on emails)
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