Re-purposing A Panel

During a trip to the frozen North (The Mister's home town) a few years ago, I accidentally bought two Advent calendar panels.  I say accidentally, because the fabric was not on a bolt and I thought that it was just a Xmas print with squared motifs that might be cute for making ornaments. I asked for half a yard and the quilt shop lady told me it was a panel, but she had an accent and I didn't really understand her and somehow I ended up buying two panels. 

Last week, I was going through my bin of holiday fabrics and an idea occurred to me that would put the panels to use, without ending up with calendars that I really wasn't that keen on.  

In the 70's, my family was introduced to Husker Du.  Not the band with the "thrashing tempos and screamed vocals" (Wikipedia).  No, this was the matching game "where the child can outwit an adult".  My mom saw it somewhere and thought it was such a great idea that she set out to get one for each family on her gift list and, of course, one for us, as well. (Maybe she saw the "controversial advertisement"!)

I decided that my advent calendars could become  Holiday Husker Du!

I cut the pocket designs out and quilted each one to a piece of batting and backed it with another Xmas print fabric  that was languishing in the bin.  There were 25 pockets on each panel and I made a few more squares from other areas of the panel so that I ended up with 30 pairs. I divided them into two sets of 15 pairs to make two games to send off to some little girls that I thought might have some fun with them. 

Fabric right sides together, stitched around with a gap for turning, then top-stitched.

I am sure their mothers will recall how to play the game.  If not, I will email the instructions!

As for the rest of the panel, I cut it into strips and added them to my giant knitted rug project that I will share another day.  

I am glad to have it out of the stash and made into something fun (I hope)!