Thursday, March 31, 2016

Easter Banner

Sarah's many sketches of banner designs motivated me to finally move forward on my long time intentions to make an Easter banner for our church. I have planned banners many times but never had the time to make one happen (our church doesn't have any banners, being small and very traditional in its humble decoration.) Years ago I made a very small felt one for Christmas but it is so small I don't even count it.


My design is a combination of the two sketches (right top) in this photo that Sarah posted-



For fabrics I bought simple cotton solids in fat quarters. I also bought a wonderful product called "WonderUnder" that is a fusible adhesive useful for appliqué work.



I drew a design on freezer paper. Freezer paper is the only roll of paper I had to accommodate the lengthy dimensions of my banner. I have used freezer paper in the past for appliqué work. The waxy back sticks to fabric when lightly ironed so helps to transfer odd shaped patterns. (The appliqué quilt "Mrs. McGregor's Garden" that I made for my first grandchild was done with freezer paper patterns.) for this banner I was only using the paper for its length as a pattern.


On the left is the pattern; on the right are the elements of the design, transferred by tracing, onto the WonderUnder.

                                         
I then ironed the WonderUnder pieces onto the fabrics. The heat from the iron transfers the adhesive on the paper to the fabric. I cut out each piece and then peeled the paper off the pieces leaving the adhesive adhered to the fabric pieces.

                                       
                             You can see the adhesive on the fabric as the paper is peeled off.





After all the design elements were cut out with adhesive on them, I placed them on my backing fabric (yellow cotton) and ironed them onto the banner. Since the cotton fabric had some frayed edges and because I wanted the banner to last many years, I finished all the edges of the pieces with machine stitching, matching the thread colors with the fabrics.
                                    

To add stability to the banner, after all the stitching was done, I ironed a medium weight fusible interfacing onto the back of the whole banner before I stitched another piece of yellow cotton backing on it to finish the edges. I didn't take the time to add any decorative edges or bottom to the banner but I did make a stitched sleeve at the top for a hanging rod.

I finished my project late on Good Friday after our evening church service. Saturday Sarah Y. and I wend to church to clean and decorate for Easter and hang the banner.

                                       
                                       (The banner is straight- it's the photo that's crooked!)

                                         I hope before next year I will get one made for Lent.

                                       




                                                         ***parting springtime photo***



                           We know that spring is here for real when this cherry tree downtown blooms!

                                       
Its glorious dress only lasts a few days (depending on the wind and weather) before it rains down a carpet of pink petals.











3 comments:

  1. Love it, love it. What a great start to your soon-to-be collection.
    The process of your applique method is much similar to the paper collages I do - like for Katrina's picture. If I had thought how "easy" (at least in principle) this process was, I may have made banners before now. This year it happened we were away for Easter, so we didn't need one, but now I know some how's for next year. Thanks for the inspiration. Now to find Wonderunder. I may have Mary send me some....or find one of the rare quilt shops around somewhere.
    Your banner is really pretty, Pam, and I like your design modifications, and the fact that you showed your steps. Thanks.

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  2. The beautiful tree really looks like spring, but isn't it early? We have some ornamental cherry trees near by that have just put out blooms in our recent warm days, but not the actual eating cherry trees. Are your orchards about to bloom? Our pear and plum by the house will bloom in a couple of weeks, but it's still early; April doesn't even start until tomorrow (no tricks, folks).

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  3. That cherry tree is an ornamental but the local cherry orchards are starting their pink bloom too. They are the first. The pears will be next and then the apples by mid April, just in time for the Blossom Festival. We are relatively "on schedule" this year. For a change. (Way, way early last year.)

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