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.

More Scenic Easter

Sunday Scenes

Because Easter is a forty day festival, we will still note it - even though stores have all the seasonal things marked half off, as if it is over. We don't mind buying chocolates for less though.
On our way home after Easter service, we stopped briefly at another picturesque little town bedecked for the holiday.

Upon arrival

An eatery and hotel

The town fountain and a guesthouse

A house painting telling about the early days, when most men made their living as river bargemen, transporting goods to various towns.This looks like a secure job, doesn't it?

All shops were, of course, closed, but the windows had pretty things in them.

A flower shop

A welcoming sight

A flower box, noting the town's long history

"Here is your hotel, Madame."

A bakery

Detail of above

Note the ornamented and shaped wood-work in the gable, with a cross at the center.

A carved wood bench on the street.

An entry decoration

The stones keep the snow from sliding off on passing heads.

More gable decoration

The locals, dressed in their finest Trachen (historic folk dress), were going here to eat after their church service.

A wall painting of Saint Florian - patron saint of firefighters.

Gruss Gott is used for "Hello" and "Welcome"

These... so the post doesn't go anywhere...

The church yard cemetery with local style grave marker. Walking through a cemetery on Easter is a good reminder of the resurrection.

A mix of styles

A chapel for the cemetery 

A detail of the stone below

Normally tombs get emptied every twenty years to make room for new burials. Old bones go into the adjoining Bone House. Here, the tombs seem not to be disturbed.

Freshly tended plots.

Adorned for Easter

A typical wrought iron style head marker

Interior of the church.

The raised pulpit, with the four Evangelists on the panels

A side altar- the "marble" is specially painted wood.

One of the several bouquets on the various altars

Detail of the top pediment of an altar

Visitor Today

When someone comes to visit at our house, the Welcome sign gets a special insert. If you come to visit, you'll probably get one, too.

So good to see him, finally, after eleven years.

And the Winner is...

Drawing Time

This has been slow in coming, what with much coming and going in this household.
But prizes need to be picked.

So all the names went into the coconut shell. Each entry had an equal chance, even if the person had already won a contest here before. We put the results in God's hands, so He decides entirely.

Then a hand - not mine - mixes all the paper slips again.

 One paper is picked out....

...AND the WINNER IS.......

Congratulations, LEAH!
 I will contact you by e-mail, if you send me yours.

Then

If you all like contests, let me know. If anyone wants to offer a piece of her handiwork for a prize, you are most welcome. If anyone wants to suggest a theme or content for a contest, you are more than welcome. If you think there are too many contests, say so. Either way, spring is arriving, and we would like to see everyone's spring  creativity.

Another Kind
 
For a glimpse of another kind of creativity, from the hands that drew the paper - see this:

Amazing technology: a 3-D printer that translates a set of thoughts into a physical object. This product will become a magnet holding gizmo, that is intended to move.

More from Mary

Updated Easter Still Life from Mary

Rejoice!

 She wrote, on Easter Monday:

 I found this cross and wanted to use it in the Easter egg setting 
since it perfectly proclaims our sentiment for today with the birth of 
Marissa's child this morning. She delivered safely and both mother and baby
are well. We thank God for his mercy and grace. We rejoice greatly. He 
was 7 lbs., 20". Harrison is his name. 
 

My heart is full.

Final entries

These are contest entries from the Regentin household. The young people had one more session with the kitskas and dyes. This is a technique that takes lots of practice but these are the most satisfying results.

                                         

                                                                                Leah

                                         

                                                                             Samuel

                                         

                                                                              Peter

                                         

                                                                              Sarah