Flying The Flags!

Nicky asked for more details about the bunting. I am not with my regular PC, but have attempted to put an easy tutorial together on this one, Hope it makes sense! Do get back to me if you have further questions.

A GUIDE TO MAKING BUNTING

Cut out your triangles – they should measure about 5.5” across the top, and about 8” straight down [from centre top to the point]

They are ISOSCELES TRIANGLES – two long edges, the same length, and the top is shorter.

You need to make half from your tea towel and half from your backing fabric. Now pin them together in pairs WITH RIGHT SIDES OF FABRIC FACING [so you are looking at the reverse of the fabric]

Sew down the two long sides. Snip carefully across the point at the bottom [see the line below] That makes turning out easier. Now carefully turn your shape inside out. You will have a flag with raw edges inside [no fraying!] There are raw edges at the top still.

 

 

 

 

 

Take the ribbon or tape you are going to use to hang the bunting, and pin the top edge along the flag HALF WAY UP. Leave a space of about 3” between flags. Sew in place [see diagram below] by sewing all the way along the tape. Now fold the tape in half to cover the top raw edges, and sew along again. Now you have all raw edges covered. [Sorry, I cannot get my red stitches to go over those triangles, but you get the idea!]

TIP –To get the length of tape you need, count how many flags you have, multiply by 8 then add 30. This will give you the number of inches. Pin your first flag about 18” in from the end, to allow yourself a bit of extra tape at each end for tying!

Here is a photo of my machine at work – you will note the bits of masking tape which I have put to the right of my presser foot as a guide for keeping my stitching straight. This is the first stage of sewing the flags to the tape.

Refer back to the pictures on the previous post to see how I pinned my templates to the tea towel! One tea towel [plus equivalent fabric for backing] makes around 20 flags – about 3 yards of bunting.