Daddy's gone a-hunting

Husband really likes bunting in kid's rooms - so I decided to have a go at making some to match the other things I've made for our boys' room.

It's been a pretty fun project, and importantly, simple!

Here's what you need:

• fabrics in the colours / patterns you choose
• matching cotton
• length of ribbon
• measuring tape
• cardboard
• scissors (I used normal scissors and pinking shears)
  

Here are the instructions - and, truly, I go at things like a bull at a gate, often lacking requisite TLC (sounds like a report card doesn't it....), so even if you're like me and don't do things perfectly, it still works out! There's plenty of room for error.

1. Select your fabrics and pre-wash them (if you can be bothered!), and get your cottons / bobbins in order

2. Decide what size you want your flags to be and cut out a cardboard template (don't forget to add an extra centimetre all the way around for hemming). My finished flags are 11cm wide and 22 cm high.

3. Work out how many flags you need for your bunting. An odd number works best usually (helps you to centre the hanging of it).


4. Cut your flags out. Each flag will need a 'front' and a 'back'. This means you need 2 triangles per flag. You could use the same fabric front and back, or mix it up a little. Totally up to you.

5. Sew your flag pieces together (but not along the top!) - inside out or 'right sides together'. Keep going until you've done them all.


6. Turn your flags inside out (this is why you don't sew along the top) and iron flat. They end up looking like the photo above.

7. Place them out on the ground and work out your order - just play with the order of them and soon enough something will feel right.


8. Stay stitch the flags together along the tops. I just fed them into the sewing machine one after the other. (If you look closely, you can see the stitching line joining them all in the photo above)

9. Trim excess fabric above stay-stitch line - this makes it easier to attach the ribbon binding. I used pinking shears so that I didn't have to worry about fraying.



10. Sew the ribbon over the stay-stitch line (I bought a wide piece of ribbon and actually ironed it in half so that half of the width was on the front, and half was on the back - this way the bunting can be hung either way - there's no obvious 'back' if you know what I mean).

11. Hang and enjoy!

And for the final result?? Well, I haven't hung it yet. Need a ladder and 2 people! But will post a photo as soon as it's done.

[Edit] You know, if you want a different look, this entire project could be WAY easier. Instead of cutting out two pieces of fabric for each flag, you could instead cut one - using pinking shears - and run a line of stitching just inside the outer edge - voila - flag done! (why did I only think of this now......???)