Friday, March 20, 2009

Big Shot: Not Just for Papercrafts...

Check out this yard flag I made using the Big Shot Serif Essentials Alphabet Dies:

I planned to use fusible webbing to attach the letters before I stitched them in place. But when I removed the backing, the letters became very curled up and almost impossible to iron on the nylon flag material. So, I used the fusible webbing as a stabilizer (without removing the backing) and just pinned and held the letters in place as I stitched around them. The flag fabric was really slippery, so I had to improvise when a letter slipped out of place and use the zigzag stitch to recreate that portion of the letter. I don't believe this would be a problem with a more stable fabric--like cotton.

I'd like to note that I tried cutting a letter out of a Decor Elements sheet and attaching it to the flag, but the letter just peeled off. Decor Elements is meant to use on a sturdier surface, like a wall, piece of wood or glass. The reason I even thought to try it on the flag was because I have applied Decor Elements on various canvas surfaces and it has worked well. Obviously, canvas is a much sturdier fabric. I shared one of those projects with you in the past, you may recall The Monogrammed Journal. The other time was with the Create definition applied to a stretched canvas. I will post that project soon.

The gorgeous embroidery and finishing of the flag was done by my crafty friend, Genean. We made this flag to replace a well-worn plastic covered cardboard sign that our Stitch & Gab group currently uses in the front yard of the person who hosts the meeting. We will be presenting the group with this flag at the next meeting.

I plan to make another flag that will say "Stampers Welcome" to display in my front yard when I hold classes! Perhaps I should also make one that says:
Happy Stampin! :)

1 comment:

Julia said...

Great idea! It came out nice.