It was so close. It was a difficult decision for everyone involved.
But the votes are in, and we now proudly present to you this wonderful tutorial, created by "A Gilded Life" design team member Kimberly Laws! We think she has created something really special, and we hope you enjoy fashioning your own version of this beautiful home accessory!
Keep in mind that this tutorial references items included in the Stash Society box, but please use your imagination to duplicate the materials from your own collections. (We have completely sold out of the ribbon piece used for the crown, so at this time we cannot offer that as an option. Any lace trim with a zig-zag pattern or the ability to cut a similar pattern from yardage would be a good substitute.)
And..... we have a winner! Maggie Raguse, you will be receiving a full August "Gilded Girls Stash Society" kit! Thank you so much to everyone who visited us and commented here and on Facebook. We appreciate you all so much!
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by Kimberly Laws
This project has been on my to do list for quite a long time, so imagine how happy I was to open August's GGSS box and find the perfect assortment of materials!
My
finished banner hangs proudly on a dining room wall. The curtain rod
and hardware from which it hangs are recycled, and the rod has been cut
down to size.
From August's Stash Kit you will need:
the coffee dyed linen, floral embroidered lace, pink lace, ecru ribbon work piece, gold metallic floral trim, buttons, and gold German glass glitter.
In addition, you will need these basic supplies:
scissors,
sewing needle, beige thread, sewing machine (optional), 2 1/4"
tall chipboard letters, craft paint, paintbrush, glue dots or fabric
glue, glue with a small applicator tip which is appropriate for glitter,
ruler, an iron
Lay the coffee dyed linen flat, measure 6 1/2 inches in from one edge along a short side, make a one inch snip with scissors, grab both cut edges and tear the entire length.
Measure 6
1/2 inches in from one edge along the long side, make a one inch snip
with scissors, grab both cut edges and tear the entire width.
The pieces will now measure approximately 20" x 29", 6 1/2" x 20", and 35 1/2" x 6 1/2".
The last piece (35 1/2" x 6 1/2") will not be used in this project, set aside for a future project.
Iron the two other pieces flat.
Remove all loose threads from torn edges. Set aside, do not discard. These will be used to hand sew the banner pocket.
Making the crown:
Trim and discard the loose ends from the ribbon embellishment.
Take note of the location of the two red Xs and proceed to the next step.
Refering
to the red Xs (2 photos above), pinch those areas together, take a
stitch through both sides, pulling the embellishment together, tie off
and trim the ends.
Push the center piece through to the back and flatten.
Mark
the center of the linen along a short edge, this will be the top of the
banner. Measure approximately 2 inches down, pin the center point of
the crown at this point. Arrange the crown, being sure to keep it
straight and centered. Pin in place.
Working
back to front, take tacking stitches around the outside edge and
throughout the inside of the crown. Tie off on the back side.
Cut 5 of the rose motifs from the gold trim.
Place 2 roses on the bottom outside edges of the crown. Be sure that the leaves are facing out.
Place
2 more roses in the center, creating a band of roses along the bottom
edge of the crown. Again, the leaves should be pointing outward.
Place
the 5th rose pointing up toward the center point of the crown, the
bottom edge should be tucked under the band of roses. Pin and hand
stitch into place, keeping stitches small and well hidden. Add a mother
of pearl button as shown.
The finished crown will look like this.
Making The Ruffled Edging:
Lay the floral embroidered lace flat, fold in half lengthwise, and cut down the fold. Save the half without a finished edge for a future project.
Pin each edge of the lace to the bottom edge of the banner. Then find the center of the lace and the center of the banner and pin together at that point.
Create box pleats by evenly spacing alternating folds and pinning in place. (for box pleats: one fold is turned left, the next is turned right, etc.)
Machine stitch the lace to the linen. Remove pins.
Place the pink lace edging over the raw edges of the lace and linen. There should be 7 full fowers across the banner, with the middle flower at the center mark on the banner.
Attach the pink lace trim with buttons. Alternate them as shown.
Trim the excess lace along each edge. Tack stitch the edges of the lace to the linen.
Making The Rod Pocket:
Working with the 6 1/2" x 20" piece of linen (or rod pocket), iron a 1/4" hem on each long edge. Fold the linen in half lenghtwise and press.
Open the linen rod pocket flat. Place the top edge of the banner inside the pocket, matching the raw edge of the banner to the raw edge of the ironed hem.
Fold over the top edge of the pocket and pin the length.
Using the threads reserved after tearing the linen, sew a blind hem across the length of the pocket by taking small stabbing stitches on the front of the banner.
The back will look like this.
Adding The Lettering:
This step will depend on what chipboard letters you use. If you are fortunate enough to find white or off-white letters, you will skip the painting step.
Paint the tops and edges of the chipboard letters with white or cream acrylic craft paint. This will probably require additional coats. Allow to dry. Working on one letter at a time, use a craft glue with a small tip to create dots of glue along each letter and sprinkle with German glass glitter. Allow to thouroughly dry.
This will be the most tedious part of this project. (This photo shows rough placement of the words before the letters have been finished or the rod pocket has been sewn.) Work out the spacing of the words, be sure that they are centered across, evenly spaced top to bottom, and horizontally straight.
Use a straight edge when gluing the letters into place.
Use small glue dots or fabric glue to adhere letters to the linen banner. If the banner will hang near a heat source, consider opting for fabric glue, as glue dots may not hold.
Add
the curtain rod, install the hardware, and hang. For an optional
finishing touch add a few yards of crinkled seam binding tied in loose
bows.
JOYful Creating,
Kimberly
