(The First in a Two Part Series)

by Lorina / beadscarf.com

So, what to do?? It’s so cold you can’t even imagine going outside to do anything. But yet, despite the 999 channels you have on cable, 5 different video game systems and countless chores around the house, you just don’t want to do anything indoors either. It’s called Cabin Fever! This is the perfect time to undertake a project that you have waited for the perfect opportunity to start on, and since you won’t be doing much else, you may just complete this one in a single day!

So with that in mind, I have prepared a rough guide to creating your very own fabric banner for when you do go out there into the real world to display your wonderful wares come springtime craft markets.

You’ll need:
Your Logo in digital format
An image editing application (such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign)
A printer
Some felt, or other snarky fabric
A fabric backdrop to put it all together on
Pins (to hold your pattern in place)
A good pair of scissors
Needle and thread or a sewing machine and liquid stitch- a no stitch glue (optional)
Snacks, to eat while you are taking a break because your hand hurts so darn much!
Patience (!)

How to:

1. Open your image in an application which will allow you to scale it to your specs and tile it as a banner.
2. Print that image in grayscale. It may span several pages depending on the size you scale it to.
3. Carefully cut out your logo or other images so that you can make a ‘pattern’ to use.

4. Pin the logo you just cut out from the paper to the felt or other snarky fabric.

5. Carefully cut around the pattern so that the fabric takes the shape of your paper. (Note: This is the worst part of the process, your hands will hurt, take breaks, eat snacks.)

6.Remove the pins from your pattern/fabric and place your logo or other image onto your fabric backdrop. When you are happy with the layout, either pin it down so that you can sew it down or Liquid Stitch.