Season 7 Round 3: Banners & Bunting

I can't believe it's already week 3 and the competition is down to 6 contestants. This week's theme is banners & bunting. Let's see what these gals came up with....

Number 1: Love Necklace

I am so excited to be back with OMTWI for Round Three!

The challenge this week was to create a bunting or banner; to me, a bunting is usually associated with some type of celebration. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I thought it fitting to make a bunting to celebrate none other than LOVE (I’m a sap like that). And where better to display a love bunting than near to your heart, right?

Using air-dry clay, some cookie cutters, and jewelry findings, I created a clay bunting necklace. The bunting pieces were fashioned from the star tips, stamped with L-O-V-E, and fitted with eye pins. Once dry, the bunting was strung together with jump rings and attached to the coordinating chain. (The full tutorial will be on my blog once voting is closed.)

I love that this project can be adapted for many types of buntings… maybe a number signifying a birthday age, a year for a graduate, or perhaps a date for a wedding?

For now… I’ll stick with love. It is all you need anyway. ;)

Thanks again for keeping me here for Week Three – I’d be head over heels if you’d vote me into the the Final Round!

Good luck to all of these fabulous ladies!

Number 2: Butterfly Bunting

To say that I am thrilled (if not shocked) to still be in the contest is an understatement. Looking at all of the entries so far I am blown away by everyone's talent & to be included with them is really amazing. Thank you so, so much for everyone who voted for my past projects!!

Onto this week's project...the challenge was to make a project that included a bunting or banner in some way. I had a ton of ideas, but I decided to go with this. Sorry that I forgot to take some pictures while I was making it, I just had so much fun that I forgot..(bad blogger, that I am).

I decided to make a bunting out of some sheer white fabric, some lace & ribbon that I had. I wanted it to have a light, airy feeling. For the background I decided to cover a canvas in some vintage sheet music & Mod Podge. Next I made some butterflies out of some colorful scrapbook paper. After making them I decided to stitch their bodies with coordinating thread for a little more detail. I also made a little caterpillar using the same method. I then attached everything to the canvas, making a few of the butterflies "fly" off. I wanted it to look as if they were pausing or resting on the bunting before taking off.

To tie this all together I put saying on it that I always have loved...."Just When The Caterpillar Thought The World Was Over, He Became A Butterfly". I'm hoping that every time someone reads this they will remember to be positive because life is just bursting with possibilities!

Once again, thank you so much for this opportunity & I wish everyone good luck ;)

close up of the caterpillar & butterflies

finished project

Number 3: Nautical Banner

Whee! I made it through another week against very stiff competition. I was pretty excited when I learned this week's theme of banner or bunting. I had planned to do this very project as a Father's Day gift and it didn't materialize - One Month To Win It gave me the perfect kick in the pants to get it finished!

My parents live in a coastal community that has recently permitted the use of golf carts on the roads. It's a quirky kind of place where people name their houses, and now; their golf carts. This nautical banner spells out "The Crab Cart".

The 9" square flags were created from ripstop nylon appliqued onto heavy cotton canvas. I then added a 3/8" grommet in each corner, and used jute twine to string them together. Let me tell you - if you ever need a good forearm workout, try squeezing 22 grommets into place!

I'm happy with how it turned out and it was fun to sew - I hope my parents enjoy it just as much!

Number 4: Macy Goes to the Fair Dress

I am so glad I made it through to Week 3! Let me tell you, I have been most excited about this week since we got the list of themes. When I saw "Bunting and Banner Week", this idea immediately popped into my head!

Start with a simple white dress and add a tiny pennant-style banner and you have:

The Macy Goes to the Fair Dress!

I am beyond excited with how this turned out! If you're anything like me, you know that ideas in your head don't always translate well into real-life items, so when it does, it's like hitting the jackpot!

I started out with a pillowcase dress and altered the pattern to work for my idea. I added box pleats to the neckline which make me think of a Big Top at the fair. Then I made a mini pennant banner and trimmed the neckline with it. I finished off the neckline and arms with bias tape I handmade.

But of course I couldn't stop there! I cut out approximately 1 MILLION little bitty triangles (really, about 250) and stitched on 5 rows of the tiny pennant banner to the hem of the dress. I love it so much!

This dress is a great stash-buster project! All the little triangles were made from my scrap bag. The bias tape was made from fabric left over from another project. I love using things I have on hand!

Next time your favorite little girl needs a dress, don't run to the store! Go grab a pillowcase and a handful of scraps and see what you can come up with! :)

Number 5: Happy Pillows

Let me just start off by saying this competition has been so much fun so far. I have definitely been inspired by all the beautiful projects my competitors have done. Okay, so first of all, pennants, banners, buntings - do they all mean the same thing? I never seem to know which word to use. But when I think about banners and bunting, I think about happiness and summer. This sure isn't summer so I decided a really cheerful project was in order. Because everyone can use an extra dose of sunshine in the dead of winter.

I decided some happy pillows were in order. My first task after sewing the basic pillow cover was to choose some nice, peppy sayings for my pillows. (I'm a sucker for typography in design.) I was lucky enough to pick up a great set of alphabet stamps at a yard sale last summer. I mixed some craft paint with fabric medium and then painted it on the stamps and stamped the pillow covers.

I gathered some colorful fabric scraps and cut out my bunting pieces. I simply used stitch witchery to attach them to the pillow covers and then filled them with some down pillow inserts I had on hand.

I love the contrast between the playful bunting and the linen background. Happy pillows for sure.

Number 6: Wooden Chalkboard Bunting

How exciting to still be here--HUge THanKs for voting my projects through!

-A BUNTING- I had to write Lisa to ask what it was. "Do you mean, like a, BABY bunting?"

I know "buntings"-thought it was a banner-are HOT in Mixed Media circles --but just really not my interest. I had to seriously ponder this project.

And I'm excited to share my version!

Wow! This challenge really showed me just HOW pragmatic I am.

1. WOOD is my favorite medium


2. it should to be USEFUL


3. not a one trick pony--but a MULTI-TASKER


4. and FLEXIBLE!

Eureka!

Wood. Chalkboard.

(Chalkboard on front and back for messages on both sides!)

Linked by chain and clasps to expand or shrink!

So Today's message---? Happy Birthday!

And Tomorrow's message---? Finish Line!

Now it's time to VOTE!