Rag Bag Rescue - Liberty and linen bunting

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may remember that around this time last year, Mr U-t-B and I had the pleasure of attending a very lovely, stylish and friendly wedding up in Yorkshire.

Well, we were delighted to hear just last week that the happy couple had just welcomed a bouncing baby boy into their lives.

Bunting was called for...

(Which necessitated a trip to the actual shop of one of my favourite online fabric stores - The Eternal Maker down in Chichester.  Talk about kiddie-in-a-sweet-shop excited!  It was definitely worth the trip (about an hour) but so hard to choose what to buy!  I got some sweet boy-ish print fat-quarters, as well as a couple of longer lengths of fabric for upcoming dress-making projects.)

Having enjoyed making the bunting for little Charlie, I then decided to make some for another newish baby in our midst which I hadn't made when she was born in January for one reason or another.

In contrast to the busy prints for Charlie's, I decided to cut the pennants from salvaged pieces of white linen and cotton, some embroidered or embellished with lace - old dressing table mats, anti-macassars and pieces of tablecloth that were too damaged to use as they were.  The letters were cut from Liberty 'Pepper' in pink.

You get a hint of the rose print seersucker I used for the back with this slightly sheer cotton guest towel...

I don't sew my pennants right side to right side and turn them out, as I like to pink the edges after sewing a double row of top-stitching using a double needle instead.

I deliberately didn't cut the pennants on the straight grain of the salvaged fabrics, as I wanted to see if they would hang okay that way.  Luckily they hang fine, and it means that you can choose the 'good' bits of the rescued fabrics(ie prettiest, or undamaged).

 

I'm happy with my salvaged bunting - in fact I've got some more on the go, ready to seek commissions at upcoming markets.  

Before I finish, a bit more applique.  AGES ago I appliqued a VW van notebook cover for my Secret Santa present, and some of you lovely blog-readers were interested in similar.  Then Christmas got in the way and so it has taken me till now to finish some more notebook covers.  They fit WH Smith A5 notebooks and I have these 4 available at the moment.

A Liberty print one...

Then three made with fabric from TheVintage Sheet Addict.

Pastel-y...

Purple and turquoise...

Purple, yellow and turquoise...

If anyone is still interested, 'bags' one now, for tomorrow they will be accompanying me to Tweseldown Artisan Market. Cover £14 including post and packing, or £17 with a notebook.

Last, but by no means least, my giveaway is still up and running - take a look here.

Here's to a sunny weekend!