Making a Flag

[Dnjneb]

Greetings,

I am delighted that this has been started. I am needing to make a flag that represents the Catechesis of the Good shepherd atrium that has been started at our cathedral. One of the children in the atrium has designed a flag in during her work time on Tuesday evenings and it was so good that I would like to make every attempt to finish a usable flag that could be held and processed with as a representation for the Catechesis during the mass on Sunday. I don't exactly know where to begin and I would love to have some advice.



Dnjneb

[HelenaZF]

Hey JB! Thanks for joining us! So....are you making the flag, and decorating it yourself, or will you be making it for the little girl to decorate? I might give some different advice, depending on that answer.



But the main thing about flags (if you want them to move well) is to keep them light and fluid....that means not putting a lot of heavy stuff on them--especially the farther away you get from the pole. I use fabric paints a lot on flags for that reason.



I'd love to see the design (and I'm sure others do too)...can you post a picture?

[Dnjneb]

I am probably going to be making it. The only design I have now is a 7 year old's drawing.... Kristen J. It doesn't necessarily have to be a flag. It could be a banner. She drew it like the American flag. It represents the liturgical colors and has red, white and blue strips with a green field and purple stars (4). It has a drawing of the Good shepherd and a sheep inside the star area. It could be turned into a banner or a coat of arms or anything for that matter. I just thought that for a seven year old, it was a pretty good use of symbolism... We have a song that we sing to help us remember what the colors and seasons represent...



Blue and purple are for preparation

White is for celebration

Green is for the growing time

Red is for Pentecost



and so on.



Here is a drawing of it as of right now:

[HelenaZF]

hmmmm.....because of the detail of having a shepherd & sheep represented, it might be more effective as some kind of banner, as a moving flag would not give opportunity to take in a detailed design. Or a combinaton flag/banner (kind of like the sail flags concept) would also seem appropriate. That size would also be a good scale to carry from someone as diminutive as Kristin.

[HelenaZF]

Just noticed you had edited in the picture!



I wonder if you couldn't get a striped fabric with that configuration of colors already woven together? That would simplify things, wouldn't it? The Fourth of July stuff ought to be hitting the fabric stores before too long.



Then you could spend most of your time on the green field with the graphics.



How committed is Kristin to the shape & direction of the flag/banner?



I'm thinking that if the stripes hung vertically, and the picture field rotated, it could be made as a banner on a T- shaped pole. It could be made with a plain back that way. Or another message or symbol placed on the back. If you decide to make the as a flag, consider that the design needs to be the same on both sides.



I can easily visualize it either way being part of liturgical processions.



Once you decide on the final orientation and dimensions, I can help you with some ideas for how to realize the artwork.

[flaglady]

I agree, as an embroidered flag it would not 'fly' too well. I would recommend it be made as a banner hung from a cross bar and carried in a procession.



It's very imaginative for a 7yr old however. She has talent!

[flaglady]

PS I always use/recommend Habutae/Japanese silk/polyester silk (all the same thing, just named different in different places!) It's a really great fabric and the 'fly' is fantastic when being used for the really active stuff. And it's not too bad to machine stitch, either.

[HelenaZF]

I absolutely agree with flaglady's fabric choice for flags. In the US, the polyester microfiber that is a silk clone is called "silk essence" and is available from Joanne Fabrics. I've also used a very similar fabric described as synthetic Habutae, but also was a polyester fabric.



Some lining materials are also serviceable, but the silk clones have a definite richness that is lacking in lining fabrics.