Stenciled Prayer Flags

The perfect selection of fabric - Hoffman Bali Crackers

I take out four, and put them together in this four-some to fuse with Mistyfuse.  My favorite fusible web.  My design table has a "Holy Cow" giant Goddess Sheet on the surface, and that is what you see behind the fabric.  I use "Fat" Goddess Sheets on top of the Mistyfuse, and then send my hot dry iron over the top, in a circular motion to meld it into the fabric.  Let it cool and then remove the Goddess Sheet. 

I added a few more Hoffman hand dyes to the mix

This is where I organize my artwork for various projects and store my stencils.  It's on wheels, so that I can roll it around the studio, depending on where I am working

I am using StencilGirl stencils for this entire project.  This one is called "Sporn Flowers Positive" by Jessica Sporn.  I am using Jacquard Textile Paint and a foam brush.  It goes on like butter.  I learned about this paint from reading Lynn Krawczyk's book "Intentional Printing."

This stencil "Crackle" is by Nathale Kalbach, and might become my new favorite stencil.  Can you imagine using this with metallic paint?

Here's my line up of fabrics.  I also used "What's the Point?" stencil by Nathale Kalbach - you know like polka dots

Now for the next fun part, I cut all of these flowers, leaves, and hexagons using a Sizzix Big Shot

Here is a close-up of the hexagon, flower, center, and I am using the negative part too.  I am sure I would probably either toss it out, or put in the small scrap pile.  I have placed the hexagon slightly off centered, so there is a gap on two sides.  There is a method to my madness.

Putting it together.  I cut a piece of black wool blended felt 6x8 inches.  I cut 3, because I am making 3 prayer flags.  I begin by cutting strips to place on the top and sides of the hexagon square.  I don't want to use one piece of fabric, because I want the black felt to show through from the foundation.  I think it will look pretty cool.

I pressed the fabric into place.  Doesn't the stencil design look fabulous?

Turn it over and cut the excess from the back with a sharp pair of scissors

One down, two to go

I actually made this one first, and didn't get this in the right order.  I used, without thinking, one piece of fabric for the background, and then realized that I should have not done that, because the black would not show through in the gap.  So, I actually inserted 2 small strips of black cotton fabric underneath, so it would match the other two flags.  Such a nimrod.

Here's the blue one done with same way as the first - the one without the nimrod error

I added some leaves in the corners of the squares, for added fun!  I cut 3 pieces for the words about an inch wide and 3 inches across.

Using my iron, I pressed the three strips to my design table, the one with the "Holy Cow" Goddess sheet.  Made a bit of an error in writing the middle one - the spacing was totally off.  What was I thinking?  Who knows.

I drew out the words using a Pentel Fabric Pen, and then pressed them with the iron to seal the deal

Note:  changed the "is in the" label to all caps.  One of the cool things about Mistyfuse, is that you can reposition a fused element, only if it is fused to another piece of fabric.  If it's fused to a piece of felt, forget it.  I backed each flag with a piece of Fuschia wool blended felt - my brand is made by National Nonwovens, and I buy it by the bolt

After the piece is completely free motion machine quilted, which I basically went around the objects and the zig zagged the outer edges. Using a ruler, mat and rotary cutter, I trimmed around the entire flag, leaving just a tad of the Fuschia showing through.  The ruler shows just how much.

and here we go - three prayer flags "Spring is in the Air," hung on a line of laundry rope, secured with wood clothes pins.  Happy Spring!