How to Make Antique Embroidery Church Banners

Prior to the convenience of purchasing pre-stitched banners, seamstresses worked countless hours embrodering banners by hand to decorate the walls of church sanctuaries. Artisans with a sense of nostalgia and a love of quality hand-crafting will drape their sacred places of worship with banners reminiscent of a simpler time and that "old time religion" mentioned in the hymns. Embrodiering an antique church banner requires embroidery expertise and a tremendous amount of time, so it may be wise to enlist the assistance of other church members in the process.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Paper
• Fabric
• Fabric marker
• Embroidery thread
• Needle
• Quilt batting
• Sewing machine
• Dowel rod, optional
• Gold thread, optional

1. • 1
     Measure the dimensions of the wall where the banner will be mounted. Record the measurements.
   • 2
     Sketch a design for the banner with paper and pencil. Many church banners include Scripture passages or religious icons such as the cross, a lion and lamb or the crown of thorns.
   • 3
     Cut two pieces of fabric to the dimensions measured in Step 1, adding one extra inch on all sides for the seam. Satin or silk is a popular choice for church banners, but any solid and sturdy fabric is acceptable. While white is a tempting choice for churches, it should be avoided because the banner is difficult to wash. Purple, red and gold or silver hold special religious significance. They hide dust or stains much better than white, too.
   • 4
     Transfer your sketch onto the fabric using a fabric marker to outline the embroidery points. If possible, place the sketch's mirror image on the reverse side of the fabric so mistakes are easier to hide.
   • 5
     Complete the design using your embroidery thread and needle. Knot thread ends firmly to prevent unraveling.
   • 6
     Cut quilt batting to the same dimensions measured in Step 1. Place fabric on either side of the batting with the right sides facing the batting.
   • 7
     Stitch around the banner on a sewing machine, leaving about two inches open at the end. Pull the banner through so it is right side out and hand-stitch the banner closed so the batting does not come out.
   • 8
     Add loops of fabric at the top to thread a dowel for hanging, if desired. Gold thread may be stitched directly to the banner for hanging without a dowel, or added to dowel rod ends for an additional visual element.