Bunting

Bunting is everywhere just now, and when you see how easy it is to make you'll understand why. There are lots of different methods you can use for bunting, and I'll give you some cheats at the end, but here is my favourite way. Takes a bit more time, but it's still definitely possible to make a metre or so of bunting in one nap.

You will need:

• fabric. Cotton works best. You probably want at least two complimentary colours or patterns, and I would say no more than four but really, go mad. Anything goes. How much depends on how long you want your bunting and how big you want your triangles, but I tend to buy 20cm of whatever width it is and start with that
• satin bias tape, the length that you want your binding to be
• thread to match your bias tape
• an iron
• a sewing machine
• rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler - not essential, but very useful

Step 1: draft your pattern (ie. draw a triangle)

Using newspaper or just a sheet of A4, draw a triangle. I like mine to be no more than 7-8 inches across the top, and about 8 inches up to the point. Experiment, though. For Christmas, I made strings of tiny triangles, about 4 inches high, in green and red gingham to hang on the Christmas tree. You could also try combining big and small triangles.

Step 2: cutting out

Fold your fabric in half, position on your cutting mat (if you're using one), and cut out your triangles! As a rough guide, I would use between 9 and 12 triangles in 1.5 metres of bunting so you'll want to cut out about a dozen pairs. You can mix and match patterns to make triangles that have different fronts and backs, or just stick to one pattern per pair.

Step 3: sewing the triangles

Machine sew your pairs down the two long sides, leaving the bottom edge of the triangle open. Snip the tip so that you get a nice, neat point. Turn them inside out, and press them. Once they're all sewn, I tend to line them up on my cutting mat and trim the bottoms (and by that, I mean the bottoms that will actually be the tops when they are hung) so that they're all even.

Step 4: assembly!

Set your machine to a zigzag stitch. Leaving a length of bias tape at either end to tie your bunting, begin positioning your triangles inside the bias tape. You can put them right next to each other, leave a gap, or alternate with smaller triangles. Pin them in place.

Once they are all pinned in, slowly start sewing the bias tape closed, with the triangles stuck inside (like the filling in a bias tape sandwich). Make sure you sew the complete length of the bias tape, so that you have nice ties at either end.

And, you're done! Hang and enjoy! 

Cheats: to make this even easier, try some of the follow. Instead of sewing the triangles together, cut them out with pinking shears - either one layer or two - and attach them to the bias tape as they are. Sew your triangles directly onto a piece of ribbon rather than bias tape. Cut triangles out of felt - they won't fray, and they don't require any sewing!

My bunting bedecked craft table, July 2010

Additions: try adding bells between the triangles for festive bunting, or have hanging shapes or pom poms. Applique letters or shapes onto the triangles. Make your own binding in a complimentary fabric. Open it up and fold the raw edges in towards the centre fold. Press again, and use instead of bias tape.

Bunting themed quilt, May 2011