Silk Banner Workshop – Part 1- Supplies, Artwork and Getting Started

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Eirny

I just love the look of silk banners and flags fluttering in the breeze. It doesn’t matter what kind of silk banner or flag that you want to make, the techniques are the same.

Silk Banner done like a Stained Glass window. (Photo credit: Jeff / Godfrey)

Our Medieval reenactment group recently held a silk banner workshop, and someone who could not attend asked for instructions. Well, we didn’t really have any “How to Make a Silk Banner or Flag” instructions since we were just all working together at someone’s house. I decided that I should write a set of basic instructions. Obviously these instructions will work for any sort of silk banner or flag, not just one designed to display heraldry. Silk flags can add a cheerful touch to your yard, garden, or event. It’s quick and easy to make your own unique silk banner or flag.

Gorgeous silk banner (Photo credit: litlnemo)

Please read the instructions all the way through BEFORE you start!

First let me say that the process of making a silk banner is actually rather simple. It is MUCH easier to show someone than it is to talk about how to do it. What makes the difference between an OK banner and a great silk banner is planning and attention to detail. I am in no way affiliated with any of the suppliers listed in this article – they just have, in my experience, the best supplies for doing this sort of project.

The Planning – You need supplies – silk, dyes, and special soap for washing out the extra dye when you are done “painting” your banner. The best source that I’ve found for these things is Dharma Trading – www.dharmatrading.com . They have lots of silk, either pre-hemmed, or in big rolls – your choice. We bought the pre-hemmed pieces, one less thing to hassle with. We wanted to make it simple so that everyone would be able to make a silk banner and use it quickly and easily. All folks needed to do was add some ties along the “pole edge” and it was ready to use. If you want to sew a “sleeve” for the pole to slide into on you flag, I recommend that you sew the sleeve, and test it with the pole that you want to use, BEFORE you place and “paint” the artwork.

The Artwork – You need to think about which direction the silk banner will be hung. If you are making a medieval-style banner, you need to decide whether you are going to simply place your heraldry on the banner, or whether you are going to use elements of your heraldry for a more artistic display. If you are making a modern art flag or banner, the same considerations apply to the design. Think about it. Think about the colors and how you will create them. Remember white is not painted on – it is left clean and dye free. You need to plan for that.

The ideal situation is to have full sized artwork that has good bold lines. The first workshop that I did I used a copy machine to blow up my pictures to the correct size for the banner that I would be working on. I made sure that all of the details showed clearly in the artwork. Trying to draw your artwork freehand is possible, but most people will be disappointed with the results. Either the artwork will be tiny on a big banner, or the art will simply not turn out well. At the last workshop I attended we had the advantage of having a digital projector connected to a computer. Artwork could simply be projected onto the wall and enlarged or shrunk down to exactly the size that was necessary for the size of the banner. The artwork was traced with a pencil onto a piece of white butcher paper. The pencil lines on the butcher paper were then carefully traced with a felt-tipped marker (I used a Sharpie brand medium point marker). This careful tracing allowed us to fine tune the design and make it really easy to see through the silk. I also brought a piece of artwork with me that I had printed out ahead of time. Avery Dennison, the folks who sell a zillion types of labels and such, make a banner kit, which comes with software. This software allows you to design banners with pictures and lettering. I printed out a picture using this software. It basically divides the picture into multiple pieces of 8 ½ x 11” paper. When you tape the pieces of paper together you get a large picture, which is perfect to use as a guide for making a banner.

The Colors – We used Dye-na-flow brand silk dye for all of our colors. White is achieved by not painting the white silk and black uses Setasilk Ebony Black silk paint. If you use black silk dye you will get a dark gray instead of a true black. For true black you need to use the silk paint. We bought all of the traditional heraldic colors green, blue, red, purple, yellow (for gold), brown (for natural items), black paint, and then the white silk acts as silver. If you’re making a non-heraldic banner, choose the colors that fit your design.

The colors are contained to specific areas with gutta – a gooey substance that comes in a small tube. We bought the Pebeo black and silver Water-based Guttas in tubes. If you do not use gutta, or some other resist, you will get fuzzy edges on your lines. This can create a very lovely affect for artwork, and is used in blending and shading, but for simple heraldic banners we wanted crisp lines, so we outlined each color area with gutta – just like in a kids’ coloring book..

A Frame to Hold Silk – Once you have the colors and silk you will need a frame to hold the silk while you are painting with the dye. Our group has two sets of frames – one made of metal electrical conduit and the other made using PVC pipe. The frames are designed to fit specific sizes of silk pieces, with an area of about 3 or 4 inches open all the way around the fabric. The easiest frames to make are the PVC frames – you simply measure and cut 1 inch PVC pipe and slip on the fittings to hold it all together. DO NOT GLUE THE FRAME. If you glue the frame you will have to store it as a frame forever. If you just slip the pieces of pipe together you can take them apart to store them, which takes way less space.

This is a picture of the basic PVC frame. This frame was made from left-over scraps from an irrigation project. The blue that you see on the lower right hand corner is dried primer from that project – it does not affect the ability to slip pieces together or take them apart for storage. This next picture shows an up-close of a corner. All you need are straight pieces of PVC pipe and 90 degree corners. They just slip together to make the frame, and pull apart for storage. The only tool that you will need is a PVC pipe cutter or a hack saw for cutting the PVC. If the ends of your PVC pipe are very rough or “hairy” looking you may need to us a little sand paper to smooth them off.

Our larger frames, which were designed for use with long thin banners, are made from electrical conduit. These frames require the use of a pipe bender to make the corners. A long piece of conduit is bent with rounded corners, using the pipe bender, and then the ends of the conduit are joined with a conduit union. If you are building frames that will be used for a LONG time , such as in a Studio situation, these frames are very sturdy and should last forever if cared for. They must be stored carefully so that they are not bent and they can not be disassembled easily.

The silk fabric should be washed before using to make sure that there is no grease or other items on the fabric that might keep the silk dyes from penetrating the fibers. Once it is dry it will need to be stretched on a frame. The first time I made silk banners we actually sewed the silk onto the frames using a whip stitch with heavy sewing thread. It worked very well. We were able to get even tension on the silk and keep the silk taut, but sewing the silk to the frame is time consuming. The second workshop that I participated in we used large rubber bands (buy the big packs at a big box store or office supply store) and safety pins to stretch the silk on the frame. It worked well, but you need to be very conscious of the tension of the silk fabric.

My new preference for attaching the silk fabric to the frame uses large rubber bands hooked together with binder clips. This approach makes it easy for people who don’t have hand sewing skills. This worked really well because we were able to create very even tension on the silk fabric.

Getting the Silk Fabric Tension Right – If the edge of your silk looks like a series of tall waves, it means that you are putting the silk fabric under uneven tension. The problem is that when the silk fabric is released from the frame, the fabric will return to the natural shape formed by the threads. If the fibers in the fabric get too crooked it will affect your ability to create straight lines and accurate designs. Look really close at the weave of the silk – if the threads do not form an even pattern with the warp and weft of the fabric at roughly right angles to each other you may have trouble with your finished silk banner design.

Transferring the Design to SiIk Fabric – Once the silk is on the frame, lay the frame down on a clean surface (we used clean tables covered with a disposable plastic table cover) and slide the artwork under the silk and frame. Make sure that your artwork is placed exactly where you want it to be on the silk fabric. If necessary, tape the paper with the artwork to the table so that it lays flat and does not move. Once you have started to trace the design onto the fabric with gutta, it is VERY important to make sure that the frame does NOT slide around on the table surface. If the frame moves while tracing the outline of the design using gutta, you will risk getting gutta on the fabric where you don’t want it. You may also warp your design.

When you are ready to trace your design onto the silk fabric, take the top off of the gutta and carefully cut the tip off the tube to allow the gutta to come out. DO NOT squeeze the tube while you are doing this or the gutta will squirt out like thin toothpaste! Make the cut as small as you dare – you can always remove more of the tube tip if the gutta does not flow fast enough. You will be drawing on the fabric with the gutta – tracing the artwork through the fabric. WARNING! If the tube stops flowing do NOT squeeze harder while you try to draw. You probably have a small lump in the gutta. If you squeeze harder there is a very good chance that you will get a big blob of gutta that will come out all at once. So if the gutta slows down use a pin to clear the lumps. Check the flow of gutta carefully on a piece of paper before you use it again on the fabric. There is no way to remove gutta that is not where you want it to be! Once you have finished tracing the artwork on your silk banner using gutta, the gutta needs to dry thoroughly. Be careful to lift the banner straight up when you take it off of the table in case some of the gutta bled through to the back. You do NOT want to smear the gutta. Allow the gutta to dry until it is no longer tacky. We placed our banners in the sun outside to dry – the combination of a dry environment (Flagstaff, AZ) and the sun helped the gutta dry in about half an hour. If you live someplace that is damp, or the temperature is particularly chlly, you may need to allow the gutta to dry overnight to be sure that it is properly set.

DYES – Here is an exact list of the dye colors and other supplies that we bought for our silk banner project. I have used the same dyes at several workshops, in different parts of the country. The quality is excellent. Remember – for this specific project we were following the rules of heraldry, so we were limited to a specific set of colors. You need to consider carefully what colors you will need for your silk banner. This list was designed to allow about 18 people the opportunity to make 36″x36″ banners.

item	Product name	Color name	Size	Number
Black	Setasilk silk paint	29 Ebony black	250 ml	1
Yellow	Dye-na-flow	802 yellow gold	8 oz	1
Red	Dye-na-flow	806 Brilliant Red	8 oz	1
Violet	Dye-na-flow	811 Violet	8 oz	1
Blue	Dye-na-flow	814 Azure Blue	8 oz	1
Green	Dye-na-flow	819 Bright Green	8 oz	1
Silver Gutta	Pebeo Water-based Gutta in tubes	11 Silver		2
Black Gutta	Pebeo Water-based Gutta in tubes	12 Black		5
Soap	Synthrapol Low Foam		1 qt	1
Silk	Habotai 8mm silk scarves			20

Next time – Colors, setting the colors, and MoreTips on Successful Banner Making!

Silk Hanging Honoring the Elements

Making a Fabric Liner for a Crown or Coronet

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Eirny

I accept commissions to make one or two coronets a year. As a part of this process, there are two things that I usually do, other than make them; make a liner and make a case. To me it is the final touch for the process.

First the liner. I know some folks who prefer a coronet without a liner. They always wear a veil, hat or coif, so the coronet is simply fit to go over one or more of these items. Coronets that are particularly light and airy – like some of the openwork ones, may also not need a liner. Personally wearing a coronet against my bare skin gives me a rash, so I prefer a liner.

As a landed Baroness I spend a LOT of time wearing a coronet. Unfortunately both sets of cornets that belong to our Barony are too small for a liner, so I must settle for a lightweight veil or coif. But, when I make my own coronet for stepping down, there WILL be room for a liner. I want to be able to wear my coronet with a hat!

Before I made my first liner I looked at as many coronets as I could get my hands on. Individually owned coronets can be fit to whoever owns them, but Coronets and Crowns belonging to Kingdoms, Principalities and Baronies are usually made extra large, to allow them to fit a large variety of head sizes. Making the coronets or crowns larger, so that they will fit everyone who might need to wear them, requires the use of a changeable liner.

I have seen some pretty messy liner jobs. The messiest one was probably the heavy duty cotton upholstery cording that was wrapped around inside the coronet and glued in place with hot glue. Please, no hot glue! I have had to remove hot glue from an assortment of surfaces before, and it should NOT be used on Coronets.

Then how to attach the liner to the inside of the coronet? Well, I have seen two major approaches: sewing the liner in place or some sort of glue. Sewing the liner in place is generally only possible if the coronet was designed to be lined that way. For instance if there are small pierced holes in the base of the coronet, or if you use rivets to assemble the coronet and the bottom rivets are hollow (that means they effectively form a tube through the coronet).

My personal preference for gluing in a liner is stick-on Velcro. Why stick-on Velcro? It stays in place well, it allows the liner to be easily removed if the wearer wants to wear a hat under the coronet instead, and it allows the liner to be easily removed for washing or replacement. If something happens to the Velcro it is easy and inexpensive to replace. It also comes in several colors, so that you can at least make an attempt to match the Velcro to the liner. But we are getting ahead of ourselves! First we need a liner.

The liner itself is simply a tube of fabric that is stuffed, sewn into a closed circle of the appropriate size, and then placed inside of the coronet, using the “hook” side of the stick-on Velcro. Here is the beginning of a black velvet coronet liner. I simply estimated how big around I wanted the liner to be – think sausage here – and then added a seam allowance. I also measured the interior of the coronet to figure out how long the strip of fabric needed to be, and added a seam allowance.

Let’s take a minute to discuss how to measure the length of the piece of fabric for the liner. Obviously if you were involved in the manufacture of the coronet you will have the size of the headband and you can just add an inch for seam allowances and go from there. If you are remaking a liner, you can measure the old liner, and assuming that it fit correctly you can essentially copy it. But if you are creating the liner from scratch you need to take some measurements. The easiest way to measure the size of the coronet is to simply wrap the tape around the outside of the coronet. If the outside of the coronet is heavily decorated with stones and other three dimensional objects you will definitely need to measure the inside of the coronet, or the liner will be way too long. If you are not concerned about wasting a little fabric measure the outside – it is easier. The width of the fabric strip will determine how big around your liner is. You can make a circle with a flexible tape measure and figure out how wide to make the fabric strip.

Once you have your measurements you need to sew the fabric into a tube. Simply fold the fabric in half with the good side on the inside, and sew along the seam allowance. Now is the time to look again at the liner, before you do any more work, and decide if the size looks correct. When I sewed up the first version of the black velvet liner I realized that I had made waaay too fat a “sausage”. If you simply squeeze the tube into a circle you can see how large it will be. Once you are happy with the size of the tube, you need to turn it inside out – remember the right side of the fabric is currently on the inside and the not-very-pretty seam is on the outside. My favorite way of turning a small tube inside out is with a string and a safety pin. Simply tie the string, which must be longer than the tube, to the safety pin, attach the pin to one end of the tube, drop the string through the tube, and then carefully use the string to turn the tube right side out.

Once the tube is turned right side out you need to fill the tube with whatever sort of stuffing you are using. I generally prefer polyester quilt batting because it gives me a LOT of flexibility in terms how fat and firm I make the liner, it breaths well, does not generally mat, and is washable.

When you think you are happy with the liner, do a trial fitting, holding the liner in place and seeing if the coronet fits well. If not, now is the time to make adjustments to the firmness or size of the liner.

I go to a lot of trouble to make my liners extremely neat and fussy. After all, a coronet is a fairly major investment and I want the customer to be happy with the finished piece – emphasis on the word “finished”. If it is your coronet and you just want to “get’er done” there is a much less complicated approach that will work.

Determine the measurements of the liner. Add only a small seam allowance to the width of the fabric – perhaps ½ inch. With the right side of the fabric on the outside, fold the fabric in half the long way and sew your seam. Check the liner size by seeing how big around it will be. When it is the correct size, evaluate the seam. How thick is the fabric? If it is bulky you may need to trim the seam to two different lengths.

Stuff the tube, do a trial fitting to make sure the coronet fits correctly, and slip one end of the fabric tube inside the other end. At this point we have another opportunity to decide how fussy we want to be again. I carefully roll the cut edge of the fabric under and neatly hand stitch the tube closed. The “quick and dirty” technique is to simply whip stitch the raw edge of the fabric in place with thread. This is NOT a good idea if your fabric has a tendency to fray.

Once your tube has been joined together it is time to put on the stick-on Velcro. Velcro comes as a set – a strip of soft, almost fuzzy stuff and another strip that consistes of tiny little hooks that easily hook to the soft strip. The soft strip should be attached to the coronet. Why? Well, if you ever decide to wear the coronet without the liner, on a hat or thicker head scarf, the soft Velcro will not be uncomfortable or damage the hat or scarf. The hook side of the Velcro is actually attached to the liner.

STOP! Before you randomly place the hooked Velcro onto the liner you need to consider a couple of factors. Did you do a detailed, turned and hand finished liner, or did you do a simpler form with the seam on the outside of the tube? If you did a simple version with the seam on the outside it is very important that you actually line up the hooked Velcro tape over the seam. This will completely cover the seam and keep it from fraying. If you did a more finely finished seam and join on your liner I would still recommend covering the seam with your hooked Velcro strip because it just plain looks nicer, but it it not mandatory.

Once both Velcro strips have been pressed firmly in place you should be able to press the liner gently into the coronet and be able to enjoy the comfort of the fit. I hope that this makes your coronet wearing experience more comfortable!

Pins, Pins, and More Pins!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Eirny

When I started doing research on medieval dressing pins I knew that their use was extremely common. A lot of clothing, particularly women’s clothing from the 1500’s on, relied on pins to hold sleeves on, fronts closed, and accessories in place. Men used pins to hold ruffs in place and later cravats and other items. Bruegel’s market scenes clearly show the little pins holding partlets in place, and even portraits of important people show pin heads, usually gilded or gold, holding dresses closed. Knowing all of this, I had no idea what a pain it would be to locate actual find records for dressing pins with good pictures.

Now you may be wondering what dressing pins are. Note – I said dressing, not dress. If you search for dress pins you will locate tons of wonderful, decorative, and often very fancy, dress pins. They generally range in size from two inches to six inches, and they can have cast, filigree, enamel, or even jeweled tops. They are meant to be seen. Sometimes they were functional, and sometimes they were just for decoration. Dressing pins, on the other hand, are designed to be functional. They are sometimes gilded to look like gold, or tinned, to look like silver. The majority of them are made of a copper alloy – basically some sort of brass or bronze, and they were used to hold clothing together. Why a copper alloy? Iron pins RUST! Here is a nice collection of pins from England

So what did these amazing little pins look like up close? Basically they were a straight piece of wire with another piece of wire wrapped tightly around the top to form the pin head. The head was most often round, but it could also be a columnar form. Sometimes the heads were left plain, and sometimes they were tinned to look like silver or gilded to look like gold. The length of the pin body varied from about an inch to 2 inches, depending on the intended use. This example is 1 1/2 inches long.

Most dressing pins are simply categorized as pins in data bases, possibly because there is no way to discern between them and sewing pins, and possibly because the individuals categorizing them are not familiar with their potential uses. By the time we get to locations like Williamsburg, VA we see the archaeologists distinguishing between copper alloy pins and iron pins. They consider the iron pins to be used for sewing and the copper-alloy pins to be used for dressing. And this distinction appears to have continued down to Victorian times. Here is a great link to a blog about 18^th century use of pins in women’s clothing. And lest you think that information for Williamsburg is irrelevant to Medieval dressing pins – the manufacturing technique and form of the spiral headed pins remains the same to this day. Inexpensive solid headed dressing pins did not become available until 1824, when a patent was issued to Lemuel Wright, an American, for the equipment to manufacture them.

The lack of distinctions between pin types in most data bases means that a researcher has to wade through all of the entries for pins, looking at pictures, and reading descriptions to determine which pins might have been dressing pins. The word tedious doesn’t even vaguely come close.

And now that you know how important pins were to the properly dressed lady, and gentleman, you can understand the importance of “pin money”.

Eirny

The Treasury – Metal and Glass Art Creations

Author Archives: Eirny

Silk Banner Workshop – Part 1- Supplies, Artwork and Getting Started

Making a Fabric Liner for a Crown or Coronet

Pins, Pins, and More Pins!

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