Tag Archives: banner

A Very Nice Surprise

2 Feb

Back in 1983, The Squire and I made a phoenix banner for our parish.  (Back in September, I wrote about refurbishing it so we could carry it in the procession for our homicidal bishop.) About six weeks ago, it was removed from the spot in front of the side window where it had hung – and faded – for some 30-odd years, and was placed in the narthex.  The fire department decided that where it had been located was a fire hazard, and it had to be moved. The problem was that when the church doors were opened, the banner was behind the door and couldn’t be seen.

About four months ago, the rector started putting the entire service into a Power Point presentation, on the left hand side of the chancel wall, which is a big help for folks who are new to the church, or just have trouble juggling both a Prayer Book and a hymnal.  Yesterday morning, there was “my” banner, hanging on the right hand side! Fr. M announced that I had put a lot of work into it, and both hanging in front of the window or in the narthex it was half hidden, and this way it was in full view, and balanced out the Power Point.

Very nice, and I was quite touched by the gesture.

Thank you.

hung banner

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A Banner Year

3 Sep

banner 1Back in September 1983, my godson’s father designed a banner for  our parish, and the Squire and I made it up. I did the banner itself, and The Squire made the pole and the crosspiece from black walnut.

It has hung in the church, undisturbed, ever since.

The Diocese of Maryland has elected a new Bishop Suffragan, and each parish has been “invited” to bring their banner to carry in the consecration procession on the 6th. When we moved the banner, we discovered the back was badly faded. I took it up to Joann’s Fabric to see what I could find to recover it. I knew matching exactly was not going to be possible, but since nobody could see the back and front at the same time, close enough was good enough.

banner fade While I had the thing down, I realized that a lot of the black and gold braid was coming loose, so I cranked up the sewing machine and ran along most of the braid, to tack it down. When I had a fair amount of it done, I flipped it over onto the ironing board (remember those?) and made the revolting discovery that some of the fabric had not been flat, and I had great tucks and puckers on the backside, and the banner didn’t hang straight. I pulled out some of the stitching, but my bum right hand made that more difficult than I was willing to tolerate, so I just snipped some of the tucks and ironed the thing flat. It was going to be covered anyway, so it was not a life or death situation.

banner helpI spread the banner on our bed and sat cross-legged to pin and sew the new backing . Of course, dear Sir Edmund decided I needed his “help”. I put him out once, but he sat outside of the door, clawing at the carpet and hollering his head off, until I let him back into the room.

Folded my tent – and the banner – and decamped to the church, where I was able to lay it on a Sunday School table, and got it finished and hung in less than an hour. Looks good, if I say so myself.

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