If you have read my bunny bunting post and baby quilt post you will notice I am on a bit of a sewing run at the moment, and I'm loving it!
The bunny bunting, taken from a blog post I saw a link for on Facebook turned out well and I'm really pleased with it. You may remember me saying that I had originally picked out a browny/grey linen - this is that, I did promise it wouldn't go to waste.
I had already picked out the red and white spotty fabric and decided to do hearts - a nice simple shape to applique.
I also gave the stitching around the appliqued shape a go this time rather than relying on the iron on interfacing. I was a bit nervous about stitching round to begin with but am really pleased...
... once you find the right speed for you on your machine, you're away. I found too slow was as equally hard as too fast, a fair speed meant the fabric flowed through the machine better for me and easier to control curves.
I decided I couldn't leave it there though and set about a cherry design on the reverse, making the bunting double sided. Again I printed and then traced cherry shapes onto interfacing. I traced the same shape multiple times, fairly close together.
TOP TIP - Before ironing this on to my red fabric I put two tears into each traced shape, this makes removing the backing paper SOOOOO much easier!!
I then ironed the strip of traced shapes on to the relevant coloured fabric and began cutting out.
The tears put in the interfacing before ironing made removing the backing paper MUCH MUCH easier and no frayed fabric edges trying to get just the backing paper off and not the glue too.
For the cherry stem I started by marking the shape (an upside down y shape) I wanted in HB pencil. I then followed this line on my machine to make the stem. 
Next I cut out the leaves out (using the same process as with the cherries - I traced the shape I wanted on to some interfacing and ironed on to the reverse of the fabric), peeled off the backing paper, place on to the bunting and ironed into place.
I then stitched around the edge (as the green thread was still in the machine) before changing thread and stitching around the cherries. After doing one flag I decided that I needed to not only outline the pair of cherries but define the line separating the cherries. The photo below shows the reverse of the flag with the cherries on to give you an idea of the stitching.
I then placed one cherry flag and one heart flag right sides together and sewed down the two sides to the point to form the 'bunt' (as I believe they are called). I trimmed the point before turning in the right way (I found one of my partners golf tees perfect for making the point pointy when turning in the right way - pointy enough to be precise whilst not going through the fabric or seam as a pencil would). Once I had sewn all the 'bunts'I pressed then - they look much better and more bunting like once pressed.
A quick trim to the tops and I pinned each 'bunt' in between the bias binding, leaving a 10cm gap between 'bunts'. I then stitched with the machine right across including between the 'bunts'.
And here is the finished product:
I did for a short time debate whether to alternate the designs (cherry bunt, heart bunt, cherry bunt etc.) but decided that the whole point of having designs on both sides was to have reversible bunting. By alternating the designs, when I turned it round it would look the same (fine if you're going to hang it somewhere where both sides can be seen) and therefore by putting all hearts one side and all cherries the other I could reverse it for a change.
I've loved making the bunting and have learnt lots. I could happily make plenty more in different colours and designs. If you have made any bunting I'd love to hear about it in the comments below, even a piccy if technology allows.
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