Stitching for a cause - Drop stitches not bombs

I was visiting my parents in my home town last weekend (I had a lovely time thanks) and ended up helping my mum sort out some of her photos. Amongst them were some of one of my sewing projects of which I am most proud. It was made well before I started this blog so I've not shared it before, but now seems a good time.

I made this banner for my brother, who was, and is, an active anti-war protester. He is also a fervent environmentalist and impossible to buy gifts for. One birthday I decided to make him a anti-war banner, and to add to the challenge I decided to make it out of recycled materials.

I was fine with the backing, which is a second hand white bed sheet, but where to get the rest of the fabric from? I was still pondering this when I passed by a very nice interior design shop round the corner from where I was then living. Outside in a skip were stacks of fabric sample books. Being a law abiding citizen I asked permission before I started taking them, and the shop very kindly provided me with bags for my loot. 

In an amusing aside, as I was happily diving into this treasure trove a man walked passed talking on his mobile phone, seeing what was in the skip he commented to whoever he was talking too; 

'That there were lots of fabric sample books in the skip outside Helen Turkington', taking another look at me he said 'um ... you might want to hurry!'

Armed with a supply of rather high class fabric, I was able to set about designing the banner. I think I worked out the designs on paper first, and then traced the pieces I needed in fabric. There is also a tiny bit of hand stitched embroidery at the bottom, you can just about see it in the picture, I couldn't resist adding the slogan 'drop stitches, not bombs'.

Hand stitched embroidery not being top of my skill set, I set myself a much harder task with the back, decided on working the dove of peace - as its normally viewed at a distance I guess my wonky stitching won't be too noticeable. 

I finished off the banner by making a frame to carry it out of some bits of wood from the cellar and a few oddments of string. So the banner is, as it boasts, 100% recycled.

My brother was, I think, delighted with the gift and it has been on many marches proudly carrying its lovingly hand stitched message of peace.