April 2, 2014

Flags On A Stick For Myself and Marie


Flags On A Stick have some amazing flags and flag poles!  Visit their website to see the variety! 

The owner over at Flag-Outlet.com sent Madame Samm 8 flag poles to send to some lucky recipients and I was one of the lucky 8!  My pole has a horse finial and I am creating a flag for a very good friend of mine!  Thank you Flag Outlet for my special gift!

My friend Marie loves horses... has one, and rides every day that she can. So I decided to make her a flag for her outdoor flower garden... I cropped the photo a little large so you could see her horse in the background.  I didn't realize I had photographed the horse until I downloaded the camera.


Close up

I google searched for horse silhouettes and found this fabulous horse head. After tracing the outline on to wonder under,  I ironed the wonder under to the black fabric and cut the horse head out, including all of the snippets inside the horse head itself.  I love how the background fabric shines through these snippets.  The background is a beautiful batik and the horse is black Kona solid.  Inside, I added a layer of the fusible fleece that we use in the Tammy Bags to make it hang good and be a little stout.

I presented this to Marie on Monday and she loved it.  But then again, I knew she would.

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I also made myself a flag... I bought these fabrics back in 2009 when I went to a quilting retreat called Circle Of Friends in New Hampshire.  They have laid dormant in my sewing room waiting for just the right time to use them.  Now was the time.

My flag.... amongst the buttercups... Yep, it is a pig..   Doesn't he look as happy as a little pig in the mud... dancing around with his umbrella.  I found this image doing a search for pig silhouettes and I added the words Be Happy to the bottom.  We all need to be happy.  Life is too short for anything else. :)

I went over to our local Ace Hardware and bought this flag pole.  It is perfect for my flag.


Close up



I made my flag the same way I made Marie's.  I love this ticking fabric and if you look close enough, you will see hearts in between the pinstripes.  The black in my flag is a black batik with hints of a beautiful dark blue in it.

The flag will be displayed by the front porch when we are expecting guests.  I will keep it out of the elements in between times.  There isn't anything blooming yet but you can see the hostas are coming up already. I think the flag looks right at home with our little pig friend who sits on top of the porch steps. :)


Thank you for visiting my blog today!!

50 comments:

Amy said...

They were definitely worth the wait. The pig couldn't look any happier. Thanks for being the head cheerleader and all your hard work. ;)

Doris Rice, The Quilting Queen said...

Of course it had to be a pig. You didn't disappoint us! The the little feller is just SEW cute! After the week you've had it's amazing for you to BE HAPPY! I'm always smiling and happy and if I'm not everyone knows something's up. So you're right, life is just too short not to be happy. The horse is stunning and I bet your friend loves it. I think it's a good thing our flagpoles got mixed up. What's a horse flagpole without a horse flag?

Judy B said...

Love your flags and even though you got the wrong holder, it worked out perfectly! Thank you for being the head cheerleader for this fun filled hop.

Anita said...

A beutiful horse and a happy, funny pig! Great imagination!

Britt-Inger said...

You have made wonderful flags. The horse flag is so beautiful and the pig flag, what more to say that it is so cute and funny.
Thanks for being the head cheerleader for this group and sharing your own creativity.

Christine M said...

Great flags Thearica. I love that little pig!

Sparky said...

Delightful flags...the horse silhouette is rather majestic...your be happy one with the pig of course is whimsical and filled with a softness that only you could have done so well...

StitchinByTheLake said...

Thearica I am wowed by both these flags! I think Samm said it very well - that horse is majestic. Very, very classy! But the pig is so adorable he has to be my favorite. What a great flag to show when you have guests! blessings, marlene

Jeanie said...

Both of these flags are perfect! I love how the mix up of holders gave way for this wonderful flag gift. The little skipping pig makes me smile....great job on both!

Elizabeth Coughlin said...

Both of your flags are wonderful! I really love the silhouette of black on the backgrounds.

Shari said...

Awesome, awesome flags. Very beautiful horse, and love your happy-go-lucky pig!

Agnes B. Bullock said...

Wonderful- the horse is gorgeous and the pig makes me laugh!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Oh Thearica!! lol. I love that horse head...and the little piggy is way too cute!!

Quilt Doodle Designs said...

Your flags are beautiful, love the horse. My sister would love it so much! You did an awesome job, thank you for sharing today!

CeLynn said...

Wow,two silhouettes! Both are wonderful,but your pig flag is adorable.

Shelley said...

Thearica, your flag makes my heart sing and makes me smile real big :) I just adore the whimsy of it..great job!

Rhonda said...

Thearica, you are a great friend.....that horse flag is fantastic and then you made the Be Happy flag. I love that one because I am happy about life all the time.....hard to believe but I'm retired and have very few things to complain about. This was a great hop and you are a great Cheerleader!!
TAKE CARE!!

In stitches and seams said...

good morning..... your horse is gorgeous and your little piggie is just sew cute and happy like you have said. Thank you Thearica for sharing your creations with us and all the time and effort in putting the hop together we can't do these fun hops with out cheerleaders like you and Mdm Samm too.
in stitches

Vickie said...

I think you definitely got the right flag pole and so did Doris....she's been flitting around like a humming bird lately going north and south up and down....she's a friend of mine, that's how I know, we're in the same quilt guild. The flag you made for your friend is perfect foe a horsewoman and your pig is just adorable and sweet like you ! Thank you for cheering us all on and for your enthusiasm and wisdom.

Leanne Parsons said...

Both flags are beautiful! I love the simplicity of the black silhouettes.

Jane's Quilting said...

Ahhh a silhouette. I love them. You sure pitched a great picture of the horses head and how nice bof your horse to sneak in your picture.

Needled Mom said...

I love the pig with the umbrella. It's just a happy pig! The one for Marie is gorgeous too.

Carol Swift said...

Thearica you've totally blown me away with your flags. They are so amazingly beautiful! The photos are perfect too!

Brandy said...

The silhouette idea is so neat, especially against such a brilliant background like your horse, where it makes it shine in such a neat way. I like your happy pig too, it is sure to make people smile when they come to visit!
~Brandy

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

Thearica your horse flag is wonderful! It reminds me of a Knight chess piece. And that pig with the umbrella is just precious! I like how you added the tree as well.

Scrapatches said...

How could anyone not be happy seeing your beautiful flags? Love them both. Great photos. Thank You for all the work you have done to make this hop happen and for brightening my day with you creativity ... :) Pat

MoeWest said...

Both of your flags look fantastic! I think silhouettes give a very classy look. A pig dancing in the rain certainly makes me smile! However, I don't believe in keeping beautiful things only for guests. That flag will make you happy too, so I think you should use it. You know you have enough fabric to make another when it gets weathered! I think we all deserve to use and enjoy our best things because we can't take it with us. Thank you for organizing a very fun blog hop.

Calicojoan said...

What wonderful silhouettes. They do make for spectacular flags! The little pig dancing makes me smile from ear to ear. Now, I might have to look for one in a snowsuit though. More of that blasted white stuff again last night! LOL!!!! Thanks for a great blog hop!

ShirleyC said...

I love them both! They are very unique, and the setting among the flowers is just perfect. Thanks for all you did to help with this hop.

Createology said...

Thearica these flags are amazing and really hold my attention. The horse appears to be radiating sunshine! And that little piggy with his brolly is truly making me smile. Thank you sew very much for Hopping and Flag Flying...

Linda said...

Your flags are both just beautiful ! Wow! You did a great job!!

Purl Buttons said...

What a delightful pig! I like the fact that the tree makes the letter F as in circle of FRIENDS. I also like your attitude that if things don't go as planned, something good can (still) come. Not, "WHERE is MY hummingbird?" but "I know someone who will love this." What a beautiful spirit you have.

Carla said...

You know I love both of these. I'm in kind of a silhouette kind of mood. :>) You have captured the essence of a horse and I really like the batik background. I'm so happy to see a pig and the "be happy" is perfect. This was a great hop and you are a great cheerleader. THANK YOU!!!

Unknown said...

Fabulous Flags! How could anyone not be happy upon seeing the darling pig? Adorable! We love pigs and horse at Flags On A Stick and your horse flag is lovely, the color pops out beautifully in nature.

Susie said...

Love the flags so cute, and a lovely gift. Thanks for sharing and organising a great hop. Susie x

Farm Gate Creations Incorporating Hummingbird Quilting said...

I do love the silhouettes...they so look terrific on any surface, and your piggy is so wonderful well done to you and thank you for making this a wonderful hop.

Kristen King said...

Your flags are spectacular!!! :)

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

Wow!! You did such a great job with cutting out all the pieces. The flags look so spectacular!!

-Soma

Heidi [Banks of Frog Creek] said...

I love pigs!!! Your pig flag is just too darling :) and your horse flag is stunning!

Lisa in Port Hope said...

A happy little pig in such a beautiful garden. Your daffodils are so cheerful.

Marcy said...

The horse flag is awesome. How neat. But the little piggy withe the umbrella is worthy of a giant smile. Sew cute.

LJ said...

Wonderful flags. I think it's serendipitous that you actually got the horse pole; it was just meant to be. :) I must remember to search the internet for images - something I forget about doing. The horse's head is great and the pig - just tooo cute. Thanks, Thearica, for a fun and inspiring hop. I've been enjoying myself completely and now it's time for you to rest and enjoy some quiet quilting time.

Mary Pat Callihan said...

Thearica, you AND your flags are amazing. The piggy one is my favorite, even if the horse is the more elegant. :)

Michelle said...

Both your flags are wonderful. 'Be Happy is cute and the horse is really lovely.

Mosaic Magpie said...

Wow those are two stunning flags! The horse is so regal and that sweet dancing pig....well he's a cutie!

Unknown said...

Wonderful flags! And thank you again for all your work on the hop! Beth @ Words & Stitches.

Michele said...

Both of them are just terrific.

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Beautiful flags and love the horse and of course your cute little pig! Great way to use the silhouettes!

Valspierssews said...

I am seeing more of the flag hop than the super power hop this week. I love both your flags but the horse head is just stunning with those cut out highlights.
valspierssews

Renee said...

I love your flags! They are beautiful and fun!