Okies, I just spent an hour in Walmart, choosing materials to crate my banner of arms. This is a rough pic of what it will look like:
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3817/sheild2iu8.jpg
I will be taking pics as i go along. stay tuned
Well, El-Steveo, old buddy, old pal…...
If yer gonna "crate" your banner, you’d better have bought wood, nails, and a hammer. 
Sorry, couldn’t stop myself .... it’s a curse.
Seriously, though—we’re all anxious to see your step-by-step progress. What materials did you buy? Will you applique, embroider, .... both? I’ve seen a standard that looked like painted muslin—though, I don’t recall if it was an historical piece or a replica. Still, the painted muslin looked nice. Probably cheaper too.
—Guy
As a student of Interior Design/Interior Architecture, I can say that my personal opinion is that banners are absolutely the very best option for ‘diapering’ on a coat of arms. The material, as well, as the artistic/crafting options for making the material really, really come to life are absolutely limitless. I can’t wait to see what you chose.
I would say, however, that I am confused by this particular design style you posted. What was the inspiration? It seems sort of not really like most heraldic banners I’ve seen. Just curious.
Good luck.
P.S. What materials and colors did you choose?
***edited***
I think I got it now…it is a gonfannon. Cool. I gotcha. Have you thought about trying to make a heraldic banner instead? I think you can do it, as it is quasi-square in shape. In fact it might even be easier! Either way good luck and keep us posted. 
Well since this is kinda like the first time doing this. I’m just making a hanging banner out of regular colored cloth. Then if I like the result, I’ll make it more elaborate futurewise. I also bought some fringe and tassels to border it. I originally wanted some actual gold lame’ type of cloth, but they were out. Grrr.
Donnchadh wrote:
...banners are absolutely the very best option for ‘diapering’ on a coat of arms.
Denny,
I don’t understand this phrase. Could you please explain.
Best,
Rob:confused:
Sure Rob. Diapering is like a design within a charge or the field that is not a charge itself.
So, take the original arms of the great Irish family of Burke: Or, a cross Gules. You could see fanciful, beautiful designs on both the gold field and the red cross. Now these designs are within the same color mind you. It’s not like there are other colors on either.
For example, I’m sure you’ve seen in furniture stores, or your better fabric stores, or even inside an Interior Decorators/Interior Architects store (if you’ve been to one) fabric that is of one color that has nice designs throughout the fabric of the same color but either shinier or flatter so as to set itself off against the color to a certain degree – especially on fabric for wall draperies. I’ve seen it on silk a lot as well as velvet (velvet is the best one to do yourself too! – as long a you have an iron and some cut out designs) etc. This is diapering.
In my book from Neubecker and my Fox-Davies etc there is talk about it. I’m sure there are more references to it, but those stand out right now.
Also I will look to several online sources and post the hyperlink and maybe some of the info about diapering here as well.
Slán.
Here’s the definition from Parker’s online heraldic glossary Rob as well as a hyperlink to the glossary:
http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglossd.htm
Diapered, (fr. diapré): an ancient mode of relieving the plain tinctures of fields and charges by arabesque and other patterns, generally of a darker shade of the same colour, and left to the fancy of the painter or sculptor. Some species of diapering have been mistaken for fretty, as that on the tomb of Robert DE VERE, in the church of Hatfield-Broad-Oak, Essex.
At the same time it appears to have been recognised as a mode of tincture, as in the following:—
Le Counte CHAUMPAINE, d’azur a une bende d’argent a custeres d’or diasprez—Roll, temp. HEN. III., Harl. MS. 6589.
Le Counte DEL ILLE, de goules a treis barres dor diasprez—Ibid.
What is meant by diapers in the following arms as thus blazoned in Burke is not clear. Papworth suggests didapper, an aquatic bird.
Argent, on a chevron gules between three diapers azure, a crescent or charged with a mullet sable—BREDNELL, London.
There are some examples of daipering "in action" so to speak on the post-Congress 2006 website. http://www.congress2006.com/
In particular in the section on "The Heralds" in the fourth photo down the daipering on the bend in Garioch Pursuivant’s tabard is quite obvious. The daipering on the Gules field of Endure Pursuivant’s tabard can also be seen, though less clearly.
Endure’s daipering is more visible in some of the photos in the "Civic Reception" section, especially in the close up photo of him. Other diapering appears on the St Andrew’s Community Council gonfannon and on the Slovak Herald’s tabard.
James
Yes, those are quite nice! Beautiful really.
Donnchadh wrote:
... left to the fancy of the painter or sculptor.
Thank you both. Very helpful! :D
So one would use the term in a blazon such as (and I am new at this) "Sable diapered, dormant Lion Or armed Gules…." and then the artist would interpret the pattern to their discretion. Correct?
It is clear how the diapering is used in textile art but is it also represented in painted CoAs? if so I don’t recall seeing any examples.
I guess I am trying to clarify if the term is used in the blazon, and in such cases when it is blazoned is it used in painted and computer designs as will as textiles.
Thanks Again.
Best,
Rob
Diapering is never mentioned in the blazon. It is purely a matter of the artist’s discretion as a way to embellish the field. For an example, see the arms of our colleague Justin Swanstrom as emblazoned by Daniel de Bruin. The blue field of the shield is diapered in a lozenge pattern:
http://www.heraldrysociety.us/MemberArmPages/images/Swanstrom_ahs_l.gif
Or the gold cross in the dexter and the gold chevron in the sinister field of these arms of Bishop Fordham of Durham, by Anthony Wood:
Thank you!
Best,
Rob
Excellent stuff. The Anthony Wood work is absolutely spectacular.
Diapering is something that I can’t do to a baby but I have been known to use it in some of my own work like the arms of St. Joseph Parish, N. Plainfield, NJ:
http://excoboard.com/forums/18883/user/133625/201202.jpg
It’s also used by Andrew Jamieson in this version of my own arms:
Guy Power wrote:
Well, El-Steveo, old buddy, old pal…...
If yer gonna "crate" your banner, you’d better have bought wood, nails, and a hammer.
Ummmm *rimshot*?
Ok, i’ll admit I didn’t get the joke for awhile. LOL, I’m so lame. :p. Anywho, sofar, the banner is coming along ok. I’ll try to get a pic up.
~Steveo
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8554/gonfalonpicrg4.jpg
Almost finished. I just need to get some gold cord to match the fringe. I used a dowel, of course for the pole thingy, and since walmart didnt have any end caps, i used Tiny wooden flower pots. they worked just as well.
I know the pic is of low quality. i think it turned out rather well.
