In order of appearance in the gallery
The pieces of the banner cut out and ready to sew; the pieces positioned and looking good!; the banner, stitched, stuck and ready to show off!; me and the glorious banner!; me (left in Slytherin colours) and Laura (right, in Gryffindor colours), banner designer, proudly showing off the banner to the waiting crowds!
After last year’s Prisoner of Azkaban premiere, Laura and I decided that we’d definitely make a banner for Alan for the Goblet of Fire premiere. With both Laura being a graphic designer and Alan a former graphic designer, we weren’t happy just to slap together some card and marker pen, we wanted something a little grander. We’d discussed what we wanted to create for a couple of months before the premiere, but it wasn’t until two weeks before did we start to properly research into it. I provided the pictures for Laura to tinker with, and she came up with the stunning design that we went on to make. We must say thanks to Laura’s mother-in-law-to-be, Jane, for the material we “borrowed”!
One week before the premiere and we started cutting and sewing. Laura was chief designer and worked on the picture, dealing with all the intricate stitching of Alan’s face. I was responsible for the words, carefully cutting the letters out of white cotton. At this point I was aware that Alan was unlikely to be at the event but this did not deter us. I spent each night the following week stitching each letter in place whilst Laura completed Alan’s hands and face. On Friday November 4th I roped in my Dad to help me finish off. With the temptation of the world’s media calling me, I used some t-shirt transfer paper to print my website address onto white cotton to sew onto the banner. I then called upon my Nan and her good old Singer sewing machine to rattle through the border of the banner, stitching a backing piece to the front, to cover my hideous stitching (my sewing teacher did always say I had atrocious sewing skills!). The banner was finished and I carefully packed it, looking forward to unveiling it at the premiere.
The day of the premiere arrived and we soon discovered things weren’t going to go like we’d planned. We got a front row position, but quickly realised that no one was going to see our banner as we were stuck at the opposite end of Leicester Square garden to the media and the actors. The rain lashed down on it but it swung in the wind with pride.
We were thrilled with our banner and we’re glad we made it to show our support for Alan, who didn’t make it to the event. Hopefully we’ll get to bring it to another event and Alan, and his other fans, will get to see it.
