The Making the NJLI Flag

Over time and use our flags wear out or leave service. As a result we have to go through the process of creating a new one. Below is a record of that project.

The New Jersey State Flag

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The State Seal of New Jersey is featured at the center of the New Jersey state flag and the New Jersey Light Infantry Regimental Flag.

The seal was originally designed by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere in 1777 and was modified slightly in 1928.

The coat of arms is the central motif on the flag of New Jersey and the Great Seal of the state of New Jersey.

The coat of arms contains a horse's head above a helmet, showing that New Jersey governs itself. The three plows on a shield highlight the state's agriculture tradition, which is why the state is nicknamed the "Garden State". The two goddesses represent the state motto, "Liberty and Prosperity". Liberty is on the left, holding a staff with a Liberty cap on top and the word "liberty" underneath her. The goddess on the right is Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. She is holding a cornucopia with "prosperity" written below her.

Current Flag of the State of New Jersey

The NJLI Original Flag

This flag was painted by unit member Elaine Kopecky in 1976. The flag was cleaned and stabilized by stitching it to a muslin backing. The conservation was performed by Christian Cicimurri in 2019 and is currently hanging at home of Bill and Phyllis Christine.

The Goal

This is what we want the end product to look like, Only our first flag (above) had the canton with battle names and the "NJLI" on it. This version will be a full regimental standard at 90" X 54".

Fabric Acquisition

Finding good quality silk has become more and more difficult. We had this shipped to us from India.

Defining the Layout

We collaborated as a team to develop the correct proportions and layout for the New Jersey Seal

Creating the Template

The template was then created in PowerPoint and printed to actual size.

Making the Tracing Diagram

Tracing paper was used under the template so that the outline of the State seal could be accurately transferred to the fabric.

The Chalk Tracing

The result was a pretty accurate transfer of the image.

Painting the Lines

The lines were then hand painted in black creating a large "coloring book"

The Painting Begins

Once the lines dried, the hand painting began and continued for several weeks. For both sides this took about 150 hours of painting.

The Painting Concludes

Here's the final result.! It covers an area 27" wide X 29.5" high. The pistol at the bottom is for size reference.