To think, 366 days ago, I had no idea who this little being in my belly was...and, now, well, I just can't imagine our life without her.
Sure, it has been a year of many, many sleep deprived days/nights. But, the joy of watching our little flower bloom makes it all do-able. (Remind me of this the next batch of sleepless nights....)
In keeping with tradition (a tradition I sometimes curse in the wee hours before birthdays) in our little family, last night I made her a birthday crown--her 1st birthday crown. Her big sister helped me think through what exactly should be on this crown ("roses, of course!")...and I set to work while the girls slept.
I "felt" (which is a key component of my crowns), but, I do not know how to sew -- and, well, sewing is required. I am what my friend Barbara calls a "wild woman sew-er". I just turn on the machine and start creating. No patterns. No rules. No idea what I'm doing. Consequently, each crown is unique--not only in its details, but in its construction.
Last night, while making the crown, I seemed to have more sewing challenges than ever. But, amidst my frustration, I had a happy heart. I was sewing with my newly-acquired sewing machine. It belonged to my Nana who died last year, just a few months before what would have been her 90th birthday -- April 29th--the day my sweet baby Rose was born. Life can be so bittersweet sometimes.
Anyhow, back to the crown. If you are interested in making a crown, I just discovered that Juicy Bits and Balancing Everything have great tutorials (In fact, now that I've found these tutorials, I just might try to follow one next time...hmm, theirs are way more professional looking than mine!)
A few of my own tips/suggestions:
- Use 100% wool felt for the base of the crown. I prefer to either use extra thick felt to give the crown enough stiffness to stand up. Alternatively, sew two pieces of felt together (I noticed the tutorials use this approach and use interfacing to stiffen). Great sources for wool felt include Weir Dolls and Crafts and A Child's Dream. (You can also purchase needle felting supplies from these sources if you are inclined to needle felt a design on the crown.)
- Use 3/4"-1" elastic (I cover the elastic by sewing a "tube" out of some scrap fabric.) as the back half of the crown -- it works wonderfully to keep the crown in place.
- For adorning your crown, consider ribbon (I have a great stash of vintage ribbon that I love to use for these.), buttons, flowers, etc. Check out this collage for some really adorable crowns (kinda make mine look lame).
I sew the same way - no pattern, pins, or idea. I also always think of Nana and Mom. I think everyone that sews thinks of someone else. It may have something to do with the hypnotic sound of the reciprocating needle.
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