Seize the Moment Sewing

I want to welcome Caroline and Maryanne, a couple of sisters who live in Sydney, Australia. Together they chat on their blog and run sewing classes – sewtogether – for new and young mothers who want to sew for themselves and their children.

We come from a long line of crafting women, who have all had the desire to create. We hope to continue this family tradition, spark this passion in our children and share it with friends. We run a sewing school where our main focus is to help our students discover the joy of creating beautiful but simple things and the joy that can be found through being part of a crafty community.

Seize the Moment Sewing
Once upon a time, ladies of leisure embroidered delicate tablecloths with matching napkins, they spent years making heirloom quilts and months smocking dresses for their daughters (and their sons!) Hand creating beautiful things has always been seen as an act of love.

As life becomes busier and time becomes more valuable it can sometimes be impossible to find time to craft and to create special things for the people we love the most, but it’s all about seizing the moment. Those moments come thick and fast in families – first steps, wobbly teeth, receiving your first library card, swimming lessons, first sleepovers – why not seize those milestones and make them extra special with treasures and keepsakes that you can make in minutes, not weeks? In this case, less time doesn’t mean less love. First sleep-over pajamas, library bags, birthday badges and tooth fairy pillows can all be made in less than an hour, used and loved and then stowed away in a keepsake box for later so that memories remain tangible.

We like to call it ‘Seize the moment sewing’! and to get you started… a tutorial to make Birthday Brooches.

These running stitch birthday brooches are super quick, super easy and perfect for kids who love to wear their age with pride (unlike their mothers!)

You’ll need:
- Felt scraps in a variety of colours
- Craft glue
- Embroidery thread in a variety of colours
- A safety pin

1. Cut out your top felt layer. If you are feeling confident you can hand draw and cut, but I like to print a template off my computer. A 300 point font is a good size.
2. Get stitching. I love the sashiko effect of just using running stitch, but it’s up to you!
3. Glue the embroidered layer of felt to a square of felt just slightly larger than the top layer. I use spray glue as it stiffens up the felt nicely, but any kind of craft glue will do the trick.
4. Cut around the number you have just glued leaving enough edge (approx. 3mm / 1inch) to stitch around your first border.
5. Repeat steps 2 ,3 and 4
6. If you don’t want your stitching to show on the back of the brooch, attach another piece of felt (the same size as your final layer) to cover it up. Stitch a safety pin (or brooch back if you have one) to your embroidered number and…you’re done!