Crafty Celebrations

How do you celebrate with people? Are you a card writer or a party thrower?

As you might have guessed, I make stuff. When my best friend went into labor, I knitted baby hats until the birth announcement text arrived. For me, it's more than just giving a gift. The making helps me feel like I'm part of the process, part of the party.

I pulled out fabric tonight to celebrate with a dear friend. She leaves this week to bring home her new daughter from China. Before my sewing machine, quilt in process, I'll rejoice while they celebrate with baby Miriam.

Last week, we celebrated with another sweet friend who is welcoming baby number two. Picking out fabrics felt like I was nesting. {Personal revelation - maybe this is how I stave off the baby bug.}

Our house was covered in craft for a week - banner, mobile, dresses. I lost myself in whimsical fabric. Finishing in time to start again. {This time, DH is traveling, so the mess isn't quite as disturbing to family life.}


Tutorials are a bygone era for RM. After a couple years of stalking craft blogs, I decided: There's nothing new on the internet. When I searched for a onesie dress tutorial, I came up with no less than a dozen identical tutorials on the first page of results. Another tutorial from me would only add to the noise.

However, I'm happy to point you in the direction of a few good guides I referenced for these projects:

For a "Welcome Baby" Banner 

For Onesie Dresses, try here or here 

The bird mobile came entirely from "Mr. Stewart's noggin," but Prudent Baby is happy to provide you with 25 mobile options. You don't need me.

The other reason I left off tutorials is that I fear that pinterest/roundups/endless tutorials rob us of creativity. We just copy what we've seen.

I don't look at tutorials or completed projects first. I work out the project, what I want it to look like, how I think it should be done, then use tutorials as a cross reference. Did I miss something big? Have I got all my steps in the right order? Is there a trick I don't know about or don't remember? My own design with the other crafters' expertise.

As with everything on this blog, I'm full of personal opinion. If you love pinterest and tutorials, great. Use them. That's why they're there. Just don't hope for them from this Momma.