Vintage Sewing Birthday Party

Caitlyn became hooked on sewing after receiving a sewing kit and toy sewing machine from Santa. It wasn’t long before she asked to have a sewing party for her 7th birthday. The fresh colors and prints from Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane fabric collection became the inspiration for the party. I also drew inspiration from her gorgeous studio and the oh-so-creative parties that were pinned on my Vintage Sewing Party board.

The custom designed spool of thread invitations by FLIPAWOO were hand-delivered to each of the guests weeks in advance.

By the day of the party, the children’s playroom was transformed into a sewing room, complete with a rotary sewing machine dating back to 1915, vintage spools of thread and hand-made pin cushions. I created a simple backdrop by stretching fabric on embroidery hoops of varying sizes and hanging them on a giant cork board that was already in the room. For the center hoop, I embroidered the words “Sew Seven” by hand (find the tutorial on Celebrations At Home). Vintage blue mason jars holding fresh flowers from the local grocery store were placed on each of the tables, and my DIY ruffled fabric garlands were draped across the chair backs.

A vintage sewing table acquired from Stylish Patina served as the perfect dessert and beverage table. The baked desserts were artfully made by some of the most incredibly talented women from the Washington DC area. The detailing on the sewing basket cake by PhoebeCakes was exquisite. One of the funniest moments was when our son, Camden, ran off with the little kitty paws right before we were about to cut the cake. Dusted with edible glitter, the decorated sugar cookies from JP Creatibles looked too pretty to eat. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. Sew darn cute!

The cookies n' cream cake pops by 6 Bittersweets, which resembled spools of thread (get the tutorial here), were adorned with washi tape flags. Pink airmail washi tape from Le Box Boutique was also used to adhere spoons to parfait glasses layered with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Wooden spools tied with pink sorbet baker’s twine from The Twinery held up button lollipops made with vanilla flavored candy melts. A glass jar was filled with raspberry curd French macarons – another sweet creation from 6 Bittersweets.

Pink raspberry lemonade was served in glass bottles with hot pink striped paper straws from Sweet Estelle. Floral beverage coasters from Heather Bailey’s coordinating party collection added a touch of nostalgia.

While guests were arriving, the girls guessed the number of buttons in a jar (the answer was 157) and played a few rounds of “hoop toss”. 

For the first sewing craft, they used embroidery thread to stitch their first initial and a flower onto eco-felt that was stretched over a hoop (see the tutorial on Amy Atlas Events). Although most of the girls had never sewn before, they all did an amazing job and proudly showcased their finished projects on the cork board.

Then we used a kit from Paper and String to make adorable felt cupcakes sprinkled with mini brads and topped with buttons.

Beautifully sewn pencil pouches by Bagel Creations and hand-crafted button cards were given to the guests as they were leaving the party.

After months of planning, it was such a joy to see everything come together. A big thank you to all of the vendors and suppliers who helped me pull off this party:

Photography: Rebecca Watkins Photography and Pure Joy Events / Invitations, Food/Beverage Labels & Personalized Tags: FLIPAWOO / Cake: PhoebeCakes / Sugar Cookies: JP Creatibles / French Macarons & Cake Pops: 6 Bittersweets / Printing: Brickwall Printing and Graphics / Cupcake Kit: Paper and String / Pencil Pouches: Bagel Creations / Pin Cushions: Details by Des / Vintage Sewing Machine: Stylish Patina / Blue Mason Jars:  JAKRB / Beverage Coasters, Epoxy Button Stickers & Stamp Ink Pads: Heather Bailey Store / Button Boutique Stamps & Buttons: Papertrey Ink / Paper Straws: Sweet Estelle / Baker's Twine: The Twinery / Washi Tape & Glassine Bags: Le Box Boutique / Nicey Jane Fabrics: Redbrick Quilting and Crafts, Skye Reve Fabrics

As Seen On: Amy Atlas Events / Ucreate Parties / Kara's Party Ideas / Living Locurto / Catch My Party / The Party Wagon / Maddycakes Muse / Project Nursery / The White Library / A Few of My Favorite Things / Tiny and Little Magazine / Me and My Insanity / Plush Little Baby