I received a very welcomed request from my son's girlfriend last week. She asked if I could possibly make a felt name banner for her nephew, Leo. Leo is turning 2, and loves the Jersey Shore. I was thrilled to say "yes!" immediately and get to work on something I've not done before. I've made ornaments, but never letters, not a hanging banner. I started by selecting a simple alphabet font, and used graph paper to draw the letters. I wanted them to be about an inch in diameter when finished, so I made them 1 1/2 inches on the graph paper to allow for sewing seams and stuffing.
Next came conversations about what Leo liked at the Shore. Crabs! Waves! Beach pails and shovels! So many ideas! It was so much fun to look for ideas and create ornaments to attach to the banner.
Assembling the letters was easy. I used a basic blanket stitch, being aware of needing to add stuffing to hard to reach areas!!
Last was to figure out how to hang the letters and creatures. I picked up a 1/4 inch rope, which worked perfectly. I hot glued a small felt pocket on the back of each letter to allow them to easily slip on to the rope. I sewed the creatures/ornaments to the letters, so if they ever wanted to remove them for Leo to play with, they could be cut off without damage. And after a while, it was done! I really like the way it turned out.
I mailed the package this morning. I'm so excited to see if Kevin, Emmie and Leo like the banner!
Quick update: Leo liked the banner! Here's a few photos of Emmie and Kevin giving it to Leo on his 2nd birthday.
